Why do bad things happen to good people?

[Gaura Priya]

In Vaishnavism, things happen to all sorts of people because of our karma. Although yes, God is ultimately the Supreme Controller of all peoples, it is because of our past lives or past consciousness that leads us to situations that meet up with us within this current lifetime. Whatever situation arises is due to my past karma, and whatever actions I perform in this life will reflect on my next.

I can not control the things that the environment gives me, but I can utilise the environment and work with it so that it leads to a type of synthesis. There is always going to be thesis, antithesis, and synthesis in this world. The Absolute Truth is a crooked path, not a straight one.

I feel that I've had a very hard life, and it continues to be so even though I am still considered youthful. Others have it harder. But I know that whatever happens is for my edification and the ultimate tool for coming closer to Krishna, or God.

 

[IsmailaGodHasHeard]

It depends on the person. Bad things happen to good people for a variety of reasons. The number one reason is that we live in a fallen world.

 

[Bob Dixon]

Read Job and Ecclesiastes if you're looking for an Abrahamic answer.

If you're looking for the Christian answer, I believe Jesus gave the old "rain falls on the just and the unjust" speech, too, which is perfectly in line with Ecclesiastes.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Read Job and Ecclesiastes if you're looking for an Abrahamic answer.

If you're looking for the Christian answer, I believe Jesus gave the old "rain falls on the just and the unjust" speech, too, which is perfectly in line with Ecclesiastes.

Which is really no answer at all.

The message of Job is basically "you're a measly human, I'm God. It's not your place to question me!" It doesn't say anything about why God does it; just that God doesn't feel like explaining himself.

"Rain falls on the just and the unjust" doesn't explain anything either; it's just a description of the situation with no explanation as to why.

 

[Bob Dixon]

"Rain falls on the just and the unjust" doesn't explain anything either; it's just a description of the situation with no explanation as to why.

That's because there isn't a "because". It just happens.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

That's because there isn't a "because". It just happens.

So for the question in the OP ("why do bad things happen to good people?") or the follow-up from later in the thread ("why do good things happen to bad people?"), you have no answer.

So why did you say there was a "Christian answer", then?

 

[Levite]

Read Job and Ecclesiastes if you're looking for an Abrahamic answer.

If you're looking for the Christian answer, I believe Jesus gave the old "rain falls on the just and the unjust" speech, too, which is perfectly in line with Ecclesiastes.

Just for the record, Jewish theodicy has really moved beyond Job and Ecclesiastes. If you're looking for some various Jewish viewpoints, I would read more modern Jewish philosophy.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Bad things just happen. Diseases, illnesses, misfortune, and death are non discriminating.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Bad things just happen. Diseases, illnesses, misfortune, and death are non discriminating.

I agree... and if they're controlled by some force that doesn't care about people, or if they're not controlled at all, then this doesn't create any contradiction. It's not how we would expect the universe to behave if a benevolent intelligence (or at least an intelligence that was benevolent toward us) was behind it, though.

 

[Awoon]

God and sick people are waiting for the followers of Jesus to start healing the sick and raising the dead instead of worrying about going to heaven.

Bring heaven here now followers of Jesus.

 

[espo35]

Which is really no answer at all.

The message of Job is basically "you're a measly human, I'm God. It's not your place to question me!" It doesn't say anything about why God does it; just that God doesn't feel like explaining himself.

(quote]

Very off the mark on your "interpretation" of the message of Job. That's not what it says at all... Satan, not God was the cause of all Job's tribulations. God had nothing to do with any of them. Despite all of Satan's torments, Job refused to blame God for them, thus being repaid by God tenfold for all he had lost.

 

[St Giordano Bruno]

I had a question on beliefs surrounding this. A family member of mine was the type of person that would do anything for you, loved helping people, and was basically one of the greatest people I have ever met. She had a quick and surprising medical issue which left her with brain damage. Now she is disabled and must have someone care for her all hours of the day. She was not old and has many years left in her life.

Why would this happen and why to her? Why would God do this to someone? When someone dies everyone says they went to a better place, ok I can accept that but why debilitate someone like this? Also everyone says God works in mysterious ways, but why and what explanation could there be, there is absolutely no good that can come out of this. To me that is just a way of giving an answer without actually giving one.

Does anyone have any insight on this? I have always believed in God, but If it wasn't clear above this event has made me question my faith as I fail to see any positive work from God, I would like to regain the faith I had but will have trouble without understanding.

Sorry to hear this happened, I have had many tragic stories myself, such as terminal cancers, relatives dying prematurely and a brother's suicide, which is why I had to strongly question the religious faith I was brought up with. I was in an insatiable drive for searching for any greater depth and meaning for this, but I could find any to my satisfaction.

Now I am much more content that life throws at us the good with the bad and I is what we feel about it and what we make of it is what gives out life and some semblance of meaning. All this bad stuff happened naturally and there is no deeper moral meaning other than the laws of nature are morally neutral. Whatever happens to us there is no deeper purpose. You cannot assume this is due to bad Karma or, God punishing us or the very opposite view that God takes the person up into a better place. What happens is because of a natural reaction which has no special purpose in mind. This is the way I best come to terms with tragedy and what sits best with me.

 

[Photonic]

Sorry to hear this happened, I have had many tragic stories myself, such as terminal cancers, relatives dying prematurely and a brother's suicide, which is why I had to strongly question the religious faith I was brought up with. I was in an insatiable drive for searching for any greater depth and meaning for this, but I could find any to my satisfaction.

Now I am much more content that life throws at us the good with the bad and I is what we feel about it and what we make of it is what gives out life and some semblance of meaning. All this bad stuff happened naturally and there is no deeper moral meaning other than the laws of nature are morally neutral. Whatever happens to us there is no deeper purpose. You cannot assume this is due to bad Karma or, God punishing us or the very opposite view that God takes the person up into a better place. What happens is because of a natural reaction which has no special purpose in mind. This is the way I best come to terms with tragedy and what sits best with me.

Plus, since we don't just chalk it up to some deeper meaning, we can actively attempt to find a working solution for those with the issue in the future. Yea it may not help us immediately, but you can sleep well at night knowing you've helped humanity survive a little bit longer into the future.

 

[HonestJoe]

I'm willing to consider anything HonestJoe, maybe I'm not sure what you mean....?

I was suggesting that maybe God doesn't exist (or at least doesn't exist in anything like the form mainstream religion perceives him to). I took your statement that you would like to regain your faith to suggest this wasn't the answer you were looking for.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Very off the mark on your "interpretation" of the message of Job. That's not what it says at all... Satan, not God was the cause of all Job's tribulations. God had nothing to do with any of them.

They have everything to do with God. It was God's idea for Satan to test Job. Satan did it at God's insistence and with God's blessing.

Despite all of Satan's torments, Job refused to blame God for them, thus being repaid by God tenfold for all he had lost.

Job suffered through things that could never be repaid. He lost all of his children. Even if he had more children later, do you think this made up for it?

How many parents do you know who, if offered ten more kids on the condition that they had to watch one of the children they already have die, would accept?

But seriously - read Job again, especially God's response to Job when Job asks how God could let everything happen to him. God talks about his majesty, his power, his authority, but never once says anything like "hey - don't blame me for your troubles. I didn't have anything to do with it. I feel your pain." The message all through it is that someone like Job is too lowly to rightly question God's actions, and he should just shut up and accept the fact that God has authority and is going to do what he wants. IMO, this implies that what happened to Job was done under the authority of God.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Good and Bad is a personal judgment, not official.

Because we can't do anything about what naturally happens, we have to live with it and find a better end of life.

 

[espo35]

They have everything to do with God. It was God's idea for Satan to test Job. Satan did it at God's insistence and with God's blessing.

Not so. In front of the assemblage of heaven, God praised Job as his most loyal servant. Satan interjected, suggesting that Job's love was conditional, and that God should reach out and "touch" all that Job had and see if Job wouldn't curse God. (Job 1: 9-11).
God answers Satan in verse 9:12, saying: "Look! Everything he has is in your hand. Only against him himself do not thrust out your hand!" (Satan was not allowed to kill Job).

So, to say the testing of Job was done "at God's insistence and with His blessing" is a bit deceptive.


Job suffered through things that could never be repaid. He lost all of his children. Even if he had more children later, do you think this made up for it?

How many parents do you know who, if offered ten more kids on the condition that they had to watch one of the children they already have die, would accept?

Of course this didn't make up for his lost children. Job 42: 12-16 make clear that all Job had lost ( livestock, money, children etc.), were "paid back" to Job many times over.

But seriously - read Job again, especially God's response to Job when Job asks how God could let everything happen to him. God talks about his majesty, his power, his authority, but never once says anything like "hey - don't blame me for your troubles. I didn't have anything to do with it. I feel your pain." The message all through it is that someone like Job is too lowly to rightly question God's actions, and he should just shut up and accept the fact that God has authority and is going to do what he wants. IMO, this implies that what happened to Job was done under the authority of God.

Here I think you miss the point of the book of Job. It is not at all about God vs Satan, or God vs. man or Satan vs man. The main thrust of the book is the crappy, human "advice" given by Bildad, Eliphaz and Zophar. They were blaming Job for his problems in various ways. While they thought they were helping, they were WAY off the mark as to the "reasons" for Job's troubles.

These speechs of Job's friends and Job's rebuttal to each makes up the bulk of the book of Job... and is very beauiful poetry.

In the end, God lambasts the three friends "for you have not spoken concerning me what is truthful, as has my servant Job." Job 42:8.

This book seems especially appropriate to this thread, as many here are answering the original poster with their "takes" on karma, etc. , much like the three friends did to Job.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Not so. In front of the assemblage of heaven, God praised Job as his most loyal servant. Satan interjected, suggesting that Job's love was conditional, and that God should reach out and "touch" all that Job had and see if Job wouldn't curse God. (Job 1: 9-11).
God answers Satan in verse 9:12, saying: "Look! Everything he has is in your hand. Only against him himself do not thrust out your hand!" (Satan was not allowed to kill Job).

So, to say the testing of Job was done "at God's insistence and with His blessing" is a bit deceptive.

No, it's not:

- God boasts that Job is righteous.
- Satan says that this is because Job is protected.
- God presents a wager: effectively, "all right! Do your worst and we'll see who's right. You can do what you want, but don't touch him directly."

Re-read Job 1. It's not Satan who suggests the test; it's God.

Here I think you miss the point of the book of Job. It is not at all about God vs Satan, or God vs. man or Satan vs man. The main thrust of the book is the crappy, human "advice" given by Bildad, Eliphaz and Zophar. They were blaming Job for his problems in various ways. While they thought they were helping, they were WAY off the mark as to the "reasons" for Job's troubles.

Yes, they were off the mark because they assumed that God was fair, and therefore the actions of God against Satan would be just and deserved. This implies that a person who is suffering has done something to deserve that suffering. They didn't take into account that God's actions are neither fair nor just.

 

[espo35]

On your first point, I hear what you're saying. My problem is with this sentence you wrote in your first post: "Satan did it at God's insistence and with God's blessing." Which I feel is jaded, overstated and therefore, inaccurate to a finite degree.

On your second point, I disagree strongly. The three "friends" assumed that Job was being punished by God, rather than by Satan.

The Bible is very clear that Satan runs the earth, not God. Therefore, those who cry "Why did God do this to me!" are makng the same mistake the three friends made.

Your last sentence displays the subjective thrust of your argument, which, while an understandable opinion for an atheist, is not scriptually supported as you would seemingly prefer it to be.

The "actions of God" towards Job, to be "fair and just", would be what, in your opinion?

ps: I do appreciate the thoughts you are voicing. And I apologize to the OP for what may seem like a thread-hijack....it really isn't.

 

[Awoon]

"The Devil made me do it." God