If God existed, I doubt he goes around with a magic cancer wand. That being said, Pope Leo isn’t a good person, he just has a good media team.

This always boils down to the Epicurean Paradox.

So, most religious mythology (including Christianity) defines its god as 3 absolutes:

• All good (not a shred of evil)

• All powerfull (its will is our reality, period)

• All knowing (it’s fully conscious of literally everything that happens in its universe)

So how is it that evil can exist? Cuz we can see that clear as day, everywhere. God either…

• is aware of it, has the ability to stop it, and chooses not to, in which case it is not all good.

• is aware of it, wants to stop it, but doesn’t have the ability to, in which case it isn’t all powerful.

• Has the power and desire to stop it, but isn’t aware it’s happening, in which case it isn’t all knowing.

Every single attempt to answer the Epicurean paradox does so by rugpulling one of the three pillars and presenting god as instead only being two of those absolutes. (and if anyone reading this takes that as a challenge, feel free to give it a go).

How can this be explained, other than God doesn’t exist?

Either Christianity and most other religions are being deliberately dishonest about the nature of their gods, or, as you said, god doesn’t exist.

As an atheist: you get the concept wrong. All religions treat this life as a test and the nice part is yet to come. Children dying early or the Pope is them getting to heaven faster

The pope is God’s favourite person, so obviously God wants him in heaven as soon as possible.

A part of the problem is that you’re misunderstanding fundamental parts of the religion you’re referencing.

In this religion:

The God of Abraham does not answer your prayers because he made you to experience all the negatives so you can learn from them, it’s part of “His Plan™”. He made you as you are, to sin and fail and suffer. He then made a half human son, Jesus, who he allowed to be sacrificed in order to forgive you for the sins you have been made to commit. You simply need to give yourself to Jesus and accept him into your heart. According to the story.

The rest of the problem is all the logical failures that come as a part of this.

Anyone whos actually read the bible knows the christian god is a violent genocidal sociopath. It only makes sense he would reward that behavior.

Forking shirtballs, we’re in the bad place!

So, so many ways.

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/evil/ offers some good discussion.

The theological explanation from Catholic dogma would be along the lines of God doesn’t really interfere with the day-to-day goings on of the world.

That god does exist and is just a huge piece of shit.

Iron Maiden did a whole song about this phenomenon, as it happens.

“god works in mysterious ways”

“but that’s all bullshit”

“god works in mysterious ways”

Perhaps the war between Heaven and Hell wasn’t fought on Earth. Hell won, and Satan is in charge now.

The universe was depending on good people killing the bad people.

You don’t understand. It’s all part of gOd’S pLaN. And God, being omnipotent, naturally develops plans that we couldn’t possibly comprehend. So don’t even try. Stop asking questions. Just let the Big Man handle things. It’s all good. If you die an awful death you’ll just go party in Heaven anyway. Who even cares what happens here?