Defining god

In this post by the stone god, Ark, in a response to Nan, Becky tells us

Nan, if God doesn’t exist, then He doesn’t exist anywhere. You can’t pick and choose about existence. A thing (or a person) either exists or it doesn’t exist. You say God doesn’t exist, so that means nowhere in all of known and unknown existence, there is no God. Sorry. That’s beyond the scope of anyone’s ability, unless they are omniscient. At best an honest person who doesn’t believe in God would have to be agnostic. The atheist position is simply untenable.

Of course I believe the evidence I’ve studied. It would be silly to study it, say it is true, then not believe it. But that’s no different than any other person. Some choose not to study. Some think they’ve studied when they haven’t even scratched the surface. But at some point we all have to say we believe whatever evidence we think is most convincing. It’s all a matter of choice.

I agree with her that a thing either is or isn’t. It would be fallacious to claim a thing both is and isn’t at the same time. That seems to be how far our agreement goes. She then claims that because Nan isn’t omniscient she can’t know if god isn’t hiding somewhere beyond Pluto. But this argument is weak. The claims about gods have been made here on earth. The religious people claim there god does things around us daily. The atheist only need ask for demonstration or proof that these claims are true here to declare the claims true or false. Asking us if we have visited unknown worlds or better every crook and cranny sounds clever but is really a silly ploy.

Agnosticism, as Bob will tell you if you can’t read for yourself, is not about belief. It is a knowledge claim. The agnostic lives their life as an atheist. All they claim for themselves is that whether god exists or not and its nature is not knowable. I would suggest, in all this, the position that is most tenable is ignosticim/ igtheism.

It is only proper that a person believes as they are convicted/ convinced. Nobody begrudges her for believing what she has read. My only comment that maybe your study material is limited to those that support your belief. And I know so many people who haven’t studied but believe the bible is true. It’s hardly a matter of choice. I agree, however, that most people once they are convinced they have attained truth, seek no longer.