God's Plan- Does God Make Bad Things Happen to Good People?

To be clear- as a person of faith I am interested in hearing multiple perspectives on the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" I am not trying to convince anyone about anything, but perhaps you are interested in understanding the belief systems of those around you. If you have ever wondered about this question, or have known someone that thinks they know the answer, read on.

Perhaps you have heard the questions "Why do bad things happen to good people? Maybe you have even read the book by Harold Kushner, an acclaimed author and Rabbi.

I have to imagine that an atheist thinks it is quite silly when Christians in particular pull out the “God’s plan” card. I was just reading about a person in my town who died in a car accident. I looked it up and found that there were three people in the car, one of them a four year old boy. Two were fine. The third died because they were not wearing a seatbelt.

I am not trying to make light of the grief that many must feel, but reading the condolences listed online is a bit disconcerting to me. Here are a few paraphrased examples of responses that were given in light of this specific tragedy:

“I don’t know why God took you, but I know He only takes the best to make it better for the rest of us later!”

“God has his reasons for taking you away so young.”

“I am so sad that God took you so unexpectedly”

You’ve probably seen these type of sentiments expressed quite a few times if you have grown up in a Christian environment, or even simply in the general American culture. No matter how devout a person is in their beliefs about God, these answers seem to come up again and again. However, some people do not see these expressions as an adequate way to discuss God in light of tragedy.

Did God “take” this young person, or is it because they didn’t click their seatbelt? Again, not to make light of tragedy, but why must everything be God’s “glorious plan” when it could simply be our mistake? Or someone else's mistake? Or

This kind of logic sure has its holes. The more tragic the death, the more God is conformed to the likeness of Satan and Evil in the minds of the believer. They say God is good- and Satan is bad, but in this line of thinking, what is the difference?

In response to suicide, “You needed a break, im glad God took you”

In response to war, “Im glad God gave you the honor of dying for your country”

These types of sentiments make me really respect the arguments of the likes of Richard Dawkins and jolly co.

What are we to make of a God who works like this? He sounds horrible. Do Christians all believe that God is like this?

Now, just because it is the majority (American christian) opinion that God controls all events (or at the very least, the tragic ones) does not necessarily make it true.

Many christians are not inclined to believe that this is the picture of God painted by the forgiving Christ, and more widely, by the scriptures. Surely, after a couple thousand years of the influence of platonic philosophy, most read certain bible passages with this mindset of a determining, arbitrary emperor god as a given, but is that really what God is like? Is he a controller? Ordaining some to not wear seat belts and to kill themselves?

According to many theologians, such as Greg Boyd, this is not the picture of God that Jesus paints in the gospe. And for christians, an understanding of God should be taken from Christ. Jesus doesn’t seem to ascribe tragedy, danger, death and evil to God’s plan.

The one verse that many see as potentially supporting this “controller” notion, from Jesus’ mouth is Matthew 10:29, which in the ESV translation ( a favorite of strict determinists) says,

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.”

Some versions insert “apart from [the will] of your Father,” so i must give the ESV some credit on this one. This translation is a bit more ambiguous. What does it mean that no sparrow falls to the ground apart from the Father? Does he make it happen? Or is he caring enough to notice even the most seemingly insignificant goings-on of the universe?

The phrase in question can perhaps best be translated “will” or “knowledge,” and in light of the context (that God cares, even for the hairs on your head), it would seem best to realize that Jesus wants his words to comfort you in knowing that He notices, he cares, he is present.

So do we take comfort from knowing that God planned a car accident in such a way that a person would not wear there seatbelt, and then die? Or do we find comfort in the fact that God notices. He cares. He is present. And in the word’s of paul, “that He works all things together for the good of those who love Him.”

There is a variety of opinions on this matter, known collectively as "The Problem of Evil." The purpose of this article is to show that not all theists or christians believe that God determines every event that occurs. Many in fact believe the contrary. They say thatGod brings purpose to all events. This does not necessitate that he purposes all events.

Theology is a large library full of endless ideas, some arguably good, some arguably bad. It is important to decide on one's beliefs about manners such as this only after viewing the issue from a number of angles.