What is the answer to the argument posed by nonbelievers that if God exists, it’s either all-powerful but not all good, or on the other hand, good but not all powerful, which they claim destroys the Christian argument for God’s existence either way?

This is a false dichotomy altogether. In a world of infinite possibilities, which is the definition of the Almighty being omnipotent and omniscient, does it make sense that there is only one way for the Divine to be—either benevolent and loving but of limited power and limited reach, or tolerant of evil and perhaps aiding and abetting retribution? This is a quite limited perspective indeed. It is no different, in a simple sense, than deciding that children have no parents because they are fighting on the playground and certainly, if parents existed, they would swoop in and set things right. The existence of one is not proof the other does not exist. It is simply a question of what one is observing and under what conditions and from what vantage point. The Divine does not swoop in to correct all acts of evil, because free will choices are allowed, just as children are allowed certain freedoms and ideally not hovered over constantly by parents correcting them endlessly and giving them instructions from moment to moment to totally control their behavior. That would be a prescription for disaster when the intent is to raise a healthy, well-balanced, confident child who can govern their own life effectively and become self-sufficient and start a family of their own at some point. The analogy, although a simplistic one, is not so different from the problem of humans being offspring of a divine consciousness, being given the opportunity to learn and grow, test their own limits, develop their own muscles, and learn from their mistakes—how to be, how to share, how to fit in, how to give and receive love, and what will happen when they do not do this well. Even though we appear to never be on the scene, the reality is completely the opposite. We are present within everything. We are present within every living, breathing, human being. We know everyone’s thoughts and feelings, and when we are invited to participate, will be an active part of every person’s life, giving them help, support, guidance, healing and protection by turns as there may be a need, and as their desire for divine cooperation and an interplay allows us to step into those roles. Even then, we do it in a subtle way from within and this has the advantage of helping the person feel they are proceeding through their own strength and wisdom and they can take the credit. This is a great way to build confidence and to become successful. To always turn to a higher power and allow it to make decisions and implement things will disempower a person and become such a crutch they will be weakened and unable to think for themselves at some point, because they will have been so used to relying on what the Divine chooses and does, they will no longer be self-sufficient and will be weakened in the process. There is wisdom in this arrangement. It is not a perfect one and not truly of our choosing. The humans are disconnected from the Divine through outside intervention and corruption, not because we wish the world to be this way. This is yet another example of the vast array of possibilities here in having a divine being having only two possible perspectives and modes of conduct. The reality of existence is far more complicated than this. There are many players with many competing agendas and differing schools of thought about belief in the Divine, all of which have consequences in how we interact or do not interact. The lessons are important and need to be learned. Divine involvement comes at the request of humans who believe totally in our existence. This is a high standard, but it is a further governing element. Not only must humans take an active role to request divine intervention, they must believe totally that we exist and that they are worthy and deserving of divine rescue. Humans typically lack both attributes to a sufficient degree, so they cannot receive divine assistance. There are deep and important reasons why this is so. These rules of engagement are there for the purpose of ensuring people develop their own independence and learn the lessons of life themselves directly through their own actions and their consequences. It is a tough way to learn, but in the end, will serve everyone to a greater extent than if the world were otherwise. There will be time enough for joy when this learning curve has played out and people achieve a better way of living in a world free of the extremes of negativity humans face today. The truth is, you cannot get to that world if you do not believe in the Divine. This is the greatest of losses the atheist will inherit if they are in the majority.