Respectfully, Paul Rinzer’s and Scott Ziering’s letters (“Prove that there isn’t a teapot circling the moon” and “Someone making a positive claim bears the burden,” respectively, Nov. 17) are wrong in a number of important ways. For the record, these two letters reply to Otis Page’s assertions (“The burden of proof is on you, atheists,” Nov. 10) regarding Paul Rinzer’s commentary (“Meet your friendly neighborhood atheists,” Oct. 19).

First, Rinzer’s gracious admission “I do not claim to have proof that there is no god” confirms his doubt whether there is One.

Second, Ziering’s assertion that Page’s “argument” is a logical fallacy is incorrect. “Argumentum ad Populum, If many believe so, it is so” is a fallacy only if the belief is wrong. But where many believe something is true, when in fact the objective of the belief is a fact and true, there is no fallacy.

Further, Ziering asserts that “it is impossible to prove a negative statement” that God does not exist. But isn’t that the precise point that atheists assert? That God does not exist? How can they justify their belief if they can’t prove it except by ignoring the evidence?

-- Ken Goodman - Arroyo Grande

-- Ken Goodman - Arroyo Grande

-- Ken Goodman - Arroyo Grande