What Makes More Sense, God or Atheism?

This group has been quiet for the last couple of years, but we're back with renewed purpose!
To restart this new phase we're going to take a look at perhaps the biggest of all questions.
How did the universe come into existence? Was it created by an omnipotent, omniscient God, or supreme being? Did the universe just spontaneously explode into existence with the Big Bang? Or is has the universe just simply always existed?
It's a question anyone who considers themselves a deep thinker has contemplated at some point in their lives.
For most of human history, religions were the gatekeepers to the answers of how and why the universe and humankind came to be. Over time, this has shifted. In 2004, Sam Harris published The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason, which was followed by Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion and Christopher Hitchens' God Is Not Great. Along with Daniel Dennett, they were dubbed The Four Horsemen of the Non-Apocalypse.
Atheism became cool and in the West over the last 20 years people claiming to be atheists has increased while members of most faiths have declined. Most celebrities who follow a faith tend to do so quietly, or hide it completely, while many celebrity atheists are happily open about their rejection of faith. Ricky Gervais, in his stand-up shows, compares the belief in God to believing in Santa Claus and faeries.
But prominent New Atheist, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, converted to Christianity, as has Peter Hitchens, and some well-respected scientists like Stephen C. Meyer and John Lennox are making a scientific claim for God, or at least for an intelligent designer.
So, what IS the more rational position in 2024, atheism or belief in God?
We will look at this challenging topic from many sides, exploring related topics like the nature of consciousness, whether there a spiritual dimension to life, does evil exist, and do we have free will?
We welcome contributions and questions from believers, atheists and agnostics alike! Come have your faith (or lack thereof) challenged!

We’re a friendly bunch, and you'll be welcome to continue the conversation well past the meeting's official end at 4pm. Grab a drink at the bar and come upstairs for some lively, open and honest chat. All good faith opinions will be welcomed and respected. We don't charge for our events but we do ask for a small cash donation to help pay for the room and Meetup membership.