How do you explain tragedies?

This recent, tragic natural disaster gave me an insight into humanity’s ability to deceive itself. Many religious people will readily accept the scientific explanations about how tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, etc, occur. Indeed, many believers are well versed in topics such as meteorology and plate tectonics. Theories they accept based on the wealth of scientific evidence accumulated over centuries.

However, when confronted with the abundant scientific data that upholds the theory of evolution the superstitious — or religious or spiritual — turn a highly selective blind eye toward the obvious strengths of the theory of evolution.

The hypocrisy here is based on the unwillingness of people to acknowledge the contradictions in the concept of God. God is believed to be infinitely good, life is a very good thing to say the least hence, God must have created life, we surely did not descend from ugly, disgusting ape-like creatures no matter what the evidence says.

On the other hand, the violent, terrifying deaths of numerous innocents under the supposedly loving guardianship of an all powerful creator does not square with the notion of how a benevolent and omnipotent being is supposed to behave, therefore science is enlisted to cover up or iron out the inconsistencies.

I would like someone to resolve this dilemma for me, though I doubt it is possible to square a circle. How do you explain death, disease and suffering in a universe created by an all powerful divine being who we call father/mother?