Old hat indeed.

On the gut emotional level, my response is "Chidren? Bone cancer!?!?!? ROOAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!?!?!?!?! D-8<" It makes me pray for a God above the God of this universe to come and chuck this God into the hottest fires of Hell. I'd like to go to the realm of this God simply to lunge at whatever might be It's throat.

Of course, that is exactly the response so many manipulative creeps who love to make this argument are looking to provoke.

On an intellectual level, my reaction is "What tiny-minded DRIVEL! So easy to shoot-down that argument in so many ways."

On a moral level, I'm HORRIFIED and REVOLTED by this argument!!! Yes, many who make it are honest; but there is a HUGE sub-set of DEPRAVED characters running around out there using it to justify anything and everything. Their line of thinking runs "DON'T YOU DARE try to impose a faith based value system! People who do that are stupid neanderthals who would stand in the way of my enlightened activities! They deserve to SUFFER AND DIE!!!! D-8<"

Let's imagine that Bill Gates is in fact a jerk who gets his jollies out of running around and stepping on the toes of strangers. He's not completely sociopathic, however. He compensates his victims with some brand-new Mercedes'.

You might really dislike characters who like to step on the toes of others, even while knowing that every victim gains a new luxury auto. Despite your dislike, you might find yourself wishing that Gates comes and steps on your foot. You might be glad after he does.

We don't know what, if anything, children who die of bone cancer are thinking about their ordeal.