Thursday, February 08, 2007

Next Theology on Tap...Theodicy

Theodicy is a fancy theological word. It is used to describe a process whereby philosophers and theologians attempt to reconcile the existence of evil in the world with belief in a God who is supposed to be both good and powerful. Here is the dilemma:

If
1) There is a God, and
2) That God is good, and
3) That God is powerful,
Then
4) How does one account for evil and suffering in the world?

This conundrum leaves us with several possible conclusions:

1) There is no God (God is dead or never existed in the first place)
2) There is a God, but that God is not powerful enough to hold back the tsunami of suffering and evil in the world (God is impotent)
3) There is a God and that God is powerful enough to avert suffering and overcome evil and yet chooses not to (God is apathetic), or . . .
4) Your answer to this important question.

Join us on Thursday, February 22nd at 8PM at the Vortex in Little Five Points to discuss this intriguing topic. (Please send me or Johnny an email if you are able to attend so we will know how much room we will need. Thanks).

Labels: theology on tap

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World, Meet Taylor Marie!

Given the fact that we were five days late, Abby was following me everywhere I needed to go just in case we needed to make a mad dash to the hospital. That's how a 10 month+ pregnant woman ends up lurking around at an Emergent gathering. Around 3:00 on Tuesday, Tony Jones was just getting started with his talk at the Mainline Emergent/s Gathering at Columbia Seminary. Abby had grown increasingly uncomfortable sitting on the hard pews at Columbia Presbyterian Church, so we were standing at the back. By 3:30 it was time to leave. We headed home and went for a two-mile walk around Grant Park to see if her contractions would intensify. They did. At around 7, Abby's contractions were about five minutes apart so we hopped in the car and drove over to the hospital.

The entire laboring process was absolutely incredible. Neither of us had ever been through this before so we were relying on friends' stories about their children's births and the Ross-and-Rachelesque sitcom scenarios concocted to fill space between car commercials. I was expecting lots of screaming and profanity; however, I was pleasantly surprised. Abby was more like a Zen Yoga-master than she was like a high school football coach. As each contraction grew more intense and closer together than the last, her slow, controlled breathing responded in step. I was so proud of my wife and I was rather proud of the support I was able to offer her (well placed massages, slowly counting to help keep her breathing focused, bringing her cold compresses) if that is not to bold to say. If it is, then that's alright too.

At day's end, Abby was in labor for only five hours, measuring from the first stages of discomfort to the time that our beautiful little girl was in her mommy's arms. Little Taylor Marie came into this world at 11Pm on January 30th, 2007. Abby and I wish to thank all of our friends and family who prayed for us during this process (especially my friend, Jason, who surprised us by driving all the way down to Atlanta from Richmond, VA only to spend a few hours with us and then returned home through the sleet and snow to be back at work on Thursday for an 11 o'clock meeting). Taylor got a perfect bill of health from the pediatrician and Abby is recovering quite well too. Peace.

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