humble and reasonable approach would be to conclude that God just might have morally sufficient reason to allow evil to persist. A little thought gives us some insight, such as the consideration I have given of the consequences for all of us if evil, including our evil, is eradicated. We would be bringing forward the day of Judgement, when God actually would delay that judgement out of mercy. Others have made the point that the morally holy God has made us in his image as moral agents, who are responsible for our behaviour. To overrule our behaviour and restrain our thoughts, desires, words and deeds would reduce us to mere automatons and rob us of moral choice. If we are to grow in godliness, that has to involve our making moral choices and living with the consequences, as we learn to love the good and shun the evil. Parents long to protect their children from dangerous choices, but the time comes when they have to be allowed to cross the road without us, and stay away overnight without our supervision and to make their own career choices if they are to grow to maturity. Natural disasters call for a different kind of theodicy. We are horrified at the thought of 100,000 people being killed within a very short time. But before we get too anxious about tectonic plates and earthquakes, we need to realise that gravity causes people to fall to their deaths every day. Far larger numbers than 100,000