I am really getting flustered, if not fed up, with people who make all sorts of unsubstantiated claims and when you ask for any evidence or observation, demand that I prove that the claim is false. This upside down logic is so frustrating but regularly used by the claimers. The regular answer to that one is that the burden of proof is on the person making the claim, but it is always rejected. Imaging we start out with no opinion and never heard of an idea about why there is a universe because we never thought about it, a blank slate in fact. We just accepted what we can observe. Now someone invents a fictional force (god, superman, spirit, ghost, superbrain, what ever), and then tells me too accept their fiction because I cannot prove they are wrong. One can imagine anything, such as “The universe is an aware super being itself”, for example, but imagination has no validity.
Then there is another tactic that drives me up the wall. One makes a claim and then declares that since we don’t know it might be possible, no matter how outrages the claim is. For example “There might be a spiritual world even if there is no scientific based evidence. You don’t know, but there is always the possibility that there is”. NO,NO,NO! just because it sounds reasonable they think that is a valuable statement but it isn’t. Let me make a similar statement “There might be a moon somewhere in the universe which is made of cheese. You don’t know, but there is always a possibility that there is”. This statement would be rejected by most, if not all, people but if you make the same statement about Spirits, ghosts or gods, then it suddenly becomes acceptable as a debatable item. It shouldn’t.
Also there is the misuse of the word “evidence” (the available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid). NDEs are NOT “evidence”. Hallucinations and drug-induced revelations are NOT “evidence”. Biblical texts are NOT “evidence”, Feelings are NOT “evidence”, only facts and real information are.
I am also tired of having repeatedly to explain the difference between a scientific theory and a speculation. Many think that a theory is just a guess and thus equal to a speculation. A theory might be incorrect or incomplete but it is based on facts and observation. The theory of gravity is not complete and not fully understood but it is based on facts and observation. If you don’t believe me, jump of a tall building. Speculations such as UFOs (although observed) are aliens in spaceships, are fiction.
I am tempted when I run into arguments and the above tactics are used, just to give up and quit to debate that person, since they will reject logic anyway. The only reason that I hang in there most of the time, is the fact that someone else might be reading the debate, who does not have a closed mind and becomes aware of the above tactics and recognizes their invalidity.

Can we expect a better world when every one is an Atheist, defined as not believing in god? Well some of the religious excesses would disappear but we would still have the political differences between Capitalism, Socialism, Communism, Libertarianism, Humanism and so on. Then there are also supernatural beliefs which do not need a “god” to flourish, such as Astrology, numerology, Karma, Reincarnation, Ufology, Conspiracy, Superstitions, Soothsaying, to name a few, many relying on the speculated existing of the supernatural. There is also the beliefs in Telepathy, Clairvoyance, Precognition, Divination, Mind Control and Psychokinesis which are used by so called psychics to fleece the gullible public.
The task we have is, through science and logic, to convince the public that the supernatural, in all its forms, doesn’t  exist.
We have now sufficient scientific observations that we can reasonably argue that it is the case:
1-Awareness and Memory are brain functions. When the brain dies, awareness dies.
2-Religion is man made. Common thread between religions is evidence that the origin of the spirit (soul) is not supernatural.
3-No acceptable scientific data exists indicating that a supernatural transfer to a spiritual world is possible.
(Go to the other chapters and blogs for references and explanations)
If we could convince every one (wishful thinking perhaps) that the supernatural does not exist, we have not only eliminated God but also Heaven and Hell as well as all the other beliefs mentioned above. When everyone realizes that his/her life, in spite of enormous odds, is the only opportunity they will get in this short window to enjoy the magnificent splendor of this universe it would revolutionize our society. Would we still have suicide bombers or soldiers to go to war? I know I am dreaming, perhaps in hundreds of years we will come to that point, but we must make a start. Now is the time to do that.

Most religions believe in a non-natural parallel world. New research by the Psychological Science Behavioral scientists at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business and the Wisconsin School of business has found that the drive to have an explanation for anything is part of our genetic make up. Humans “have an inherent need to resolve uncertainty”. The ancients therefor created “explanations” not supported by actual observations but on pure speculation. This probably provided a defense to overcome the anxiety produced by unexplained happenings in their lives. We still do. Ufologists believing that we are being visited by aliens are a modern example of that. There is also the strong wish to predict what the uncertain future will hold and therefor astrology is still very popular.
Since science, not based on speculation but on actual observations, has made belief in the supernatural obsolete it is important that through education we eliminate the old superstitions and beliefs. We start with the scientific fact that self-awareness is a brain function that slowly develops when our brain develops and dies when the brain dies. We observe that self-awareness is totally depended on the brain function. Mental deficiency, brain damage, mental illnesses, Alzheimer’s disease, brain tumors, amnesia which can affect your self awareness, all prove without a doubt, that “who you are” is depended upon your brain. The notion that this “self awareness” can be transferred upon death to a “spiritual’ parallel world is a man made fantasy, with no observational evidence, and untenable. What about babies, mentally deficient persons, Alzheimer victims all receive new personalities? Then they would not be themselves anymore. Would babies grow up, old people young again? Which spouse you would live with if you had more than one? Would one be happy in eternity if they know that some of their relatives are suffering in hell? To make sense everyone’s awareness would have to be changed.
Just convincing people that gods don’t exist (Atheism) is not enough. If we convince the world population that the supernatural does not exists, we not only get rid of the fear of hell, but also get rid of superstitions such as lucky numbers, Karma, Astrology etc. and prevent people from being fleeced by Psychics, Fortune tellers, Preachers, Faith healers, Snake oil salesmen and Pseudo scientists.
This will not be easy to do and will take probably many, many years but we cannot afford to wait, we must start now.