'Why does God allow suffering?'

I do find it interesting that the people who raise the problem of suffering as an actual and significant problem are generally those who've either left theism behind or are on their way out the door, so to speak.  Unless a solid theist, is refuting the problem of evil, I'm not sure they even think about it.

The other thing I find interesting is that almost always, when someone like me raises the problem of suffering the theists I'm discussing with seems to always assume it's some personal suffering I've experienced that leads or has lead me down that path.  I don't know about any other skeptics (of theism), but when I think of the problem of suffering,  it's not about me....IT'S NOT ABOUT ME.  I am not the one whose suffering I'm thinking about.  If my observations were limited to those whose suffering is as insignificant as mine has been, I wouldn't call it a problem at all.  O am thinking of the broader picture...the suffering of countless millions or hundreds of millions due to any number of natural disasters, diseases, famines, and deformity.  But that response from the theist tells me a little about them, I think.  Whereas I am not thinking of my own suffering when I think of how much suffering there is/has been in the world, their response might indicate that the suffering THEY are thinking of is what's happened to them, personally.  Their..."oh dear, I woke up late for work and stubbed my toe" or "I had a headache last week for nearly an hour" to them is perfectly understandable and quite within the realm of what a good God might allow to happen.  Maybe that is why people become atheists...they just know more about how much suffering there is in the world and it doesn't make sense.