can you give reasons for 'why bad things happen to good people'?

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  1. darkinside profile image57
    darkinsideposted 14 years ago

    why bad things hapen to good people.sure good things happen to bad also.but we can foeget that....severe problem is the bad happenings to good people....i recently read a bookhaving this title...can you  speak about the logic behind it??

    1. Deaconess profile image61
      Deaconessposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Because the things people do, not only affect themselves, they also affect others... sometimes for generations... because we are all in this "together," but we fail to live accordingly.

    2. Rochelle Frank profile image90
      Rochelle Frankposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Bad things happen to everyone. How a person responds, reacts to or deals with the 'things' makes the difference.

    3. schoolgirlforreal profile image77
      schoolgirlforrealposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      My honest answer, I just wrote a hub on it called "True Devotion to Jesus Thru Mary".
      You many not agree but you asked.  Here's my answer.

      I think God allows bad things to happen to good people for:
      1) it can make them stronger
      2) others are inspired by person's strength and spiritualness
      3) good people can suffer to "offer up and help save souls"

      These are very old fashioned but true in my mind. God bless

    4. profile image0
      mtsi1098posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      many times when bad things happen to me I consider it a test of character and faith

    5. lady_love158 profile image60
      lady_love158posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      It's very simple, bad things happen to everybody! It's how we deal with them that define our character or make us good or bad people. Foe example two people driving in a parking lot not paying attention and cause damage to another car as they pull into an open spot. We can agree both people had something bad happen to them. One person though writes a note with their name address and phone number and leaves it on the damaged car making him a good person, the other person pulls out of the spot and drives away like nothing happened, that makes him a bad person.

    6. Bibowen profile image88
      Bibowenposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I think the best answer is the book of Job. In his day there was none that was more wise and more righteous than he. In spite of that, he lost everything. In the end, he was given no reason for why he suffered all that they did. For the most part, he responded rightly to what happened to him and God blessed him for it, but his experience left unanswered the question "why"?

      Different people respond differently to suffering. Some curse God (the God they believe doesn't exist), some retreat, some cope. Some come through such events much better human beings than they were before; some are worse for the experience.

      There's no logical problem between the fact that God exists and evil exists. But there's an emotional problem. We struggle with why God would allow evil things to happen. Why does God allow an 8 year-old child to be kidnapped by a lunatic only to be raped and killed? Or why did 9-11 happen? I have no answer for these. We can give answers like "for a greater good"; someone else might say, "it's evolution; survival of the fittest." But these responses seem so inadequate, even shallow.

      Perhaps the best answer is that it's the price of free will. God does not always interfere in the actions of men because, if He did, it would be like constantly keeping the toddler from walking because he might fall. But if there is no risk of falling, he's not going to learn.

      We have made moral progress in our world in some areas. Slavery use to be universally accepted, even by many Christians; now we are repulsed by it. But I doubt we would hate it at the level that we do had not man endured the sufferings it invoked throughout the ages.

      I do know that the Bible tells us that the suffering that we endure in this life is nothing compared to the wonder of heaven and what we shall experience with God if we know Him. Paul wrote those words. There was probably no other human being that suffered in this life than him, but he was the one that said that.

      1. Mark Knowles profile image59
        Mark Knowlesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

        Yup - your religion is completely senseless. All that to say nothing except to attack atheists for not believing your nonsense once again and promoting your ridiculous belief system. You must really hate atheists for not believing the rubbish you believe.

        The simple fact is - there is no god. Therefor the question is moot. Things out of our control do not happen for a reason. Take god out of the equation and the answer is very simple. Good and bad things happen to people. With some awareness you can avoid certain situations and increase your chances of those "bad things not happening to you while increasing the chances of the good things happening by being open to opportunities as they arise - or even making your own.

        But - when lightening strikes or the plane you are on crashes into a mountain side, or a family member gets struck down suddenly - what can you do? 

        How we choose to deal with them as they arise is the interesting factor, assuming we survive. Its a tough world out there and - LOL as "shallow" as reality is without an Invisible Super Daddy giving orders through his fan club  - the strongest survive, and those who manage to avoid the "bad" things will likely be more successful than those who do not. 

        There is a lot of nonsense talked about only seeing the real person come through when they are faced with a challenge and to an extent this is true - but  the worst behavior I have seen from people tends to be the ones who have things handed to them on a platter.

        As you say - some people fall to pieces, other cope magnificently and - In my experience which is which is a crap shoot. Sometimes the ones I expected to fall apart are the toughest.

        As for god letting an 8 year old child be raped and killed - this is proof positive that there is no god as far as I am concerned. The very idea that this is a test for the child with a reward in heaven is so ridiculous as to be utterly preposterous. And people who worship this entity need their head examined as far as I am concerned.

        The religionist - as they are not interested in anything other than defending their ridiculous beliefs - will of course say that god's motives are too lofty to understand. Sadly this is merely an excuse not to pro actively create a society where this sort of thing does not happen.

        This is because the religionist has no morals, has never learned to develop ethics that he could follow and is only really interested in persuading other people to join the religion bandwagon. This is a large part of the reason why our society is the way it is today.

        1. Bibowen profile image88
          Bibowenposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Feel better? I think we made some progress during that session, but the nurses have made one request: please stop scaring the kiddies with the camera...

          1. Mark Knowles profile image59
            Mark Knowlesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Aww - sorry you didn't understand. Personal comments - OK - I expect nothing less from a religionist. See above.. wink

    7. Beelzedad profile image58
      Beelzedadposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Good and bad things happen to everyone. When you are the devastated family member or friend, despite your beliefs, you'll always sit there wondering, "Why?"

      Therein lies the logic. smile

    8. JulesGerome profile image59
      JulesGeromeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      This world have bad and good 'things'. So both 'things' happen to everyone during their lifetime. Doesn't have anything to do with being good or bad.It has to do with living in this F world.You'll get both.

    9. Greek One profile image65
      Greek Oneposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I blame people like Mark smile

    10. Cagsil profile image70
      Cagsilposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Two reasons- (a) chosen ignorance and (b) lack of awareness.

    11. schoolgirlforreal profile image77
      schoolgirlforrealposted 14 years agoin reply to this
  2. darkinside profile image57
    darkinsideposted 14 years ago

    thanx rochelle and deaconess for ur opnions...

  3. BRHANDA profile image56
    BRHANDAposted 14 years ago

    God seeks the truth but waits, story by arussian writer, 40 years ago i had read, an immense effect on my mind since that. god realy wish to check, r u realy noble soul i sent to earth, r u bold enough to endure comforts, pleasures in the same manner u face hardship,

  4. earnestshub profile image72
    earnestshubposted 14 years ago

    It's dead simple. As some very wise person said.
    "S*it happens! smile

    1. Mark Knowles profile image59
      Mark Knowlesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Gawd these people are funny. How is dying in a car crash aged 12 a "test from god"? lol

      What utter nonsense to blame god as "testing" people. How very sad that that see their invisible God that they worship testing people by "allowing" children to get cancer and all the other horrors that go on.

      And they still worship it? Good grief!

      How about I cut your arms off as a test to see how well you cope with no arms - will you worship me? lol

      1. earnestshub profile image72
        earnestshubposted 14 years agoin reply to this

        Utter nonsense describes it well.
        The overt threats in the third person remind me of the times in my bike shops that I saw little bikies threaten that bigger tougher bikies were their mates and would do some other little bikie group in.

        My boogy man is mightier than your boogyman so although I'm a weak kneed little follower I have got this all powerful buddy that you have to join up with or he will wipe the floor with ya!

        Yeah sure! Go get your big brother! He's never showed up for any other fight, what makes ya think he won't be a no-show again?  lol
        It's bloody pathetic is what it is! smile

      2. darkinside profile image57
        darkinsideposted 14 years agoin reply to this

        mark ....about cutting one's arms has nothing to do with god....if i beat you and saying 'god knows everything even my beating and it doesnt happen if god didnt allow that'........it is a utter foolish thing..REMEMBER  GOD USUALLY NEVER INDULDGE IN MEN'S BUSINESS DIRECTLY....that is evenif you kill me god doesnt kill you instantly.perhaps you may live a long prosperous life.But you cant tell anyone what is going to happen in your life...just let god to work ...that means dont do any harm to others.thats all....THERE IS A STORY THAT' A ONE YEAR OLD CHILD SITTING ON FLOOR UNDER HIS MOM,WHO WAS SITTING IN A CHAIR AND DOING ETMBROIDARY WORK,AND WHEN SOME ONE ASKS THE LITTLE BOY/GIRL WHAT THE MOTHER IS DOING, CHILD WILL REPLY " I DONT KNOW,..BUT SURE SHE IS DOING SOME WORK...ANYWAY IT IS AN UGLYWORK...." CHILD IS SEEING THAT EMBROIDARY WORK FROM BELOW AND CANT SEE ITS REAL BEAUTY........ANY WAY ACCORDING TO THE CHILD ITS TRUE AND WE CANT BLAME ...BUT REMEMBER THAT VIEW IS NOT THE REAL ONE.similarly if an accident happens remember god doesn't made any car/vehicle....as bible says......mens complications are his own creations and god made him light hearted.and i dont believe man is 'light' hearted but have a combination of all feelings......and besides your cancer and al other cases their are severe environmental and other issues relating to pepticides etc...are ther...and some cases are related to us also...if i do one harmful thing.certainly persons related to me will have to compensate for it......men should understand this.......AND IAM NOT FORGETTING SOME REAL PROBLEMS OF HUMAN LIFE,FOOD SCARCITY,FLOOD,HEALTH PROBLEMS etc...but remember WE CAN GET RID OF/CAN REDUCE ITS EFFECT FULY /PARTIALLY IF WE TRY THAT.and god-believers and some good athiests may be believes that..........

  5. infanttoddlerclth profile image58
    infanttoddlerclthposted 14 years ago

    I believed this happens because it is a part of life. Either you are good or bad. For me Earth is just our training ground that God has created. So if bad things happen to good people it is a challenge that they have to conquer.

    If you have a chance visit me on my new Hub.<no self-promoting links>

    I will really appreciate if you will. smile

  6. kess profile image59
    kessposted 14 years ago

    It is a lack of the perception of Spititual things causes one to think that bad things happens to good people.

    The reality is that nothing bad can ever happen to those of the kingdom of God, for all things are for the kingdom of God where there is nothing bad at all.... not ever.

  7. profile image0
    ahorsebackposted 14 years ago

    I am always impressed by those who  morph out of a bad experience - to a good  reaction, and there are so many fine examples . Although it takes heart , find heart   , and you find an answer......

  8. Shil1978 profile image80
    Shil1978posted 14 years ago

    IMHO, it is just our perception. Of course, I am not looking at this from a religious perspective. Generally speaking, bad things happen to all people equally!! Perhaps, some of us seem to notice bad things happening to good people more than when it happens to bad people!!

    1. qeyler profile image67
      qeylerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      This is the Devil's Playground.
      The worst people prosper and good people are destroyed.

      1. Joy56 profile image66
        Joy56posted 14 years agoin reply to this

        amen to that

        1. sofs profile image75
          sofsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Bad and good happens to everyone, as the scripture tells us in Rom8:28 all things work for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purposes!!
          The enemy's work is to sow tares, but  those who trust God will never be put to shame.

  9. Jerami profile image60
    Jeramiposted 14 years ago

    It seems to me that when something bad happened to me, I was usually out there, someplace I shouldn't have been, doing something that I shouldn't have been doing.

      Sometimes bad things happen to good people preventing even worse things from happening.

      Kinda like ...  A long time ago I got drunk, driving fast around a curve.  I lost control and crashed into a tree.
    Crashing into the tree was a bad thing.  ..  Until we consider that if it had not been for the tree I would have went off the embankment and into a raging river.

  10. Rishy Rich profile image71
    Rishy Richposted 14 years ago

    Bad things happens to everyone. When it happens to bad people we take it for granted that he/she deserved it & ignore it but when it happens to good people, we notice it big time as it touches our heart with empathy. Besides theres no statistically evident data that shows bad things happen to good people more than it happens to bad people. Its just a Myth!

    1. Rishy Rich profile image71
      Rishy Richposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Further more, theres no such thing called good people or bad people. We are all good & bad at certain times of our life! No ones a born criminal & no ones a born hero!

      1. Jerami profile image60
        Jeramiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

        I  agree with you on this, but there is no always an exception.

          I have seen a few children that seemed to be angry and mean from their birth.

          As if reincarnation was true and they were a grizzly bear in their past life. Tearing up everything in their path.

          I know there is another explination...  What it is I do not know.

        1. Rishy Rich profile image71
          Rishy Richposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Let me tell you one story. In my first job, I had a colleague, more like a team partner who was completely opposite of me. Harsh, Rude, always bossing & completely selfish. In some other place I would have completely avoided him but since its a team work I had no choice but to work with him. But from the first day I hated him & inside I felt that I will always hate him. But after sometime, when I get to know him, I learned that this Guy too has some good sides. Although he is selfish he is very kind to beggars & poor people. Although he lies often, he is very religious (u r gonna like that smile..) & there were many incidents that forced me to think about his nature...& my conclusion was that theres no such thing as absolute good or evil.

          The babies u were talking about...may be they are different but not evil. It has a lot to do with their genetics & environment. If a baby is way too much problem doesnt necessarily indicate he/she is going to be a criminal or bad person in later life. I have seen many kids who were really problematic but turned out to be very gentle & polite as they grew older!  It has also been seen that problem kids are usually more curious & smart than the other ones but not necessarily EVIL!

          1. Jerami profile image60
            Jeramiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            You are right.  I didn't mean to say they were evil, but problematic.  I know that if I had been "caught" doing some of the things that I have done in the past, my life would be different. Yet I feel that I have paid for those things in this life any way. 
               We have all been GOOD at times in our life and BAD at other times.
               We shouldn't be judged better just cause we got away with something any more that if we didn't get away with it.

               Did we really get away with it or are we paying for it in ways that we may be aware?

              An old man told me once that he believed that we don't get out of this life until we have paid our debts.
                    (Not talking about economics)
            He thought that our tally sheet had to be at least balanced or leaning to the plus side.  That this plus side is what the concept of rewards in heaven is all about.

              That Rewards and salvation have nothing to do with each other.

              He may have had a point.

  11. paradigmsearch profile image59
    paradigmsearchposted 14 years ago

    “can you give reasons for why bad things happen to good people'?”

    Yes. Because it is all random.

  12. wilmiers77 profile image60
    wilmiers77posted 14 years ago

    paradigmsearch, nothing is random. Because you and man doesn't know the whole count effecting cause doesn't mean that it doesn't exist in front of you.
    We live in a fallen world. All have sinned and fallen short of God. Only God is good. You have presumed good for many persons, and this is a fallacy.

    1. paradigmsearch profile image59
      paradigmsearchposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Sorry, I didn’t know that all the infants, babies, and kids that have been killed or maimed were because they fell short of god’s standards. Thank you for clarifying.

  13. camlo profile image79
    camloposted 14 years ago

    Bad things happening to people is part of life, just as is having good things happen. I think we all, good and bad, have our fair share of both.
    Maybe the type of person you might refer to as 'bad' is just better equipped to deal with the bad, making it not seem so bad after all, because they can cope easily with it. The same thing happening to a 'good' person might appear tragic, especially because they might not be able to cope with it.

    1. paradigmsearch profile image59
      paradigmsearchposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      In my humble opinion; this is an intelligent, logical statement.

  14. lxxy profile image61
    lxxyposted 14 years ago

    There's so many reasons.

    I'd hate to think of reality as so simple, but I'll name a few off the top of my head:

    1. Sometimes, we're our own worst enemies. Even if we're doing good.

    2. Humans love to beat on other humans, he who dies with the most wins!

    3. Ignorance is a deadly killer. Mistakes happen.

    http://lh4.ggpht.com/_BRMr2D3unLI/TGmCunWAabI/AAAAAAAAAaA/zXMDm6CvdRo/s800/russianfiresafety_sg.gif

    1. profile image0
      Home Girlposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      So, is cancer environmental, or is it god's testing? Make up your minds, guys!
      And what about vietnamese children dying from napalm burns during Vietnam War. Who was good and who was bad there? Why innocent children have been "tested"? I heard this word recently: BALDERDASH!  As the whole thread.

      1. lxxy profile image61
        lxxyposted 14 years agoin reply to this

        Simple:

        Cancer is environmental. Also, genetic. It occurs in numerous mammals, as well.

        Now, if you believe in God--I suppose you have the right to see those with cancer intervening with fate, I just personally feel that it's just not that complicated.

  15. LeanMan profile image73
    LeanManposted 14 years ago

    I though the question was about why do bad things happen to good people??
    "bad" things happen to everyone, "badness" as far as I can see does not discriminate, it craps on us all...

    It just seems that the "good" people like to whine and say.."what did I do to deserve this."

    1. camlo profile image79
      camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Precisely

    2. profile image0
      Home Girlposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, they do that all the time!

 
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