Provide Proof or Shut Up!

Perhaps I am just getting less tolerant for religious types as I age, but I see little point in arguing with someone about the existence of god. The hours that can get wasted indulging these people is too precious to me, so I have no time to discuss what they perceive as truth, or proof of the existence for their particular deity.

It all boils down to proof. And we atheists know they have none. So why do we waste time beating a dead horse? Perhaps some people feel it necessary to point out to the religious why their beliefs are illogical, and hope that this sparks some sort of epiphany in those they are debating. But truth be told, most of the time you could scream logical arguments at them 24/7 and they still will not budge on their belief in god.

The only way I even talk to these religious types is to demand proof right from the get-go. I don't want to hear their 'stories', ideas, or arguments. I've heard them all more times than I care to count. There is nothing new that they have to offer. So my first, and ONLY argument for them is this:

"If you believe in god, and say you have proof, then I await your peer reviewed paper and TV interviews. Please let me know when these will be available so I can see history in the making". 

That's it. And no, I will not play the game of 'let's move the goal posts', or 'evasive Q&A'. I end it there. And most of the time there is no response from the one who insisted they had proof of god... Surprise!

I am not going to give these people any more of my time. They take enough away from us, why should they get to take away my time on useless arguments that logically cannot be won by them. The only thing arguing with them does is feed their ego. And I am done allowing them to gorge themselves on my time.