Even if we accept that mortal life is difficult by design to some extent, we may still be left with the question: does there have to be this much of it? This is an ancient question. How do we reconcile a God who is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving with a world that teems with suffering and evil? That is the classical formulation of the great problem of evil, and it’s one of the strongest challenges to faith in God.
Those who take up the challenge and try to answer the problem of evil—who try to show that an almighty, omnibenevolent God is somehow compatible with this fallen world—are creating an argument known as a theodicy: a vindication of God.
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