#011 Wm. Paul Young: The Problem of Suffering and the Goodness of God (The Shack, Cross Roads, Eve)

Summary: <br> Why does a GOOD God allow evil and suffering?<br> <br> In<br> 2007, an unknown author's book was published, and it was like a bomb <br> exploded in the Christian world. Not only did many well-known <br> representatives of the faith embrace the content of the book, there were many <br> others who vehemently criticized it as well, labeling it as heresy.<br> And boy, did it create a conversation (or should I say many conversations!).<br> In this episode, I interview Wm. Paul Young.<br> Paul was born a Canadian and raised among a stone-age tribe by his <br> missionary parents in the highlands of Netherlands New Guinea. He is <br> best known for his highly-praised and controversial book The Shack which<br> has sold over 20 million copies to date. Since the success of his first<br> publication, he has written two more books, one being Cross Roads, and most recently, Eve.<br> IN THIS EPISODE, PAUL ANSWERS THE FOLLOWING:<br> • Why did The Shack receive so much attention?<br> • Within Christianity, God is known as a loving Father. Why didn't you portray God in a masculine form?<br> • Why is it so hard for many religious folks to accept the idea that God loves unconditionally?<br> • Is the God of The Shack too nice where "He" no longer matches the God of the Bible (especially the OT)?<br> • Why does a good God allow suffering?<br> • It seems like "God allows" EVERYTHING to happen. So is God even necessary?<br> • Does saying things like "God was with you during those horrible times" do more harm than good?<br> • In The Shack, what did Jesus mean when he said "I will travel any road to find you”?<br> • Does it matter what a person believes?<br> • What are some of the themes found in Eve?<br> • How is Eve different from your other two books? And what did you want people to take away from it?<br> • Why was Eve was your most difficult book to write?<br> • I heard The Shack is gonna be a movie. Can you tell us more about that? Who'll be starring in it?<br> • Is there a book tour for Eve?<br> SUPPORT THIS PODCAST TO HELP KEEP IT RUNNING! <br> <br> • <a href="https://www.patreon.com/JoshuaTongol">Please Support This Podcast by Making a Donation (any amount helps!)</a><br> LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE<br> • <a href="http://wmpaulyoung.com/">wmpaulyoung.com</a><br> • <a href="http://www.audibletrial.com/Flipside">Eve (FREE AUDIOBOOK w/ 30-day trial membership on Audible [type title in search])</a><br> • <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/WmPaulYoung">Paul Young on Youtube</a><br> • <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wmpaulyoung?fref=ts">Paul Young on Facebook</a><br> • <a href="https://twitter.com/wmpaulyoung">Paul Young on Twitter</a><br> <br> <br> <br> <br>