Why do bad things happen to good people?

[9-10ths_Penguin]

The scriptures indicate that God gave the first humans dominion over the earth. Had they continued to look to their loving Creator for wisdom I believe this world would be free of evil and suffering. Instead they chose to disobey God and listen to the serpent’s (satan) lie and fulfill their own lust for a perceived higher knowledge and power, forfeiting their dominion under God’s guidance to that of self and satan.

Who gave people the inclination not to look to their "loving Creator"? Who made the serpent? Who decided to put the tree in a place where Adam and Eve could get at it?

The scriptures also state that satan is the god of this world. Although he is not the Creator or true God, he is a powerful evil angelic being who malevolently influences the inhabitants of earth.

Heh... who gave him that job?

Like a child that disobeys a loving parent and then blames their mom or dad for a bad consequence which the parent was trying to protect the child from in the first place, so it is when a person blames God for the evil and suffering in this world.

Wait... so God is trying to protect us from evil, but we experience evil anyhow?

So you're saying God has failed?

How can an omnipotent being try to do something and fail?

Anyone who objects to this freedom to choose or the freedom to obey or disobey which God gave humanity can personally do something about it right now as far as their own life is concerned and everyone around them will benefit. Tell God you don’t want the right to choose wrong, have bad thoughts, act selfishly, or do anything that would hurt or offend Him or others. Ask God to take away your right to choose and ask Him to control you like a master controls a slave so that you would only do good and not listen to your own evil desires or the voice of satan.

I thought you said that your god was loving. Enslaving a person is not a loving act.

 

[Man of Faith]

Why do good things happen to bad people? It's called free will. Adam and eve had free will do disobey God and now we all suffer the consequences.

 

[9Westy9]

Why do good things happen to bad people? It's called free will. Adam and eve had free will do disobey God and now we all suffer the consequences.

hardly fair though

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Why do good things happen to bad people? It's called free will. Adam and eve had free will do disobey God and now we all suffer the consequences.

But "free will" doesn't really work as an explanation for anything that doesn't have a human cause. Why did the Boxing Day tsunami kill so many good people? You can't say "free will" to that; the tsunami wasn't an act of will at all, unless you want to say it was an act of God's will.

 

[Quagmire]

If we take subjectivity out of it, then "bad" and "good" go out the window and all we're left with is, "Why do things happen to people".

 

[Man of Faith]

But "free will" doesn't really work as an explanation for anything that doesn't have a human cause. Why did the Boxing Day tsunami kill so many good people? You can't say "free will" to that; the tsunami wasn't an act of will at all, unless you want to say it was an act of God's will.

It is an answer Biblically, because the whole universe was cursed and the earth "groans as if in labor pains" from the moment that sin entered into it.

 

[Man of Faith]

If we take subjectivity out of it, then "bad" and "good" go out the window and all we're left with is, "Why do things happen to people".

Good point. Should people that don't believe in God stop using the words good and bad? Because without a benchmark, God, there is no good or bad.

 

[Awoon]

Duality...left/right/up/down/in/out/on/off

Humans learn all about dualities living on Earth.

 

[DavyCrocket2003]

Good point. Should people that don't believe in God stop using the words good and bad? Because without a benchmark, God, there is no good or bad.

Why is God necessary for there to be a benchmark?

 

[Awoon]

Why is God necessary for there to be a benchmark?

Some may define "god" as law.

 

[9Westy9]

If we take subjectivity out of it, then "bad" and "good" go out the window and all we're left with is, "Why do things happen to people".

Same answer. 'Because **** happens'

 

[Quagmire]

Good point. Should people that don't believe in God stop using the words good and bad? Because without a benchmark, God, there is no good or bad.

I disagree. I think even with God, "good" and "bad" are our own inventions.

 

[Quagmire]

Same answer. 'Because **** happens'

If we were all sane I think we'd agree to close the thread at that post.

 

[9Westy9]

If we were all sane I think we'd agree to close the thread at that post.

Shame that humans like to think too much

 

[Man of Faith]

I disagree. I think even with God, "good" and "bad" are our own inventions.

What you are saying is there is no such thing as good or bad, it is just our own inventions. And that has to be the conclusion in a godless naturalistic big bang. Hence the godless must conclude that there is no good or bad, no absolutes. However if we have a benchmark of what is good or bad, God, then we can make those absolute claims of what is good or bad. And seeing how mankind does make claims of what is good or bad, that validates that there is a God.

 

[Quagmire]

What you are saying is there is no such thing as good or bad, it is just our own inventions.

Didn't say there were no such things, just that they're our own inventions.

And that has to be the conclusion in a godless naturalistic big bang.

Well in this instance you heard it from a theist.

Hence the godless must conclude that there is no good or bad, no absolutes.

The "Godless" are just as capable of judging good and evil as anyone else.

Or maybe I should say, they're just as prone to buying into the illusion.

However if we have a benchmark of what is good or bad, God, then we can make those absolute claims of what is good or bad.

Only if you consider yourself capable of understanding God absolutely.

And seeing how mankind does make claims of what is good or bad, that validates that there is a God.

No, it just validates that there is Mankind.

 

[Quagmire]

Shame that humans like to think too much

Shame and thinking do seem to perpetuate each other.

 

[9Westy9]

What you are saying is there is no such thing as good or bad, it is just our own inventions. And that has to be the conclusion in a godless naturalistic big bang. Hence the godless must conclude that there is no good or bad, no absolutes. However if we have a benchmark of what is good or bad, God, then we can make those absolute claims of what is good or bad. And seeing how mankind does make claims of what is good or bad, that validates that there is a God.

The classic 'objective values mean god exists' argument.

1) Only proves theism/ deism not a particular religion's god.
2) Objective morals don't exist. Only subjectively objective morals.

 

[ManTimeForgot]

No absolutes does not mean that you cannot have objective values. It means that what the values refer to are subjective, but so long as the relationship between object and referent remain the same no matter what the object changes into, then the values are objective in nature.


I can and will decide that something is good or evil based on how it affects living things. I don't have to share living space with a rock. I do, in however small a way, have to share living space with an insect. So in some tiny nearly insignificant way insects do have moral value. That most people choose to ignore this nearly insignificant value is just a show how humans don't like to deal with very large or very small numbers.

Counterpoint: Humans do not properly appreciate the moral weight a rogue planetoid has with regards to how much devastation it could cause to humanity and the earth's biosphere. Quite simply the devastation of quadrillions of living things just doesn't register with us.


But just because we have trouble with understanding morality without an outside agent handing down directives is no reason to suppose that there isn't any morality without the aforementioned agent's intervention.



And as far as the OP is concerned it is transparently obvious that bad things happen to everyone. That necessarily includes good people. The question "Why do bad things happen to good people" is only troublesome inasmuch as an intervening, all knowing agent has to account for their apparent selectivity in when to intervene.

MTF

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

It is an answer Biblically, because the whole universe was cursed and the earth "groans as if in labor pains" from the moment that sin entered into it.

Hmm. Tell you what: can you help me fill in the missing step here?

Step 1: Humans make bad decisions.
Step 2: ?????
Step 3: Tsunamis.

What fits into step 2 to actually make this happen?

Keep in mind that tsunamis are an actual, physical thing, so whatever mechanism you suggest that links them to sin has to result in an actual, physical cause for the end result.

I'll help you partway: I know that earthquakes cause tsunamis. Now... how does "sin" cause earthquakes?