The atheist stated that the foolishness of Epicurus makes him think (Christian response follows):

“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?

Then He is not omnipotent.

Is He able but not willing?

Then He is malevolent.

Is He both able and willing?

Then whence cometh evil?

Is He neither able or willing?

The why call Him God?”

Epicurus

Christian response,

Evil exists because free will exists. God provides you free will so that love and relationship with Him can manifest in purity with authenticity; if not for the ability to choose good or evil, right or wrong, love or hate, human kind would be robotic and true love and relationship impossible. In order for “love,” “good” and “obedience” to exist with purpose, the antithesis of these positive societal mores must exist in conjunction with volition. God does not create evil but allows for its possibility in order for free will to reign supreme in both His angelic and human creation. (Isaiah 45:7 in the KJV does not translate the Hebrew “ra” in context, see: Hebrew: https://biblehub.com/interlinear/isaiah/45-7.htm) God chooses to love and desires relationship and has given us His Son, Jesus Christ, to make that relationship possible (John 3:16).

God has given you the volition to choose Jesus Christ as your Lord for the mediation of your sin and find life with Him in Eternity – or – you can reject Jesus Christ as Lord and serve Satan by default and die in your sin and die the “second death” in Hell because God is NOT going to permit your unrepentant sin to enter His Kingdom subsequent to the death of your body in Time (Revelation 21:27; 20:11-15); therefore, you WILL deal with your sin within the current Age of Grace through Jesus Christ and Live – or – you will deal with your sin in Eternity at the Judgment of the Condemned and die in your sin and die in Hell along with Epicurus if he lived and died without Christ. The “choice” is yours to make. God did NOT create Hell for mankind, you will enter Hell by choice i.e. exercising your free will.