Divine Hiddenness

[Mister Agenda]

The power of our senses is limited. We can't even see a laser beam how can we possibly detect a deity, and even we see what resembles a deity, there is no way to confirm it through senses alone.

Pretty sure that part of the portfolio of an omnipotent being is being able to convince a mere mortal that's what they are. If God can't convince me he/she/it/they exist, God is not omnipotent, Q.E.D.

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As I understand it, belief in God's existence has never been the most important variable:

"You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!" (James 2:19, NKJV).

And in one of the parables the analogy was given of a dead man asking to be sent back from the grave so that people might see him and repent. The response was this:

"He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead" (Like 16:31, ESV).

Obviously this is New Testament and your friend is Jewish, but it echoes his point in a sightly different way. It argues that nothing of value changes by believing He exists. Almost every story in the Bible, from Adam and Eve onwards, involves people who saw or experienced God in some way, and nevertheless betrayed Him.

So this adds to your friends argument, which I think is good as well.

So it's not important whether someone believes God exists. That's what I've been saying!