It's a step of faith, just as it is a step of faith to proclaim that there is no God.
Thus the Christian takes the step of faith to proclaim that Thor, or any of countless gods, does not exist. Does that make the Christian a Norseman?
Why would someone proclaim there is no God?
For many people the question of whether there is or is not a God just never comes up. Why should it?
I know there is no Phoenix, but I don’t go around proclaiming it ;>).
I happen to be an atheist, but have no interest in disuading anyone from following what they believe. You may or may not have seen one of my defences of Christianity. For example: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1726998/posts
My interest is in “reason.” You made a reasoned argument and I was only pointing out the same argument can be used for its opposite—which means it’s not an argument at all, obviously.
If you claim your belief in God is a matter of faith, I have no argument against that. Frankly, I don’t know what you mean by faith. The only means I have to knowledge is reason and the only faculty I know of for reason is the mind. If there is something else that is a means to knowledge, perhaps you’ll be kind enough to point out what it is (faith?) and the faculty by which one “does” it.
My questions are only out of interest and curiosity, not meant to offend or argue any point, and possibly to give you a chance to argue your view a little. Not all atheists are anti-Christian. I could hardly demand the right to believe as I do without demanding the same right for all men, no matter how much I might disagree with them.
Hank