Purdue faculty explores 'The Problem of God'

February 13, 2012
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue's Christian Faculty and Staff Network is sponsoring "The Problem of God," an annual two-day symposium Feb. 17-18 where Purdue professors and experts address the issue of God within the context of science, politics, homosexuality and Islam, among other topics. 

The event will begin at 7 p.m. on Friday (Feb. 17) in Loeb Playhouse with keynote speaker Paul Copan, author of “Is God a Moral Monster?” in which he draws on the Old and New Testament to show an unchanging, righteous and loving God. 

"The mission of this symposium is to address real or perceived problems folks have with Christians, Christianity, or the Christian conception of God, and to deal respectively with those objections by shedding the light of truth on them in defense of the truth of essential Christianity," said animal sciences professor emeritus Alan Sutton, faculty adviser for the Purdue Cru ministry. "Students and faculty and anyone in the community who wrestles with these issues within their own academic, social and personal lives are invited to attend."

The symposium will continue at 9 a.m.  Saturday (Feb. 18) at Covenant Church in West Lafayette to address "The Problem of Evil, Pain and Suffering." A panel of guests will speak on the "The Problem of The Christian Treatment of Homosexuals" at 1 p.m. in Purdue's Lilly Hall, Room 1105. Professors and experts will lead several break-out sessions throughout the day on more than a dozen other topics, including "Origins: Does God Know About the Big Bang?" "God in the Qur'an and the Bible" and "Miracles: Answering Skeptics and Critics." A full schedule is available at https://www.facebook.com/groups/problemofgod/

The symposium is free to the public and is hosted by several churches and campus ministries, including Covenant Church, Faith Church, First Assembly of God, Riverside Covenant Church, Harvest Chapel, Faculty Commons/Cru, Campus House, Grad IVCF/InterVarsity, Navigators, Reformed University Fellowship, Baptist Collegiate Ministry, Worldwide Discipleship Association, International Student Ministries and others.
     
Writer: Jim Schenke, 765-494-6262, jschenke@purdue.edu

Source: Alan Sutton, asutton@purdue.edu