How does a person prove a negative? If a person ever comes up with a means of proving any statement as false, they will be the first person that has done so. In order to prove a statement false, it would be necessary to counter every arguement that it may be true.
Based on the fact that every arguement, that can be used to say a statement is true, needs to be refuted. The fact that a person can not prove a statement to be true does not prove the statement is false. For example a person believes 2 plus 2 is 4. He does not know how to prove 2 plus 2 is 4, that does not make the statement false.
Now a person can say that 2 plus 6 is 4. The fact that another person can show that 2 plus 2 is 4 only proves that 2 plus 2 is 4, it does not prove the statement 2 plus 6 equals 4 is false. There is no way that it can be proven that 2 plus 6 does not also equal 4. Not all reasons as to why it can be true can be addressed.
That is why the burdan of proof is always on the person making the statement. If I say 2 plus 6 equals 4, I must prove that is true. It can not be proven it is false.
This is one reason why a deliberate lie is so destructive. Something can be said about a person and the person can never prove it is a lie. Although the person telling the lie can not prove it as being true. The damage is done and can not be undone.
If I were to say somebody has purple hair that person can not prove they do not have purple hair. I can say that they have purple hair, but they have come up with the perfect way to conceal it.
Religous debates are so complex because most people fall into the trap of trying to prove the other person's statement is false. They then get sidetracked and fail to prove that their own statements are true.
Emotionaly nearly all of us have inner feelings that some statements are obviously false. However, we have to understand that we do not have any measurable empirical prove to say anything is false. We can only give reasons and proof why we believe something else is true.
When we have reason to believe something is true. We have to have the srength to stick with our convictions and always seek further evidence of the truth.
This does not mean we should not believe something is a falsehood. It means we must seek to counter false claims with verifiable alternatives to the falsehood. Like if somebody were to say I have purple hair. I do not need to prove that I do not have purple hair. I need only to show proof that I am nearly bald and that the remaining hairs are white.
In a religious debate. If someone makes a statement we believe is false. We do not need to attempt to disprove their statement. We need to show why what we believe is true. Then it is up to the person making the statement to consider if our proof is more plausable then their statement.
