Does it scare you? (read on please)?

Question

Many people don't like to think about the possibility that there isn't some great plan for our lives. Many people believe we are part of some destiny or plan, and are either puppets on a string or close to it.

Does it scare you to think that good people just die sometimes, and it doesn't happen for a reason? This is something I've thought about a lot since my mom died at a young age-was there a "reason" for her death? Or did s***happen? My first reaction was to want to find a reason it happened, to ease the pain a little. It's been the most profound experience in my life and I had to find meaning in it.

Here's what I found- my mom died because she didn't take care of herself. Period. If I want to find any meaning in that it's up to me, but there was no divine meaning in it. God didn't "need" her in heaven.

There isn't a God out there that needs little children to die from starvation.

Has anyone else wondered about this? Had any different conclusions?

Answer 1

I'm with you.
Good things happen to bad peopel.
Bad things happen to good people.

As you say, **** happens, but life goes on. I remember being in the car on the way to my dad's funeral (I was 12), and being amazed that people were still shopping, and talking and getting on with life.

Answer 2

Bad happens because there is evil in the world. There is evil so we can have free will. The bad choices made by humanity cause the suffering we see. I'm not saying the people who die made bad choices, often it is choices made by others, like say, a drunk driver.

There is a Bible verse that says God works everything for good for those who love Him. In that, I see that as if you push into God in the midst of your troubles, He has a path and if you follow it, you'll find the good that will result from the bad. A close friend of mine died, he was an Olympic caliber athlete, headed to his first Olympics, and he drowned in a white water accident. Hard to see the good in that, but it turned out that his dad and brother turned their lives over to God as a result. The boy who died was already serving the Lord, so he's in heaven, but his family wasn't all Christian. Now they are, they're in a much better state, and we can see that eternal good came from this tragic event.

I think we are arrogant to think that we should be able to see the good that will come from tragedy every time though. God sits outside of time, He sees the end from the beginning. He knows what will happen along the line and He can always bring about good from bad.

Answer 3

I am a Christian, and I beleive people just die because that is the way the world works. Good and bad people die, good and bad people live. It may not seem fair to us, but being only "human", of course it doesnt. I dont think God sits around and says "i want that person up here with me NOW" no way... A lifetime to God is like the blink of an eye. He is not that impatient. I think he put us here, as our chance to choose or reject eternity. Some of us get more time than others. Some of us die because we abuse our bodies in a lot of ways. Some of us die for reasons that we did not cause. It is just the way it is, and being a "good person", does not mean that person should be magically given more time. In the end, we all get to have eternity (in one place or another), and our time on earth isnt even a blink of time compared to that, so it really doesnt matter how long we are here. It only matters wether we accept the gift of eternal life with our creator, or reject it.

Answer 4

We know God is not a micro-manager. God is Love, but that has nothing to do with the fact that bad things happen without a reason. good things happen, too and there doesn't have to be a reason for them either. We don't have the same questions when good things happen, but we struggle to reconcile the bad because they cause us grief.

It's not philosophy or theology that questions in the face of suffering; it's grief. We say "Why did God allow this to happen" but what we are really doing is expressing the five stages of grief, especially denial. We want to go back in time and reverse time so the event did not occur and we are unable. We simply cannot accept it and are grasping the only way we know how: at God, for we believe God to have an ability to control things we cannot and we want God to do our bidding.

We just have to accept that God does not manipulate events and move on rather than wrestle with it and hold on to our grief.

Answer 5

I firmly believe that there is a God and there is a plan. I also know that if God is omniscient and omnipotent, I may not be able to see the meaning. God does not cause suffering or evil things. He stands by his people when there is suffering. This is not something I believe lightly. I was an agnostic for many years. And the ramifications of this answer are far too deep for this forum. Try reading "The Great Divorce" by C.S. Lewis. It would be a start in understanding what many people believe.

Answer 6

I remember my dad dying when I was 6 and even though I agree that people sometimes are just done & thats it then again I also believe they die because theres something in the future they wouldnt have been able to handle alive. Our lives have changed infinitely for the better since he's been gone, but just from intuition and everything that's happened I know he's in a way still here with us...not anything like visions or sky opening up or whatever, just like he, kind of...was done with his body. Maybe your mom was done with her body because she treated it so bad she couldn't stand being inside of it anymore. Hope this helps. =)

Answer 7

Very good people die, sometimes for no good reason. This is the "problem of evil" that plagues Christianity.

We have to be strong in this life and we can do it without believing that there is a higher power or that painful events mean something beyond being painful.

Answer 8

Fear is useless. I'm fine with not being a part of some grand plan.

All people die. Death is not a punishment, so good people would not be excluded. It's all in the perspective. We should be glad for the time we get, not complain about not getting more. I can only be grateful for having my loved ones at all.

Answer 9

When we are tested, it is draw us nearer to God. He knows our heart...he just wants us to know our heart.

As for people dying. I understand and am truly sorry for the loss of your mom. It's never easy loosing a family member, especially when you have a special bond with them.

Her job was done here and it was time for her to go home.

That's how you know your purpose is either done or not done. If it's not done...then that is why you are still here. When you have completed your purpose, you will be called home. Our days are numbers (that's in the scriptures.)

As for starving children. You must look to their government and to find out why they would want to oppress their people that way? We (USA) offer governments around the world millions of pounds of food every year and money to help with medical care...yet their governments squander it...or warlords take the shipments and they are never seen by the poor, starving...and dying.

We has humans have to take responsibility for that outrage. More people could be doing more...but choose not too.

We live in a troubled world (Jesus said so...red letters.)

Peace be with you.

Answer 10

My mother in law passed away from cancer and we were all standing beside her touching her as she took her last breath.Like you that was such a profound moment for us all of us.
I never sought a "reason" I only sought acceptance and strength.
Me personally I am of Pagan faith and what I choose to accept is that she lived her life to the fullest not for herself but for others.She was an artist and her art will live on through other's perceptions of the beauty she created.She will live on in museums that have her works and the foundations she created.She will live on in all the lesson's she taught to everyone she crossed paths with.
I accept that her passing has brought me sorrow and grief but her living brought me so much more and so I am willing to accept and go through the grief because such is the way of acceptance...of loss...of life....

M.G

Answer 11

one word.. Freewill, we make our own paths. and No God Doesn't want to kill anyone. But we do live in a material world, and things wear down, and fail. Even mountains, made of solid rock erode after time.
We make our own destiny, or try to. Our surroundings control alot of what we can do, what we think possible and what is available to us.
Faith.... is about feeling there is good out there, and faith in God. There is no mathematical answer to faith, nor no reward for having it.. besides the act of faith itself.