why do bad things happen to good people

[Heavyduty053]

I think next week i will do a short message on the subject that i have heard many times, " why does bad things happen to good people and vice versa for those who might be interested.......you can leave me a response here if you are interested in such a message.

[MITCH10]

builds character

[jomans]

I don't agree with thos over-used phrases. In reality good and bad things happen to all people.

[colt32]

I would say that none of us are truly good. That is why we need Jesus to cover our sins. Surely, I cannot argue that some are really evil and some are really good but when compared to God none is good. I think just as good is allowed to happen to evil people that bad is allowed to happen to good people. The rain falleth on the just and the unjust. But.....eventually what you plant will grow up. Eventually, what you sow you will reap. jmho

Romans 3 9-19

No One Is Righteous

9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. 10 As it is written:

“There is no one righteous, not even one;

11 there is no one who understands;

there is no one who seeks God.

12 All have turned away,

they have together become worthless;

there is no one who does good,

not even one.”

13 “Their throats are open graves;

their tongues practice deceit.”[c]

“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”[d]

14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[e]

15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;

16 ruin and misery mark their ways,

17 and the way of peace they do not know.”[f]

18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”[g]

19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

Psalm 14:3

3 All have turned away, all have become corrupt;

there is no one who does good,

not even one.

Matthew 5: 43-48 Love for Enemies

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

[tlammy]

Go for it Heavy!

[tyron]

Not that I agree with that statement, but here's a thought for you H... what if our entire lives were an illusion - a dance of atoms - as scientists are reluctantly discovering. What if ALL our perceived 'pain' and 'suffering' are just part of the 'game' of life. And when we die we suddenly realise what we were temporarily made to forget, that our essence is actually not only immortal but beautiful beyond anything we could have imagined, and it has been totally unharmed by the three dimensional game we have just played.

[jon29]

good or bad it doesn't matter, the universe is a perpetual stream of random events with simple decisions that often affect the outcome.

[smee2]

First rule of science ... Nature abhors a vaccum (may not have spelled that right)

What it means is that in nature, where there is nothing, something will come to be there.

Same with "good" and "bad" ... in the presense of "good people" there is, by the very definition of nature, bound to come something "bad" ... not just more good ... it is the presense of an opposite coming to fill the space not filled by that part ... this is getting confusing even for me. Lets see ... try again ... Balance ... nature attempts balance ... where there is very good, bad is attracted to create and maintain balance.

Of my ... I am getting deeper and getting no where. I really did try to answer the question ... just do your thesis and go for it!!!

smee2

[colt32]

First rule of science ... Nature abhors a vaccum (may not have spelled that right)

What it means is that in nature, where there is nothing, something will come to be there.

Same with "good" and "bad" ... in the presense of "good people" there is, by the very definition of nature, bound to come something "bad" ... not just more good ... it is the presense of an opposite coming to fill the space not filled by that part ... this is getting confusing even for me. Lets see ... try again ... Balance ... nature attempts balance ... where there is very good, bad is attracted to create and maintain balance.

Of my ... I am getting deeper and getting no where. I really did try to answer the question ... just do your thesis and go for it!!!

smee2

Alright. Here is one for ya. Does darkness really exist? How do we measure dark?

[Nelg]

Good and bad happen to everyone, there is no distinction.

If bad happens and I respond to it with faith and trust in God, I will be able to handle the situation. If I respond as if it was a specifically directed at me by God, then things can go south quickly.

If good happens, then most people just enjoy the moment. Some however praise God for those experiences.

Most people don't complain about the good, but if the good takes us away from faith in God, then we have responded badly. (Example: Wealth is good, but if we trust in riches it is bad.)

[techalum]

Go for it! I would love to see something about that topic. +1 for stepping up to the plate with that topic in mind!

-techalum

[Nelg]

Alright. Here is one for ya. Does darkness really exist? How do we measure dark?

Darkness does not exist. Darkness is the absence of light.

[Shinnidan]

hmmmm.....

i guess its simple.....

"Shette Happens....then you die...."

[zigmeister]

Not that I agree with that statement, but here's a thought for you H... what if our entire lives were an illusion - a dance of atoms - as scientists are reluctantly discovering. What if ALL our perceived 'pain' and 'suffering' are just part of the 'game' of life. And when we die we suddenly realise what we were temporarily made to forget, that our essence is actually not only immortal but beautiful beyond anything we could have imagined, and it has been totally unharmed by the three dimensional game we have just played.

Tyron so beautifully said. Thumbs up. However all of our pain and suffering are just part of the "game of life", I think that is an illusion we have bought into. I think it is all how we look at it.

[Shick]

REINCARNATION, LIFE MEETING ITS SELF, KARMA, CAUSE AND EFFECT. THIS IS A CAUSATIVE WORLD, YOU REAP WHAT YOU SO! LIFE IS CONTINUES, LIFE DOESN'T CHID, IF YOU DID WRONG IN YOUR PAST LIFE, WRONG WILL COME BACK TO YOU, IF YOU DO NOT REVERSE YOUR THINKING, YOUR DOING, YOUR SELFISHNESS, YOU MAY END UP ON THE WRONG IN OF THE STICK. SO TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE FOR THE GOOD OF MANKIND AND IT WILL RETURN TO YOU, PRESS DOWN SHAKEN TOGETHER AND RUNNING OVER. NOTHING IS REALLY GOOD OR BAD, ONLY THINKING MAKES IT SO! GO RV!

[jon29]

REINCARNATION, LIFE MEETING ITS SELF, KARMA, CAUSE AND EFFECT. THIS IS A CAUSATIVE WORLD, YOU REAP WHAT YOU SO! LIFE IS CONTINUES, LIFE DOESN'T CHID, IF YOU DID WRONG IN YOUR PAST LIFE, WRONG WILL COME BACK TO YOU, IF YOU DO NOT REVERSE YOUR THINKING, YOUR DOING, YOUR SELFISHNESS, YOU MAY END UP ON THE WRONG IN OF THE STICK. SO TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE FOR THE GOOD OF MANKIND AND IT WILL RETURN TO YOU, PRESS DOWN SHAKEN TOGETHER AND RUNNING OVER. NOTHING IS REALLY GOOD OR BAD, ONLY THINKING MAKES IT SO! GO RV!

That's an interesting point of view. I've heard people sometimes say that if you did bad or wrong in a previous life then you pay for it in an upcoming life and need to change and become good. I'm not sure I agree with that. It seems that your innate character (and I'm thinking not just born physically in this incarnation, but at whatever point you came into existence as a life form) would stay constant no matter how many incarnations you've lived. I'm thinking 'good' or 'bad' remains constant with the being and 'carries over'. People sometimes believe in conversion, that a person makes a transformation from the dark side into the light and become completely different, but I sometimes wonder if that is the case or if the original 'seed' of your true character, your first created good or evil nature remains no matter what. It's just an idea. Would be interested to hear anyone's point of view on this.

[endeavor1]

For some reason God allowed evil to continue, He could have stopped it from the beginning, but He allowed it to continue. The result, innocent people, like the angels, were deceived, they chose the path of evil. Everyone was born with evil, sin, as the Bible calls it. Dominion belonged to Adam, Adam gave it to the serpent, Satan. 2 Co.4:4. Those who understand this do not blame God, Those who don't understand, blame God or something else for all the bad things that happen to them. God could stop the bad things that happen to good people, but He doesn't, we must trust His judgement. Someday we will know, just wait. Lucifer was entrusted with the sanctity of life, he betrayed that trust. Adam betrayed that trust as well. The blame should be on them, not God. We need to admit our own need for a Saviour. Jesus Christ gave himself to be a sacrifice for our sins, Jn.3:16. "For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life." This is the greatest story ever told. Someday God will end the suffering, Revelation chapters 20-22.

Edited November 11, 2011 by endeavor1

[easyrider]

I believe as soon as your life is going good your faith is tested by God just like he did to in the book of JOB he allows the devil to test us its the reality and has happened to me and i paid for it dearly but it grew my faith a lot stronger with the lord.

[endeavor1]

Bad things happen to good people because bad people decide to hurt the innocent. God will judge the bad people, God will judge everybody. When bad things happen accidently to good people, we think God is the blame, or that He could've stopped it, either Way, God gets the blame. But it's not God's fault, we live in an imperfect world, tainted by sin, we ourselves have incurred bad things that happen. Sometímes it's God's plan for bad things to happen to good people, see the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis. We don't understand everything, but we should trust God for the things we don't understand.

[kliklok00]

I'll be interested in reading your thoughts. As for me, I don't believe there is an answer...people have various beliefs and ideas, but no on really knows why. Not only why bad things happen, but why there is bad and good in life. Those who believe in God claim He "allows" bad (or evil) to happen but won't blame God for it, yet He is the creator of everything. I find it odd how they won't give God the creator due credit for what He created! Especially since He has a special place (Heaven) reserved for a select few where evil doesn't exist---I wonder why it exists now, yet won't exist later? I'm off point---why do bad things happen to good people? Don't know---why do good things happen to bad people? Same principle? Another thought---the same thing can happen to different people and be defined as "bad" in one instance, and "good" in another! For example, I can feed my grand daughter peanuts---her favorite, so it is good. I can feed her brother peanuts---he is allergic, so it is bad. A weak example, but I believe it makes my point---the same event or action can be defined as "good" or "bad" depending upon certain variables---so who's definition is being used? I wait with anticipation for your response!

[smee2]

Alright. Here is one for ya. Does darkness really exist? How do we measure dark?

In terms of vocabulary darkeness does exist ... not sure about the deeper concept, like one hand clapping and the tree fallling in the forest ...you know ... but the standard answer to what is darkenss ... the absense of light.

Did I get it right?

smee2

[Markinsa]

What is Light?

Light is simply a name for a range of electromagnetic radiation that can be detected by the human eye. What is electromagnetic radiation, then?

Electromagnetic radiation has a dual nature as both particles and waves. One way to look at it is as changing electric and magnetic fields which propagate through space, forming an electromagnetic wave. [illustration] This wave has amplitude, which is the brightness of the light, wavelength, which is the color of the light, and an angle at which it is vibrating, called polarization. This was the classical interpretation, crystallized in Maxwell's Equations, which held sway until Planck, Einstein and others came along with quantum theory. In terms of the modern quantum theory, electromagnetic radiation consists of particles called photons, which are packets ("quanta") of energy which move at the speed of light. In this particle view of light, the brightness of the light is the number of photons, the color of the light is the energy contained in each photon, and four numbers (X, Y, Z and T) are the polarization.

Which interpretation is correct? Both of them, actually. It turns out electromagnetic radiation can have both wave-like and particle-like properties as demonstrated in experiments such as the dual slit experiment. In this exploration of light, we will primarily take the wave viewpoint as it is a more useful description of the everyday properties of light, but keep in mind that both viewpoints are valid, and sometimes we will use the quantum viewpoint too.

On to the numbers! Light ranges from wavelengths of 7x10-5 cm (red) to 4x10-5 cm (violet) and (like all electromagnetic radiation) travels at the speed of light, 299,792,458 meters per second or 186,282 miles per second. (Interesting fact: the speed of light is actually defined to be 299,792,458 meters per second and scientists combine this with the definition of a second to create the definition of a meter! As stated at the 17th General conference on weights and Measures, "The meter is the length of the path traveled by light in a vacuum during a time interval of 1/299,792,458 of a second.")

The frequency (number of wavelengths per second) of a light wave may be calculated using the equation c=ln where l is the wavelength, n is the frequency and c is the speed of light. In quantum theory, a photon has energy equal to hn, where h is Plank's constant and n is the frequency of the light in classical theory.

Therefore, Darkness is the absence of "electromagnetic radiation" = Light.

-

[colt32]

Darkness does not exist. Darkness is the absence of light.

Right on the money.

In terms of vocabulary darkeness does exist ... not sure about the deeper concept, like one hand clapping and the tree fallling in the forest ...you know ... but the standard answer to what is darkenss ... the absense of light.

Did I get it right?

smee2

Can't measure darkness. Can only measure light. Or, it would be cool if you could have a flashdark. lol.

[OregonHopeful]

I think a lot of it has to do with perception. Is "it" really bad, or just a person's perception of bad.

Sometimes, when someone thinks something bad has happened, it turns out that that something leads to something even better. With hindsight, you find it wasn't

bad after all, it was a good thing. Therefore, a lot of what we call "bad" or "good" is just a perception. At any moment in time, we can only evaluate events from our own perception and experiences and beliefs. Ten people can witness an event and each one will have a different perception of it.

Our senses tell us what "reality" is. Then our beliefs and values interpret that input to lead to our perception of it.

There is "bad" and "good" in everything. A knife can be used for bad or good. A gun can be used for bad or good, an automobile can be used for bad or good.

Edited November 15, 2011 by OregonHopeful

[Bubbe]

King David had so much good, and so many challenges, in all he trusted in the G-d of Israel. He did not curse his son, and actually mourned for him, but he never tried to kill Absalom! We all need to learn to trust in G-d to be our deliverer.... I believe everyone should maintain their culture, that G-d had their soul born into. Keep your culture and faith. When the Christians try to convert the whole world they bring western Greek-Roman corruption, loss of family values, political re-writing of history etc................look at the church and pedophilia! Look at the money trail in the big organized churches and you will find corruption. Individuals who are members may be innocent of wrong doing, however when they stand up and defend the unrighteous, then they loose their innocence.............. Look at Penn State............it happens in many organizations, just part of the Greece-Roman culture.

Another thought............. If we only experienced all good things we would certainly not know or understand goodness. When you have something to compare the good to, then you are able to appreciate the goodness. We are all human and experience the human condition. From this we learn, just as children are innocent, and through many experiences they learn to differentiate between good and bad, hopefully to choose the good.