Non-fundamentalist apologetics is about obfuscation

[robvalue]

Yes indeed. Whenever I ask someone to define God, I usually get a long list of things he doesn't do, and isn't. All different ways in which you can't prove he's not there. Not much actual information that would pick him out of a lineup.

When people resort to this, I think you're right, they are protecting their beliefs with armour against all forms of enquiry. Sadly, they usually define it in such a way as to make it impossible for them to even know it exists without using special pleading.

When people get defensive about their faith, I think it's a mixture of fear of having it taken away and frustration at not having rational arguments. So fudging the issue avoids having to think it through.