Theism vs. Atheism - The Problem of Evil

One of the key points of contention between Theism and Atheism may be around the problem of evil. Suffering exists, that's  a natural phenomena of life. How does suffering come to haunt an otherwise placid life is a big riddle. Theists in various cultures have tried to explain it in various ways, and atheists have no explanation. Atheists have taken the existence of evil and the suffering as a natural phenomena, may be linked to desires, may be to the circumstances, buts always explicable through a pure materialistic view point - of inherent tendencies of men, of accidents, of natural deaths and destruction and so on. Every sorrowful event can be explained as one causing problem and suffering but there is no reason to find a meaning in them. One question that atheists tend to ignore are why are there so much varied conditions in life? Why are some born with silver spoon in their mouth while others are born in thatched huts or probably on streets. Why people are born poor and die poor, illiterate and miserable for no apparent fault of theirs? Why some people are healthy and live longer while others die young. Why infants and children suffer and die? Why animals suffer? - No answers to any of these. Some atheists have privately admitted that if subjected to suffering (like the death of a loved one) they won't know what to do as they do not have any real source of strength like God which theists have. So suffering and miseries are definitely one point on which atheism is on backfoot. Also atheism cannot explain the differences in circumstances and birth. Every cause must have an effect and every effect must have a cause. Therefore the differences must stem from a cause. Atheists, though claiming to be scientific, however fail to explain the cause-effect and try to trivialize the differences as mere accident. However most of the theists perform no better here. Some cultures have created a Satan or devil to deal with the problem of evil. This had been taken from the Persian concept of duality - of good and evil forces, that is evident in almost all traditions, including the Indic. In Vedanta also there are Vidya and Avidya Maya to deal with the problems of good and evil. Avidya drives one towards ignorance and hence evil deeds and suffering while vidya tends to take one towards liberation. In puranas the battle between forces of good and evil are depicted through the devas and the asuras. That devas and asuras are the good and evil tendencies in human being is established beyond doubt. However it is difficult to admit some of the other theories put forward by the theists, like suffering is intended for providing strength, suffering is Go'd grace, suffering is aimed in balancing the pay off between existence in material plane and existence in heavenly plane, etc. The theory of karma is perhaps the trongest among all such theories to explain suffering. It is inevitably accompanied by the concept of reincarnation. However one need not be a theist to believe in Karma and reincarnation as Buddhism, an agnostic religion also upholds them. They are part of parcel of Indic tradition. Karma is possibly most logical because it is based on scientific foundation of cause and effect. Karma also provides a lot of strength as I am responsible for the situation that I am in, for my sufferings and miseries, no one else. The problem is evil is thus explained through karma, but not entirely satisfactorily. The questions inevitably come - when did karma start? What was the beginning of all evil? It is to be noted that good and evil are part of the nature. Advaita states that our real nature is beyond good and evil. If there is one fundamental reality then that reality is the only existence, therefore suffering or happiness has no real existence. If you say that we suffer, the question naturally comes as to who are you? The same divine reality is reflected in you, me and in everybody else. It is the same reality that transcends suffering and happinessand yet suffers being limited within puny body-mind-ego shell on account of the desires that limit the limitless. Therefore advaita is well capable of bridging the gap between Theism and Atheism as the problem of evil collapses under it. All that remains is oneness - the consciousness, that is inexplicable and is therefore not bound by any doctrine of theism or atheism. Each can reach that reality in its own way.