'Real life is about the way people are hurt and how they cope
with their hurting.' Wanda Nash, Turning the Downside Up, Harper
and Collins, 1995.
1. The Problem Stated
In simple terms, we have a problem because we believe
in...
An omnipotent God
A loving God
The existence of pain
And it is not immediately obvious how they can all be
true. On the other hand, it is not obvious how or
why they conflict. (Ref. Alvin Plantinga)
Background: a passage from 'Catch 22' by Joseph Heller.
2. Perspectives on Pain
2a. A Modern Problem
Less suffering
Weaker understanding of omnipotence
2b. Choosing Pain
Is Pain always something we avoid?
Athletes
Parents
2c. Uses of Pain
Pain informs us something needs to change. The
problem with leprosy is that you cannot feel pain, so your body
gets damaged
Pain was created by God, so it must be good. He
created the nerve cells which respond to pressure, damage and
heat. He created the neural network to transmit this
information to the brain.
Pain was present in Eden. When Adam pricked his
finger or stubbed his toe, it hurt. If you work
through the implications of believing the opposite, it means
that Adam would not have been human in any sense we recognise.
2d. The Training Ground
Preparing for eternity
No pain in heaven
3. Towards an Answer
3a. Clarifying the objectives
Why do we end up talking about the problem of pain?
There are two basic situations.