The Problem of Evil

If God really does exist as an all-knowing, all-powerful, wholly-benevolent being, then how can the theist explain the existence of pain and suffering in the world? Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Is he able, but not willing? If he is both able and willing, whence then evil. And if he is neither able nor willing, why call Him God at all? What is ‘evil’ anyway? Does it really exist? Are there different kinds of evil? If so, how do these differences affect the so-called problem of evil? Is the existence of pain and suffering logically incompatible with the existence of God? Or is there some way to rationally reconcile the existence of evil with the existence of God? Even if there is some way to resolve the apparent inconsistency, doesn’t the existence of evil at least make the existence of God improbable? Given the tremendous amount of senseless pain and suffering evident in the world, isn’t it highly unlikely that a benevolent God exists?