Religious philosophers have tried to show ways in which the presence of suffering could be compatible with the existence of an all-powerful, loving God. But does it seem that even the best responses...

Religious philosophers have tried to show ways in which the presence of suffering could be compatible with the existence of an all-powerful, loving God. But does it seem that even the best responses to the problem of evil turn out to be less than conclusive? Don’t these explanations wear thin when we confront the suffering of an innocent child? Can’t we point to instances of suffering that do not have any conceivable good purpose and that seem to be beyond explanation and justification?