If Pat Robertson did not exist, Richard Dawkins would have to take up bench science and invent him. Novelist Wood should pay just a bit of attention to the central mythos of Christianity, the premise of which is that God became man in order to participate in man's suffering. This seems a cut above most theodicies. Ponder the Pietà for a while, Jim, or listen to Poulenc's Stabat Mater. (I would suggest that Robertson do the same, but I suspect Wood is far more likely to get the point.) The mystery of suffering is at the heart of the Christian faith. As with all true mysteries, no easy explanation is available. Probably most Christians, I suspect, when they heard of the earthquake in Port-au-Prince, offered up a prayer for the people of Haiti and reached for their checkbooks.
Also, Abelard's atonement theology - previous atonement theologies were a little crude, mechanical. Abelard speculated that god became man & died so that we would realise his love for us - and love him in return. This is interestingly reflected in Helen Waddell's excellent novel Peter Abelard.
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