I do learn things from you–and while I’m not sure of who’s correct on the “virgin” thing (I’d like to review how we interpret those roots in our Bibles, eg the Isaiah “virgin shall be with child”), that would make me feel better if so. It doesn’t take all the problem away, but lessens the problem in one instance. Thank you.
I’m puzzled here. I am curious why that would be so? Because drowning and instant death (presumably, from an angel) are less painful? Because many of us die, every day, and attribute it in part to God? I hadn’t thought of that fully enough. God doesn’t rejoice in the death of the wicked (still less in the death of the innocent), so I know He wouldn’t be happy in any case–but it’s an interesting psychological phenomenon, as the protagonist says in “The Gods Must Be Crazy” (which I highly recommend, by the way).
Back to the main course–I’m happy to “read” Packer (actually, Randal Rauser recommended one of his pamphlets to me) but can’t do that by regular reading. What do you think of the “Taking God Seriously”?