WEll friends, my two-week hiatus has been due to many things. One of them being a resurrection of my StarCraft obsession, but that is unimportant - let me get on with the work of atheism.

God undoubtedly created pain, suffering and evil. Now many apologists dispute this or get around it by invoking free will. The argument usually runs something like this: God gave humans free will so that they could genuinely choose to obey God or not. It is through our free will that atrocities are committed. However there are many kinds of suffering and pain that could easily be eliminated without removing our free will.

For instance, God could have prevented AIDS from evolving. Or SARS. Or Polio. Or Ebola. Or God could prevent birth defects. Can you come up with a reasonable explanation as to why a loving God would allow a child to be born to devout Christian parents (or otherwise) with a horrific birth defect that leaves the child in constant pain for a few short years before dying in agony? Why would a loving, caring God allow that to happen? The fact is that humans have cured Polio on our own. We have prevented untold millions from suffering permanent disabilities through the application of science… not prayer.

The next time you see a child dying of leukemia, ask yourself what they did to deserve such a fate, for surely if God exists, it is his doing. Or you could wake up and realise that in this world, things just happen. There is no “master plan” according to which nature orders itself. Life is happening to you now and you only get one shot at it, so stop wasting your time hoping JC is going to save you and enjoy the only life you have while you still have it!