When asked why i don’t believe in god, i’ve begun to answer simply by saying, “You tell me, kid. Why should I? Why do you believe?”
I shouldn’t have to explain anything. The onus is on others to explain how they can justify believing.
Belief requires an infantile mindset on the part of the believer. The whole god thing is a device with an objective; a made-up way for adults to feel the comfort and benefits of having a socially-accepted, imaginary friend, and who wish to pretend that we never die.
Anything they say as justification for belief can be shown to be based on one or another logical fallacies that the faithful accept and employ and depend on to sustain their illusions.
I think people could handle the truth, but sadly, I don’t think we (humans) ever will abandon belief. There is so much at stake for many people, so much pride to swallow, to admit that we were wrong (and silly), considering all that we would have to recant and confess to our children. It’s apparently preferable to suspend ones thought on the matter and keep on hoping. I know in the case of my religion, they give plenty of platitudes as virtues, like “a leap of faith” to help people calm their disillusionment.