Wednesday, June 24, 2009

I think I'm finally starting to get it, but I want y'all's opinions. Easy question, no big deal:

Why do you think bad things happen to good people?

19 comments:

black betty said...

whadatay...

love you. meant it.

black betty said...

seriously, though...and not to sound like a religious fruitcake, but i think the man BELOW wants to see good people fail because he already has the other ones. it's a challenge to see if you will give up.

Dr. Wifey said...

i think that when bad things happen to good people, they turn to God. now i'm not saying that God does the bad things. i agree with Betty on that part. if you rely on God you grow in your relationship with Him. i probably am not explaining that very well - it is hard for me to put into words how i feel about this

Lauren said...

Because bad things happen to everyone at some point. It's just part of life. ("You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have...")

It's a very normal thing to want a cause-and-effect relationship between events, but most of the time, the reason why something happens is not as important as how you respond to the bad things life throws at you. And that response is usually the part that separates good people from bad people.

Please keep in mind that this response is completely without any context as to what's going on in your life, so I might have stepped in poop and then put my foot in my mouth just now. But this is my general philosophy about the question.

watercolordaisy said...

Things just happen. Bad things happen to everyone, it just seems worse when it happens to good people. And because we are all flawed humans, we tend to think the "bad" among us deserve the bad things that come their way so don't lament over them. I don't personally believe there is a big God plan or that anything is interfering with our lives causing good or bad things to happen so there is no "reason" for it. It's just messy life. But I do believe God is with us all the time. Like a parent, God rejoices in the good that happens and hurts with us in the bad. And stands by our side through it all. That's one of the reasons I try to pray for the "bad" people when bad things happen to them - so they know God is with them and they are worth the Grace. We all are. As hard as it is to accept.

brig said...

I just like the part where Lauren quoted Facts of Life as part of her answer.

Shelby said...

I don't necessarily believe that God CAUSES the bad things but I do believe that He ALLOWS them. If everyone's life was all hunkydory, how many of us would turn to Him? How would our faith grow?

HEATHER said...

I feel that everything that happens to us on this earth, is something G-d wants us to learn or experience in order to bring us closer to him and heaven.
Hope everything is ok.
Do you think you could go to the blog Jew Eat Yet and offer Danny & Kendall some encouragement? Kendall gave birth at 27 weeks(one baby died) and the other baby boy is in the NICU.
http://dannymiller.typepad.com
Take care! I pray for you and Ace every night.

AM said...

because life sucks....or better...I think sometimes things happen to put you on your back looking up and prepare you to appreciate the blessings that ARE coming your way...

Katy said...

You got some really great answers here, so I hate to add my two cents, but here they are:

cent#1: Dear Abby or somebody once wrote that when the sun shines, it shines on everyone, the same as the rain. Basically, I think that means that good and bad things happen to everyone and that's just the way it is.

cent#2: I believe that God created a really amazing Universe and as people, we simply can't appreciate it's greatness and hugeness. Something that seems bad now may be a hidden opportunity or a life lesson or chance for reflection. All we see is our little part--not the bigger picture. The best we can do is try to go with it.

Jo said...

I have nothing profound to add that hasn't already been said... so I will just say (((HUGS))) and I am praying for you.

From the Doghouse said...

Bad things happen to all people. However, I agree with BB and Wifey; if you're doing good for God, you're pissing Satan off, and he's going to do something about it. If he throws a roadblock in your life and you focus on that, then you're not doing good for God. And his goal is accomplished.

Jen said...

good people are easy targets. trusting, willing to help, open minded, caring, compassionate people. THEY GET *EFFED* every time. I am going through this crap right now with my family. It's an awful feeling and we have been screwed to the wall. It's bad.

I will keep you in my prayers.

Jen said...

everyone had some pretty good reasons. Some I needed to read for myself. DH, Alice, Wifey, BB really nailed it for me. I am flat on my back and I have focused on the bad of it all...I need to rely more on God.

Allison said...

Hmmm, let's see how I want to answer this......

I've been reading a lot in recent months in the book of Job. Job was a good guy - the best - and went through hell on earth. God allowed Satan to test him.

I think the bad things that happen to good people, more often than not, are tests. For them, and for people who know them.

When bad things happen to me (and I'm not necessarily saying I don't deserve them) I'm learning now to ask God, in addition to helping me get beyond that difficulty, "What would you have me learn in this?"

God gave Job quite an earful about His power and Who He was and IS at the end of Job's trial and suffering. Job replied to the Lord, "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my cousel without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.........My eyes had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you."

Job realized that he had only BEGUN to know God in the good times but it was in the BAD times that God's power was truly revealed to him. Charles Swindoll has written a new book about Job. I'm planning to get it - I would suggest it to you as well if this is something you're really pondering on. He's a great author.

Anyway, I'm sorry this was so lengthy but for me, as a Christian, I'm realizing that the bad times in my life leave me no choice but to take my hands off the situation and leave it in God's. He WANTS me to be totally dependant on Him and I think that it's through the bad times that I really learn that.

Mrs.H said...

You have gotten some great answers here, Stacey. There is no "why", there just "is." And how we deal with the "is" (and Who we turn to for help) is what matters.

Armed US Citizen said...

Your blog followers (and the ones that comment!) have to be my most favorite in the blogosphere! What a bunch o' smart and articulate people they are!

I agree with everyone that said that God allows things to happen but doesn't MAKE them happen. I think we are being "tested" here in our lives. What will we do, who will we serve-through good times AND bad? Will we give up? Will we keep the faith no matter what? Will we take what we've suffered through and try to make someone else's journey (battle?) a little easier? Can we, despite how difficult it is, take our experiences and look outside of ourselves to help humankind?

I think those things matter. I think we all feel bad when bad things happen to good people. We *should* mourn with those that mourn...but then do our best to help them through it.

Sorry for rambling...I don't know what the question is referring to but that's my general feeling on the subject.

Rhonda said...

Now isn't that embarrassing! That last comment was from ME, RhondaLue. guess hubby didn't log off his account before I started runnin' around the blog dropping comments all over the place. sorry for the confusion!

black betty said...

uh...where you at, hooch?