You are correct. Logic and reason can bring us TO God, but it cannot give us faith to ACCEPT God. That requires far more. And the Problem of Evil fundamentally comes down to acceptance.

We have to accept that evil exists and that it cannot be corrected or destroyed without destroying humanity itself.

That is the fundamental difference between Christians and literally everyone else. Real Christians accept that evil exists – and that we have the only true solution to it. Everyone else thinks that we can either ignore the problem, or fix it using man-made tools. Neither solution works, although the Stoic approach is far more effective than any of the alternatives.

The art piece of breaking down the gates of hell is a fascinating one. Jesus shares the gaunt look of the dead bodies (in particular his legs).

Indeed, it’s very good. I found it through a random DDG search, but I quite liked it.

Why does God allow evil?

This is THE question to ask. And only Christianity offers a workable, comprehensive, sensible answer. I addressed this in my last podcast, and I look at it in terms of personal growth. That book by Tipler that references multiverses has a serious flaw in the argument, in that it depends on multiverses, which are inherently not observable, hence unproveable. The argument from miracles in THIS Universe is far stronger by comparison, since you can argue about whether miracles happen – but they are observable.

Of course, I’m only going by what you reference from it. I have not read the book and confine my criticism only to that specific passage. It may well be that Tipler points out and admits that multiverses are an inherently unsatisfactory explanation – I don’t know. But I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. And given who Frank Tipler is – I went and looked him up – I’m not about to argue with his knowledge of physics and mathematics, beyond pointing out the problems with M-theory.

What put things into perspective for me real quick is my current battle against evil, not only in an abstract form but physically up close and personal, daily. I questioned God (argued more like it), as to why he chose me to endure this ordeal, why engage me in this struggle, to what purpose?
Having evil break down my door and faced with no real way to combat it, I made a conscious decision to seek God, to humbly try to understand him and ask for his help. I realized that it is through struggle that we develop virtues and consequently the path to holiness. Virtues have to be developed, practised and earned, it is not freely given, nor should it be, otherwise it would be worthless. One has to be forged in the crucible of Gods choice and have faith in the result.

My own path has led me to cultivate the following through spiritual struggle and is shamelessly stolen from Juan Luis Lordas book “The virtues of holiness”.

Sensing the presence of God
Self knowledge
Fortitude
Detachment
Chastity
Humility
Simplicity
Cheerfulness
Prudence
Integrity
Living for others
Work

Quite a laundry list, but if you haven’t started working on it, then your chances at salvation and living apart from this sinful planet is slim to none.
Here endeth the lesson.

A tangential question, but connected to this idea of the tree and the freedom to choose;

Why does God allow evil?

Frank Tipler had an interesting conceptual answer in the Physics of Christianity:

Reverse the question to ask, How does a God allow for maximum virtue? He has to permit free choice, for you cannot have virtue without choice.
Across the multiverse, that will require people to be capable of making evil choices to varying depths and degrees within each of the individual universes. We don’t know where along the spectrum of virtue/evil our universe falls, but it is possible there is one universe thread where only virtue has ever been chosen, and that the renewal of all heavens and earths in the singularity at the end of time are drawn back into such a universe. It is also possible that the counterparty is a universe where only and ever has evil been chosen, and that the separation of the sheep from the goats at the great judgment sentences wickedness to the home of its own choice.

I cannot falsify nor test any of his proposals. Physics is not a strong subject for me and it took months to process through the book. But this idea stuck with me, and his work is breathtaking in scope and refreshing by being so far removed from seminary while being steeped in a working catholic faith.