Whether God's Existence Can Be Proven V

We have established that it is probably the case that when people make the assertion that "It's impossible to prove that God exists," they mean by proof a sound argument.

In an earlier post I suggested there are actually at least six different propositions which one might have in mind when one says, "It's impossible to prove that God exists." These are the propositions:

1. No sound argument with the conclusion that God exists is logically possible;
2. No human being for all of time is capable of proving that God exists;
   
3. No human being for all of time proves that God exists;
4. No human being up to the present moment has been able to prove that God exists;
5. No human being up to the present moment has proven that God exists;
6. (The one making the assertion himself) is not aware of any argument which proves that God exists.

Of the different propositions which people may have in mind when they assert that it's not possible to prove that God exists, most initially have in mind some form of proposition (1). After an analysis of what (1) actually claims, however, most people move to some version of (2); and after an analysis of what (2) actually claims, most move to (3), and then to (4), and to (5), and finally to (6).

Of course we have yet to perform an analysis of each of the propositions; we have merely indicated that an analysis of the possible meanings of the original assertion will reveal that the one making the assertion actually does not understand what his position is, and is not exactly clear about what he is asserting. It remains to be seen whether indeed we can show that this is the case.

I would like to be clear at this point about something important that should be remembered in reading these posts: even if we are successful in undermining people's confidence in the unprovability of God's existence, this doesn't demonstrate or by itself warrant the belief that a proof is possible.