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<vernon.jenkins@virgin.net>
Subject: Re: [asa] Wells and traditional Christianity
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Hi, Vernon,

Thank you for pointing me to your "pilgrim's paradox."

Lots of Christians agree with you, and I think your objections make
quite a
bit of sense. Wm Jennings Bryan's most basic reason for rejecting
evolution
was the same as yours. He wanted to think that "the law of love" (as he
called it) trumped the "law of hate" (natural selection). Even Jack
Haught,
a very liberal Catholic theologian, sees the waste and suffering in
natural
selection as the greatest theological challenge presented by
evolution. As
I say, this is not a silly objection at all.

Of the various ways in which one might respond, and I think there are
various ways, the one I personally prefer is to emphasize (as George
Murphy
and John Polkinghore do) the theology of the "crucified God." If (as I
believe) the primary revelation of God/God's character to us is the
visible
second person of the Trinity and his suffering/death/resurrection,
then it
is not so surprising to me that the creation might in some ways
mirror this
aspect of God's own character. That's not an easy way out of the
theodicy
problem--I don't believe there is any such thing as an easy way out
of that
one--but it's consistent with my own understanding (at least) of
Christianity and the Biblical picture of the suffering servant. It's
also
consistent with the epigram to CS Lewis' book, "The Problem of Pain,"
which
quotes George MacDonald as follows:

"The son of God suffered unto the death, not that men not suffer, but
that
their sufferings might be like His."

This still fails to address the question, "Why did God not make heaven
now?", but as with other questions of theodicy I doubt that fully
convincing
answers will be forthcoming this side of heaven--assuming that they even
will then.

Ted

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Received on Tue Aug 29 12:02:24 2006