If there is a God, why do so many bad things happen? (EcoTrain Question Of The Week)
If there is a "God", it doesn't do anything to us, for us, or against us. It doesn't do it now, nor has it ever. It doesn't authorize good or bad things to happen in existence.
Source: pixabay
We are trying to validate, justify or apply meaning for WHY things happen. If we can't make sense of something from demonstrable reality that can reasonably explain it, then we invent ideas to try to explain it so that we can feel like we understand why something happened.
Sometimes our imagination comes up with an explanation that we can verify is valid and true. And sometimes we invent something that can't be verified at all, and is essentially fantasy form our minds.
We humans are often just inventing beliefs about WHY something is here, has happened or is happening. As such, when things happens, we're trying to make sense of those things. We try to attribute meaning for WHY they happened.
A convenient fill-all idea and belief to answer WHY or HOW some things occur or exist, is to use "God". In comes God, an invented idea to try to explain something by inventing justification, purpose and meaning for WHY it happened. It's a convenient gap-filling idea to stick in where we don't have an answer and want to fill the void of an unanswered question.
Psychologically, we don't like a void in comprehension. It's like having holes in our attempt to understand the world, ourselves, life, etc. We want to be walking on solid, consistent, integrated ground, not dangerous holes that have us fall into emptiness, darkness, a void or abyss of not understanding. The darkness, void and abyss is unwelcome, putting us in states of discomfort, insecurity, anxiety, stress and fear.
In our attempt to understand the world we ask questions. Unanswered questions are the gap, void, abyss and darkness. We then invent answers to questions we have for WHY or HOW something is. This allows us to feel better, comfortable, and more secure.
Bad things happen. But to try to justify the existence of an alleged "being" somewhere that is doing it to us, or is allowing it to happen to us, is folly. If a "being" that can't be verified exists at all, it's not involved in what happens. If it created existence, then it set the ball in motion with various natural laws, and then let things play out how they may. It doesn't constantly survey, interact or interject itself into the happenings of existence.
When we aren't in control of what is happening, some people want to think there is something else in control that has some "master plan" in place, doing things for our own benefit even if we can't see it ourselves. So we say "it's for the better", "it's part of 'His'/'Gods' plan", "it was meant to happen", etc. When we're not directing the effects that affect us, some want to believe there is a fate, destiny, fortune or providence from a supernatural force that is acting on our lives for our own "good".
To try to control what happens, people then appeal to this imagined "being" to try to gain favor and positive actions employed to them on it's behalf. People pray for good things to happen to them or those they care about in order to get what they want. And people also pray for bad things to happen to others in order for them to get what they want. Because for some reason, the imagined "being" is going to favor them, and harm someone else because they ask it to. Funny.
So the next time something bad happens, don't try to question and answer WHY or HOW it happened by using "God" or some other super-powered being to justify it. Realize that there are natural laws at play in a deterministic capacity that happen regardless of what you or anyone else does. Realize that no one is perfect and people make mistakes/wrongs unintentionally and you might be affected by those errors/wrongs other people do. Also realize some people do wrongs intentionally and you can also be affected by what they do.
Everything that happens to you personally is personal, but it doesn't mean someone/something was personally trying to do it to you. A supernatural being isn't personally doing anything to or for you or anyone else. Shit happens. It doesn't matter how good you are. There is no "cosmic ledger" (karma) that is going to pay you back for doing good or evil.
Cause and effect of natural laws and free will human forces of action can affect you as a response for what you do. Consequences can apply to what you do. If you walk off a cliff, the phenomenon called gravity will be employed so that you fall down and likely get hurt. Punching someone can have them pay you back in turn. But there is no "karma" or "God" that will bring consequences to you by some "magical" force. Those are imagined externalized authorities, believed to have agency to act themselves or authorize, influence or "mind control" and subvert the free will of others to do things to us or for us.
Thank you for your time and attention. Peace.
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Because our life is a test for the after life . God can never just hand anything to us he tests us with patience .
We invented God and the law of karma etc. to protect weaker people from the wrath of the powerful. If there would be God living in some heaven and maintaining the ledger of our deeds, then it would have been impossible for him to punish each and every sinners on the day of judgement. Why would a sane and wise entity allow humans to accumulate sins? Won't he punish the sinners when they were committing a felony? What is the purpose of punishment if the guilty person has forgotten everything about the incident?
This is nothing but a clever method to keep people away from bad deeds. Hence, self realization, mutual co-operation, curtailment of bad things and bad people is the only solution for us.
Good points ;)
Hey! @krnel, You post is really great.
According to my experience, why is the key to success for everyone... Once we will ask why from ourselves we will be able to recognize the goal of our life and it will become more clear, why you are living etc...
Thank you :-)
Why is the most important question in life indeed. That's the power to act and change things. it's the causal source for the current and future condition.
I totally agree that the idea of god is used as an excuse by so many, I think a lot more people need to take responsibility for their own lives and their actions. This push to always know what is going on, always wanting answers because if you have answers then you have a sense of control, then you have dominance, this is where it all goes wrong. It takes us away from what is happening within, if we are always looking outwards for the answers, we stop listening to ourselves and get lost looking else where. Too much focus on trying to solve instead of living in the moment and being fully aware. Nice answer @krnel thank you for that x
We should be trying to solve things, and understand what's going on. But sometimes there aren't answers just yet, so we don't need to invent them right away just to feel secure and in control in the "now". The focus on the "now" is part of the problem for why the answer is needed right away rather than take the time to figure it out.
Nice to see you answer this question @krnel .. and great that you have brought a different view .. and a very simple one... Shit Happens! I mean this is true, and there may well be no reason for it all other than that SHit Just Happens! That said, I do believe in Karma and am pretty sure I see it in action quite often! I think there is god, but nevertheless shit still happens!
Am I allowed to participate with an entry @eco-alex?
please Do! we are all invited to write on the QOTW!
Karma of causality happens when ppl get involved to make things happen. Plenty of ppl who do wrongs don't have anything happen to them, because they operate in the shaodws or have so much power that it makes them immune. If ppl did something, then those who did wrongs would then feel karma/causality as a consequence to their actions.
Although karma itself may not exist, I do believe the practice of exerting kindness and positive energy can only benefit you. How you treat others will indeed effect how you are treated, and the opportunities presented to you throughout life.
Yes, other people exist and what you do matters to them and how they treat you ;)
I've always believed that God and the bible were created to keep man in line, to obey a certain standard and in turn create an improved society of "law abiding citizens". Much like Santa (LOL), the good are rewarded and the bad are punished. Always good to analyze situations in a cause and effect manner to reach a better understanding of why something may have occurred.
"What is mysticism? Mysticism is the acceptance of allegations without evidence or proof, either apart from or against the evidence of one’s senses and one’s reason. Mysticism is the claim to some non-sensory, non-rational, non-definable, non-identifiable means of knowledge, such as “instinct,” “intuition,” “revelation,” or any form of “just knowing.”
Reason is the perception of reality, and rests on a single axiom: the Law of Identity.
Mysticism is the claim to the perception of some other reality — other than the one in which we live — whose definition is only that it is not natural, it is supernatural, and is to be perceived by some form of unnatural or supernatural means."
Ayn Rand, Philosophy: Who Needs It, 62
Do good and good come to you!
Karma is simply cause-and-effect. This idea that “everything happens for a reason” is similarly just encouraging people to understand that everything has a cause and an effect.
yes, the reason is causality, not some magical force though.
I believe there is a magical energy in the universe and If you do good the universe will do good to you..
Maybe there is a typo somewhere because you say in one paragraph:
There is no "cosmic ledger" (karma) that is going to pay you back for doing good or evil.
and in the next:
But there is "karma" or "God" that will bring consequences to you by some "magical" force.
I suppose you forgot a "no" in the last sentence.
Yup, thanks, "no" was important to have there :P