God works in mysterious ways?

[lunakilo]

Sometimes something bad happens or something happens that simply doesn't make sense, and rather than say "this is wrong, this should not have happened or this doesn't make sense" some people will in stead find comfort in the 'fact' that God works in mysterious ways, and that what happened was ment to happen and as such is part of Gods plan and thus everything will make sense in the end.

The way I look at it, if something seems wrong or doesn't make sense it should be a big warning sign making you try to change things.
Not just accept it.

What do you think? Am I wrong?

 

[sandandfoam]

Sometimes something bad happens or something happens that simply doesn't make sense, and rather than say "this is wrong, this should not have happened or this doesn't make sense" some people will in stead find comfort in the 'fact' that God works in mysterious ways, and that what happened was ment to happen and as such is part of Gods plan and thus everything will make sense in the end.

The way I look at it, if something seems wrong or doesn't make sense it should be a big warning sign making you try to change things.
Not just accept it.

What do you think? Am I wrong?

No, I agree.

 

[McBell]

I personally find it to be a disgusting insult.

One of my pet peeves is telling someone who just lost a loved that it is "all part of Gods Plan" as if that is somehow going to magically make it all right.

 

[savagewind]

Sometimes something bad happens or something happens that simply doesn't make sense, and rather than say "this is wrong, this should not have happened or this doesn't make sense" some people will in stead find comfort in the 'fact' that God works in mysterious ways, and that what happened was ment to happen and as such is part of Gods plan and thus everything will make sense in the end.

The way I look at it, if something seems wrong or doesn't make sense it should be a big warning sign making you try to change things.
Not just accept it.

What do you think? Am I wrong?

You are probably right. Signs are for a warning to reconsider the possibilities. Signs are NOT for worshiping, as many people do.

They say "see that sign? It means I am right!". This is a mistake. The present "signs" we see mean we are wrong.

 

[chinu]

The way I look at it, if something seems wrong or doesn't make sense it should be a big warning sign making you try to change things.
Not just accept it.

What do you think? Am I wrong?

If something seems wrong or doesn't make sence.. its a big warning that one should search any fault in him/herself, Otherwise.. Nature will change you forcefully by doing this to you again and again.

The one who gets change by themselves by searching faults, Doesn't have to face the problems again and again. Whereas.. the one who is forcefully changed by nature have to face the same problems again and again.

Nature/God doesn't care for the stubborn's

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Sometimes something bad happens or something happens that simply doesn't make sense, and rather than say "this is wrong, this should not have happened or this doesn't make sense" some people will in stead find comfort in the 'fact' that God works in mysterious ways, ...

And sometimes when something bad happens or something happens that simply doesn't make sense, many, many thousands of people - most of them theists - work to change it or prevent its reoccurrence. Which group do you think predominates?

 

[Mr Nice]

How could we possibly have life and not death?
Would it make sense if everyone just had good long lives?
How could we have cars and not accidents?
How could we have emotions and not have murders?

The original question to me seems odd.
Yes there are some things we can learn from and change ourselves accordingly - every human does. There are also somethings we can not expect and therefore can not prevent.

If God is true he does not interfere with these things.
They are the natural condiments of life.

 

[lunakilo]

And sometimes when something bad happens or something happens that simply doesn't make sense, many, many thousands of people - most of them theists - work to change it or prevent its reoccurrence.

That is avoiding the question and trying to change the subject.

I was talking about the people who do NOT work to change it or prevent its reoccurrence but simply accept it as something that was ment to happen.
I was asking if you think I am wrong to think them wrong in doing so.
I was NOT saying that all religious people think that way.

Which group do you think predominates?

Which groups are the ones you are asking me to choose between?

 

[lunakilo]

How could we possibly have life and not death?

No, but that does not mean that premature death should be accepted.

Would it make sense if everyone just had good long lives?

Ideally yes. I reallity some people will not live good long lives, but that doesn not mean you should just accept that that is how things are, and not work to better peoples lives.

How could we have cars and not accidents?

We probably can't, but you can work to reduce the number and severely of accidents.

How could we have emotions and not have murders?

I don't know, but again you can try to prevent situations in wich people commit murder.

The original question to me seems odd.
Yes there are some things we can learn from and change ourselves accordingly - every human does. There are also somethings we can not expect and therefore can not prevent.

If God is true he does not interfere with these things.
They are the natural condiments of life.

So I guess that is your way of saying that I am right then?

That if we can do something in that situation, we should?

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

That is avoiding the question and trying to change the subject.

Fair enough. We can leave a discussion of your focus to some other thread. :beach:

 

[BSM1]

Wrong-Right, Good-Evil, Sane-Insane-- all human judgement calls, IMO. These are names we put on circumstances to try to explain our puny and confusing existence. They have very little meaning when it comes to the mind of the Divine. All things have to have equal weight when it comes to a God that creates everything. I feel that God doesn't make a distinction one way or the other; She leaves it up to us to decide.

 

[Mr Nice]

No, but that does not mean that premature death should be accepted.


Ideally yes. I reallity some people will not live good long lives, but that doesn not mean you should just accept that that is how things are, and not work to better peoples lives.


We probably can't, but you can work to reduce the number and severely of accidents.


I don't know, but again you can try to prevent situations in wich people commit murder.


So I guess that is your way of saying that I am right then?

That if we can do something in that situation, we should?

Yes. Where we can make an effort to make the world a better place we should. We should also strive to make ourselves better and improve the lives of people we come in contact with.

However, you can't have the greatness of life and avoid the hard times. For that would be an unbalanced world and require a miracle. We don't live in fairytales - this is real life.

 

[rusra02]

Sometimes something bad happens or something happens that simply doesn't make sense, and rather than say "this is wrong, this should not have happened or this doesn't make sense" some people will in stead find comfort in the 'fact' that God works in mysterious ways, and that what happened was ment to happen and as such is part of Gods plan and thus everything will make sense in the end.

The way I look at it, if something seems wrong or doesn't make sense it should be a big warning sign making you try to change things.
Not just accept it.

What do you think? Am I wrong?

I agree with you that blaming God for bad events is wrong. Rather than blame God, I think we should seek answers as to why these evils occur and who is really responsible. Man has been trying for millenia unsuccessfully to try to change things for the better. I believe we need to look to the One who created us for direction on how to react to evil and to know what to do. It stands to reason that if God cares about us, he would provide answers and direction to us. I believe he has. We just need to listen when he speaks. (Isaiah 48:18)

 

[Sir Doom]

While you will never catch me invoking the mysterious nature of god to explain anything, another thing you'll never catch me doing is telling someone else they are wrong for doing so. Its not my call.

 

[Falvlun]

It's just another way to find hope in horrible circumstances. It's not limited to theists, or even invoking "God's mysterious ways".

"It'll all work out"

"Maybe it's for the best"

"Just think! If that didn't happen, you would never have had this opportunity"

etc

All these phrases acknowledge that bad stuff happens, and come with the hope that eventually, it will work out okay. There's often even the feeling that the bad thing was the catalyst for the good thing.

I don't see anything necessarily wrong about that. It's just human nature to want to find meaning, or reasons, for things. And there's nothing wrong about hope for a better future.

Sometimes maybe the bad thing was necessary for the good thing. Sometimes, maybe that's just what we tell ourselves to feel better. Either way, I don't see much harm.

Life will continue giving us bad things and good things regardless.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

It's not mysterious at all. If there's a god with a plan, he either really doesn't like human beings, or simply doesn't care one way or the other about them.

 

[Sunstone]

Some days I think god is mysterious largely to the extent we make god so.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Some days I think god is mysterious largely to the extent we make god so.

I just think most things are largely mysterious to most people.

 

[Wherenextcolumbus]

I personally find it to be a disgusting insult.

One of my pet peeves is telling someone who just lost a loved that it is "all part of Gods Plan" as if that is somehow going to magically make it all right.

This reminds me of a song I like by the Virgin Prunes