I believe there is a creator, to have sentient beings with such complex and brilliantly designed physiology has to have come from somewhere.

Unfortunately survival of the fittest, kill or be killed is hardwired in our species to this day, men in particular have a propensity to desire power over others - not all men obviously, but through the ages we just don't learn. We take far more from this planet than we give back and we spend too much time arguing the toss instead of collaborating to find the best all round solutions. We treat suffering with indifference for the most part, it could be different but the collective will just isn't there.

The creator could be God as referred to in the Bible, or some other being or perhaps there is both, but life was never meant to be a bed of roses by default or there wouldn't be much point in being given free will.

I was raised a catholic but left religion behind as it's a man-made concept and the church is full of *****philes, it hasn't done nearly enough to bring them to justice and the church has untold wealth which allows the best lawyers to defend them....However, I do believe there is an afterlife or spiritual realm - Satan is said to be the ruler of the earth, if he is real then God is also real. I have watched the testimony of exorcist priests with nothing to gain and I accept what they say as truth.

Suffering - I agree that some folk have to endure wicked and/or heartbreaking stuff, especially innocent children and it fills me with rage. My mother in law has been in final stage Alzheimers for 2 years now, she has no cognition whatsoever - case in point.