Woodsey said:
Burden of proof lies with the person making the claim. If I told you I could fly and then in response to you asking to prove it, I told you to disprove it, I'd hope that you'd call me an idiot.
In this case, no one was making any claim that God is real, only that unprovoked mocking makes you a jerk. Also, if you want people to stop believing in something, then the burden of proof is on you. If you want someone to take action you must bring something of substance to the table. The same is true if you want someone to begin believing in something. The burden of proof is whoever is trying to convince someone else. It is on whoever is trying to change the status quo. Attempting to disprove something is just as much a claim as attempting to prove something. Especially if the individual has a lifetime of religious experiences you want them to ignore.
People need to learn that there is a difference between respecting other people's right to believe what they want, and respecting other people's beliefs. The former is important, the latter, not so much.
The first is indeed more important. But respecting others despite their beliefs is very important, even if you do not share them. This is not happening here. In this thread people are mocking the most important beliefs of others and by extension insulting them. If you do not believe that is fine, but making a deliberate attack against someone's beliefs with the intent of insult is crossing the boundary of good taste and moral decency.
I am a liberal in a family of staunch conservatives. I have a great deal of experience trying to convince people of my point of view. I have found that disrespect causes no change and only encourages hate. It has no redeeming value. However, showing respect at the very worst encourages cooperation and a free exchange of ideas. It may even help a misguided individual to see the light, so to speak.