Omnipotent-Benevolent

My knowledge of Christianity is very limited. But when I read one of the Swiss Guard (in Dan Brown’s "Angels and Demons") ask about the apparent contradiction in this "Omnipotent-Benevolent" concept I thought someone was voicing my doubt.

If the God is all powerful (Omnipotent) and has only love for the humans (Benevolent) why is there so much suffering on earth? Why doesn’t He step in to stop all killings? Why does He allow intense blind hatred that won’t pause to think before butchering others? Why does He let the voice of sanity - the voice that proclaims that He is one, no matter what people choose to call Him - get drowned in the maddening chaos worldwide?

Since He is not doing any of this, he must either be powerful but not caring as to what is happening in His world or else he cares but is powerless to do anything about it. The apparent contradiction!

The Swiss Guard in Brown's book gets his answer - there is pain and suffering because that’s how we grow. Just like your parents let you fall because otherwise you will never learn to be careful.

I remember a parallel story from the Hindu epic Mahabharata. There is a story that Pandava's mother Kunti asks grief from Krishna in blessing. She explains that grief strengthens the soul like no amount of happiness ever can. That’s why probably they say that adversity brings out the best in people.

I must confess that this answer only partially convinced me. That's because I still can’t accept that so much of pain is necessary for all of us - isn't it rather a steep price to pay for growing spiritually? Is it necessary for innocent children to die in sniper fire? Is it necessary for people to die in genocides? Is it necessary for soldiers to die a lonely death in battlefields because countries cannot agree on the location of their borders? Is it necessary for people to die in blasts because some people disapprove of others' way of praying? I think NOT.

Using the same analogy, will our parents stand back and watch if we are about to jump off the cliff? NO. Then how can God watch when the human race is standing so close to the brink of extinction?

As far as I am concerned - the contradiction remains!