The Problem of Evil

How do you respond when a non-christian asks you "If God is all-loving and all-powerful, why does he allow suffering and evil to exist?"

Having studied philosophy while at University (btw, I spent four years doing my Bachelor degree and came to Christ 2nd year), I can say that sadly, a lot of the arguments used in most apologetics teachings tend to use a syncretism of various philosophical models - some of them not even Christian in origin e.g., greek, zoroastrian, agnostic, deistic, etc and hence actually don't presuppose the god of the bible but rather a theoretical deity.

[url=http://www.gty.org/Video/Pulpit/10358]Here's John Macarthur's response[/url]

intrcssr83 wrote:
How do you respond when a non-christian asks you "If God is all-loving and all-powerful, why does he allow suffering and evil to exist?"

God allows Evil in this world because you are evil, and if He didn't allow it, HE would need to cast you into hell with out waiting for you to repent.
Furthermore, He allows it to give you what you ask for.
Exapmle:
9/11.
America kickes God out of everything, He gave us what we wanted.
He gave us the other so called god of this world, Alla.

I feel we must look to Calvary for an answer to this one. The Cross dealt with sin forever therefore it dealt with suffering forever. The Kingdom of God is eternal, this world is fleeting and spiritually dead. This world is Satan's dominion and will soon be destroyed. Satan brought sin and suffering to mankind back in the Garden and we (in Adam) chose to sin. It can only be in grace that God chose to intervene in a lost world.

There is no suffering or sin in the Kingdom of God and never will be!