Theodicy

Indiana senatorial candidate Richard Mourdock has actually done us all a favor by forcing a public discussion about theology. That is a realm that has heretofore been off limits in politics. I'll bet a  lot of people might be interested to know more about the Mormon religion, but we aren't allowed to talk about it. Now we at least get to talk about Christianity.

In order to be a Christian, you absolutely must compartmentalize your thinking, so as to wall off what would be fatal conflicts if the wrong pieces ever came in contact with each other. Think about natural disasters. The reporters will go to a town that has been devastated by a tornado, and the survivors will all be giving thanks to God for protecting them. Of course, the people next door, maybe including your aunt and your cousins, are all dead or maimed. Hmm.

The miners are trapped underground.. A crew of 100 shows up with drilling equipment and works without sleep for five days, and gets them out, except for the guys who died in the initial collapse. Everybody thanks God for saving the miners. Hmm.

Your daughter is raped. Amazingly, even though it's a legitimate rape, the normal means the female body has to "shut all that down" fail in this case, and she's pregnant. God is all powerful, all knowing, and therefore one can only conclude that God intended for that to happen.

As a matter of fact, God knew at the beginning of time that after he got Mary pregnant, king Herod would get wind of it and murder all the babies in town. He intended for that to happen. God knew that Hitler was going to try to murder all the Jews in Europe. He intended for that to happen. God intended for me to lose my hair, for that matter, and he intended for you to get poison ivy. He intended it all. Hmm.