Examples of (mostly) non-religious, mythical creatures include:
Because most theists agree that non-religious mythical creatures do not really exist, they often serve as good substitutes for God (or angels, etc.) in counter-apologetics, either to show the weakness of a theist's argument, or to show the reasonableness of a corresponding counter-argument — especially in the context of the reasonableness of belief without evidence, or the nature of burden of proof when applied to issues of existence.
- Atheist: "Do you believe in leprechauns?"
- Theist: "No."
- Atheist: "Why not?"
- Theist: "Because they don't exist."
- Atheist: "Prove it."