The chief problem with the atheistic line of reasoning is that it begins with the affirmation of a universal negative. In essence, you can present proof that something exists, but you cannot prove something does not exist.
Aware of this fundamental flaw, many otherwise confirmed atheists fall to calling themselves agnostics, playing the word game. However, for those who continue to call themselves atheists, the next best thing to actually proving that God does not exist is to DIS-prove any so-called "proofs" of God's existence. Here, also, they encounter problems. If they present a reasonable argument that the universe does not need a God to create it because of natural processes, the theist responds that God used these natural processes to do his creating. If they say that a virtuous, just, reasonable, logical, or even organized God would not allow the apparent chaos that we see throughout history, the theist responds that God works in mysterious and incomprehensible ways. No matter what proofs they may present, the theists continue to assert God is beyond these proofs, or, in other words, His existence is not falsifiable.
The frustration over this impasse is best demonstrated by John Wisdom's famous parable of the Invisible Gardener. In brief, this parable tells the story of two explorers who, while hacking their way through the jungle one day, stumble upon a clearing in which there are rows of arranged flowers carefully planted. The clearing has all the organization and appearance of a well-tended garden. "If it looks like a garden," says one explorer, "it must, in fact, have been planted and tended by a gardener." "Impossible," states the other explorer, "there is no path through the jungle to the clearing." The first explorer states that, perhaps, the gardener has a secret pathway that is hidden from them. They agree to wait and see if a gardener comes. After several days, no gardener has shown up. The first explorer suggests that the gardener may be invisible, which is why they did not see him. So they set up dogs to sniff him out. Still, no sign of a gardener. So the first explorer says that the gardener may be undetectable by any sense. They also set up motion sensors and electric fences, but no gardener ever manifests himself. The first explorer says that perhaps the gardener is also intangible.
In frustration, the second explorer says that if the gardener cannot be seen, smelt, touched, or detected in any way, it is the same as if there is no gardener at all.
One can easily understand this frustration. And if you are speaking to a Muslim or a Jew, this impass remains. However, from the Christian position, there is a solution. Unlike any other popular religion, it is the Christian's position that God's ultimate revelation of Himself was through the person of His son, Jesus. Moreover, the Christian belief is that the ultimate revelation of the Christ's deity was through his resurrection from the dead.
Now the shoe is on the other foot. You can't prove that Jesus corpse isn't still buried and rotting somewhere, but you can produce a body as evidence that he didn't rise again. A difficult task, certainly, but not impossible. We know the method in which he died, the types of wounds inflicted immediately prior to his death are graphically described for us. We know he was preserved with various spices available at the time and wrapped tightly in burial clothes. We are even told where he was buried, and that his tomb was sealed with a heavy stone. This all occurred in a reasonably arid region. These are perfect conditions for mummification. If he did not rise bodily from the dead, it is probable that his remains are still available for inspection somewhere.
It is not my position that the only reasonable argument against Christianity is an extensive search of the ancient graves of the middle east. However, the Christian belief that God came physically to earth and walked among us, does do something revolutionary to the atheist/theist debate. It provides a tangible, physical, verifiable or falsifiable line of evidence. It gives us a historical manifestation of God's reality.
As a Christian, I know there are many fronts for the debate about the authenticity of our faith. But I feel it is a mistake to make the debate about anything but the person of Christ Jesus. Let God's Word speak for Himself.
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