I haven't read Dawkins, but I do have some familiarity with the question of theodicy. I like the presuppositionalist approach to this question. Someone asks why there is evil if God is all-powerful and all-good. The problem is with the question. If God does not exist, then how can there be such a thing as evil? The only determining factor winds up being the definition of the majority. But the majority of what? Hitler's Germany defined good and evil in a certain way that was repugnant to many others, but it was the majority opinion in Germany. If it is the majority opinion of the world, then who referees that, and determines what the majority actually believe? The atheist has to borrow his definition of good and evil from a world that assumes the existence of God. So he has to use "borrowed capital" in order to attack the thing he's borrowing from. The atheist has no basis for saying that there is such a thing as evil.
Of course, the atheist will come back with saying, "No, I'm just using a reverse presuppositional argument. I'm just saying that on your presuppositions, you can't argue for the existence of God." But we are not arguing for the existence of God, at least not in the presuppositional model. That would be like trying to prove an axiom. Everyone has starting points that they assume. The atheist assumes that his own reason is paramount. The Christian assumes the existence of God. We are rather arguing that the connection between belief and practice corresponds, whereas it does not for any other world-view. Even on non-presuppositional models, the best we can do is to offer evidence that God exists (and presuppositionalists don't have a problem arguing this way, either: there is only trouble if we say that we are proving the existence of God).
Take Buddhism as an example here. They argue that evil is natural. And yet they don't live that way. They live as though they are trying to get rid of evil. Hence a fundamental contradiction between belief and practice. Take Islam. They believe that God is a God of grace, and yet their entire religion is based on the works of the five pillars. Ultimate contradiction between belief and practice. The atheist ultimately comes logically to the point of nihilism, where nothing matters. The only logical alternative to believing in the existence of God is suicide, since nothing matters anymore (just read Ecclesiastes!). Now, all these folks would probably argue that there are lots of hypocrites in the Christian religion. Too true. However, if a Christian is living as a Christian should, empowered by the grace of God, there will be no contradiction between belief and practice.
)
