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Summary: Dr. Connolly says that we must approach the problem of pain by asking What should we think about pain, and What should we do about it. The problem of pain, he argues is often answered with a false dichotomy—either God is wholly good, but not omnipotent, or that God is omnipotent but not wholly good. In the course of his talk, Dr. Connolly seeks to answer these two framing questions by exploring a third answer to the problem of pain that maintains both God’s omnipotence and God's completely good nature.
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I got a lot out of Dr. Connolly's talk. He began by warning us that he didn't have a lot of answers, and for this topic that's refreshingly honest.
What he did do, however, was to give the listener an opportunity to hear a believer's understanding of the problem. It was an understanding that was neither a knee jerk "how could God allow suffering ! " nor an understatement of the awfulness of suffering, but an understanding that suggests that God in his perfection probably suffers with us. Now, Dr. Connolly may not have said that exactly, it's been a few days since I've listened. However, that's definitely a thought that I came away with.
As many Christians know, this is an extremely difficult subject. I found it helpful to hear what Dr. Connolly said, without expecting answers.
What he did do, however, was to give the listener an opportunity to hear a believer's understanding of the problem. It was an understanding that was neither a knee jerk "how could God allow suffering ! " nor an understatement of the awfulness of suffering, but an understanding that suggests that God in his perfection probably suffers with us. Now, Dr. Connolly may not have said that exactly, it's been a few days since I've listened. However, that's definitely a thought that I came away with.
As many Christians know, this is an extremely difficult subject. I found it helpful to hear what Dr. Connolly said, without expecting answers.
Mitchell, Jul 10, 2005