Before Our Very Eyes

Tonight, I had a discussion with my deeply religious friend, who shall remain anonymous. It was fairly straightforward, and I think that's why I found it so significant. Most creationists, when I ask them for some empirical support of their position, respond with "But the evidence is all around us, before our very eyes". I hope that you don't need me to tell you how intellectually vacuous and lazy that defense is. Let us forget for the moment that it is fundamentally incorrect, since we have an explanation for the things that are all around us, but even if we didn't, every single religion in the world claims the exact same thing. Have none of them realized this by now? If I was a lawyer, and the judge asked me "What evidence is there that the defendant is guilty", and I responded with "Your honour, the evidence is all around us". Do you know how he would respond if that was all I had to go on? I can tell you that my hypothetical career in law would be shorter than a redneck's temper, and no more distinguished. I know there are people out there who do try and defend their faith with evidence and rationality, I obviously disagree with them, but at least they try, and their efforts are let down by those who are more than content to hold their head high, with their mind closed, and feel no obligation whatsoever to support their extraordinary claim that "God did it"