Do any non answers to hard questions make sense and what can you use to counter them this is for atheists only?

Answer 1

An honest answer to a hard question where the answer is unknown, is simply to say, "We don't know". What is dishonest, is to assert anything else as an answer if the real answer is factually unknown. For example, If question "A" cannot be answered due to lack of evidence and/or information, the answer is not a default "B" or anything else except for the response of "not known".

I would say, that would make the most sense. Just say you don't actually know, and strive to find out, then provide evidence. That is something that doesn't have a counter argument.

Answer:

There are a whole set of answers to questions that seem to make sense but really don't answer the question or provide information. These are known as fallacious answers (See Link for a list of such responses). An example would be the exchange: "Q: How do you know he Bible is the truth? A: It says so in The Bible, so it must be true!)

Often people don't realize that their answers are fallacious as those are the answers they got when they asked and they repeat them.

The only way to counter such responses is to be able to identify them when they are given, explain that the response is not an answer and ask for an actual answer. Listening to any political news or opinion piece on the television will provide good exerciser in identifying these types of answers. Typical ones (and the response that you might give) are:

• We all know that ... (Then why am I asking)
• We've always done it that way! (There is new information now - things change.)
• My mother says its true! (Your mom's qualifications are ...?)
• I don't see how it could not be true? (Based on what evidence? You not knowing is of no comfort to me.)