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Philosophy/religion

Join our Philosophy forum to discuss religion and spirituality.

Bad things happening to good people.

59 replies

PaddlingLikeADuck · 29/04/2022 21:28

Im sure this has been asked 100 times, but why does God let it happen?

I don’t come from a religious background at all. Most of my family are fairly nonchalant about religion apart from my mother who despises it and gets joy from making sure everyone knows it.

Although I have no sense of belief myself I often come on this board to read threads purely because I find it comforting to read people’s posts where their belief is so profound and they genuinely do believe there is a bigger power ‘out there.’ It must be amazing to have that belief, I imagine your lives are peaceful in the knowledge that better things are coming.

Anyhow, I just need it explaining to me why bad things are allowed to good people whereas some bad people float through life with nothing bad happening to them.

I class myself as a good person but I have a chronic condition that affects my life in so many negative ways and it’s knock on effects mean my husband and children are negatively affected too. I will have this condition for life and I find myself asking myself, “Why me? What did I do to deserve this?”

My auntie, who is so, so kind hearted has just left her husband and admitted he’s been physically abusing her for years. Why was she married to such a monster? Why was it allowed to happen?

A few years ago my friend’s infant, who was 14 months old, was killed in a car accident due to the reckless driver in the other vehicle. Her baby died and he walked away completely unharmed. He didn’t even go to prison? How is this fair?

I’m a paediatric nurse and I see death and severe illness in many children and I just think, “Why them? How can this be what God had planned for them?” So much unfair suffering for completely innocent children whilst their families watch them die.

I just can’t understand why God, if there is one, allows the lives of good people to be afflicted by such awfulness.

OP posts:
jackstini · 01/05/2022 12:23

I'm probably not explaining it very well

Imagine your child has committed heinous crimes - what do you do?

1 - kill them. What they did is totally unacceptable; you brought them into this world and you will take them out of it as they don't deserve to live

2 - disown them. The crimes may still happen but you don't want to be associated

3 - help them. Do anything you can to make them a better person, repent, give something good back to the world

It's people that make this world terrible and better people can change that. No one can change the past but people can influence the future of this world and I think that's where I am going with the 'acting in love' thing - to prevent such evil in the future

Padderbadger · 01/05/2022 12:29

Personally I don't believe in God. Life is unfair, unfair is a human concept anyway. I had a stillbirth and thought about this a lot, why me, why my baby etc. But I thought about nature, and it's not fair or unfair, it just happens, whether you are a good person or not.

Mossstitch · 01/05/2022 12:45

I was brought up in a very strict religion and unfortunately married young in it so it took me a long time to break free. These were all the questions that went through my head all the time and drove me crazy with no reasonable answers. I've found peace since leaving the religion........... I just no longer ask the questions 🤷

LadyOfTheCanyon · 01/05/2022 19:46

All I will say is:

Imagine that you are God.

What would be your reasoning for striking down people in full health/children etc?

People who agree with your creed.

If you can come up with a cohesive reason for why it would be acceptable to kill children and innocents in the name of faith then I might be prepared to listen as to why this underscores an entire religion.

There is nothing in our world that the edict "do as you would be done by" doesn't cover.

Skye99 · 05/05/2022 01:03

This could be helpful. Tim Keller, a New York pastor and writer, is a clear thinker and an excellent speaker.

‘Suffering: if God is good, why is there so much evil in the world?’
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/timothy-keller-sermons-podcast-by-gospel-in-life/id352660924?i=1000559567041

//We’re looking at the problems people in our culture, and especially in New York City, have with Christianity. We’re now going to look at the one you could call the problem of evil and suffering. And it’s a very formidable one for Christian belief.//

pointythings · 06/05/2022 22:37

This is why I'm an atheist. And I'm an atheist who takes immense comfort from my belief that there is no God. Because if there is no God, there isn't someone who is OK with all the shit things that happen to people. Free will, my arse - I'm far happier with 'shit happens' because that means nobody wants it. It just is, like wasps.

MrsSugar · 06/05/2022 22:42

Very interesting theories here.

mine is quite basic. I don’t believe there is a god. Good things happen, Shite things happen and that’s just how life is. I do believe in a spirit world but not the concept of heaven and hell. Things happen in life that are desperately unfair and we will never ever know why. Tbh it’s too big for my brain to process so that’s why my theory is so basic !

Pinkbonbon · 14/05/2022 15:06

I think just because god put us here doesn't mean he has to wipe our arses for us.

Besides, challenges are what help us grow and become better people.

When people complai about him not saving their arsed, I always think-take some personal responsibility ffs. I for one am bloody glad the bug guy isn't a micromanager.

Also, ever noticed that these people that slag him off when life isn't going their way, are never people who have thanked him when things in their life go well.

Pinkbonbon · 14/05/2022 15:07

*big guy

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