BA, MA, PhD in philosophy with focus on philosophy of mind, philosophy of religion. Interests in metaphysics, philosophy of science, history of science, religion, theology. Minor study in Sanskrit and Buddhist philosophy.

The definition of God that I use is: the omniscient, omnipotent, perfectly good person who created and/or sustains the universe. This is the God I don’t believe exists when I say I’m an atheist. I capitalize this usage, because it is a proper name, like Herbert Hoover, Santa Claus or Madonna.

There are other meanings of the word “god”, that in a contemporary western theological context are less important. I do not capitalize them because the word ‘god’ is a sort of descriptor.

Depending on what other things count as ‘god’ I might be an atheist about them, or an agnostic, or a believer. For example, I am an atheist about the gods of Greece or India. I am an agnostic about a god who is a very powerful alien that hasn’t yet contacted Earth. I am a believer in an Einsteinian or Spinozistic god that is identical to the laws of nature.