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I'm pretty sure the ''benevolent'' vs. ''free-will'' thing was addressed before. Sure he/she/it wants what's best for us and that means letting us make our own mistakes. Like the apt example of a parent, you can't coddle them forever.
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I don't think the parent analogy is apt, because the parent is not all powerful to stop his/her offspring's misdeeds. At the most he/she can tell them not to be bad, or whatever. They can't snap their fingers and correct all the misdeeds of their children, while god can.
About van Gogh, yeah, I guess the influence does count for something.