My philsophy professor dropped this on me

[stromboli]

Shit like this is why I avoided philosophy.

[Hijiri Byakuren]

What would be a response to this?

"Fuck you and the horse you rode in on."

[Atheon]

"I don't believe in any god."

[Jason78]

"tell me about the god you don't believe in."

What would be a response to this?

Isn't that begging the question by assuming that there is a specific god that exists, yet you don't believe in?

[pioteir]

Shit like this is why I avoided philosophy.

Me too. I hate those fuckers thinking weird shit up and pretending they know more than they actually do.

[Johan]

"tell me about the god you don't believe in."

What would be a response to this?

Tell me professor, are you still beating your wife on a regular basis?

[La Dolce Vita]

I have no idea what he's trying to say here. Is it:

A: You can't say anything about something about something you don't believe in. You don't believe in god, so shut the fuck up?
or
B: Define god, then I'll show you that's not the correct description of the one and only true god?

Both seem nonsensical to me.

If A the reply should be:

"We can criticize every other idea we don't believe in, why not yours?"

If B, it's really easy:

"There are legions of different definitions of the one particular god you appear to be referring to, and legions of other gods with endless definitions as well. I can't define all of them at once. Many of them are completely contradictory (not that many singular definitions aren't as well). It is up to the believers to define whatever gods they believe in themselves, and first then I can tell whether I believe in it or not. Typically the god concepts involve magical attributes however, and I'm yet to be convinced, and therefor do not believe, that any such attributes exist. Therefor if the "god" you are referring to has magical attributes, or is any kind of un-documentet sentient force living without a body, I do not believe in said god.

If what you call god demonstrably exist, such as a rock, a totem pole or the universe, I will certainly believe in said god, I just don't see any reason to call it a god, unless it has magical attributes, and in that case it will be the magical attributes I do not believe in."

[Mermaid]

Isn't that begging the question by assuming that there is a specific god that exists, yet you don't believe in?

I think this is the approach the professor is probably looking for. He made an assumption with his question that he shouldnta oughta made.

[SGOS]

Isn't that begging the question by assuming that there is a specific god that exists, yet you don't believe in?

Yeah, probably, maybe.  But I got so focused on failing to formulate an intelligible answer, that I went into one of those zones, where nothing makes sense.

[josephpalazzo]

Background: He was talking about Karen Armstrong's book called The Case for God. He summarized one of her points by saying "tell me about the god you don't believe in."

What would be a response to this?

Answer: Why waste your time on something you don't believe in?

[Mister Agenda]

The God I don't believe in is the one without sufficient evidence to justify my belief in it.

[Jmpty]

Why would a Philosophy professor be talking about that book? I smell a rat.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

They like to lay traps and see who avoids them.

[ApostateLois]

I'd say, "Tell me about the gods that YOU don't believe in. There are thousands of them, so feel free to write your opinions of each one in a PDF and send it to me."

[rex]

Background: He was talking about Karen Armstrong's book called The Case for God. He summarized one of her points by saying "tell me about the god you don't believe in."

What would be a response to this?

I don't believe in any god.