What is a word or expression for a convenient and unsupported answer?
The word I was looking for is "cop-out".
I was slightly wrong in my edit about it being a single word (it is hyphenated, though).
Cop-Out
- something that avoids dealing with a problem in an appropriate way
(MWD)
Explanation:
If someone (given the situation provided in the question, though, maybe it wasn't the best example situation) responds with,
"God could have kept him alive,"
the opposing party might respond with,
"That's a cop-out answer."
"God did it," is really (in most cases) avoiding trying to create a valid, more plausible reason/argument -- avoiding putting in the work to create an argument that actually accounts for the situation, not one that simply, itself, ultimately needs an explanation (e.g. by what mechanism did God keep Moses alive).
I'm probably not supposed to do this, but, as an aside, thank you for all of your answers. Most of them were really good, just not the one I was looking for. But hopefully, your suggestions will help someone else that happens upon this question.
'That's a facile answer / argument.'
facile [adj]
1 Ignoring the true complexities of an issue; superficial. facile generalizations
[ODO]
facile adjective
A facile remark or theory is too simple and has not been thought about enough: a facile explanation
[CED]
facile
1a (1) : easily accomplished or attained ...
(2) : shallow, simplistic I am not concerned … with offering any facile solution for so complex a problem — T. S. Eliot
...
c : readily manifested and often lacking sincerity or depth
[M-W]
facile adj. ...
- Arrived at or presented without due care, effort, or examination; superficial: We don't need another facile solution to a complex problem.
[AHD]