So, from what I remember as a kid my uncle is a shy and timid around other people his age, but has loads of fun with kids. He always seemed a little weird when I got older, but it seemed like nothing out of the ordinary. When I was old enough to understand my parents told me that he was brain damaged as a child. When he was an infant he contracted a disease from an insect bite that made his temperature skyrocket. At that vulnerable stage of infancy the fever basically melted some of his brain functions, leaving him with brain damage and epilepsy. Despite this he was raised by my grandparents and, at the time, lived a normal life. That changed 10 years ago. At the time he worked as a janitor for one of the local schools. He only made minimum wage, but his expenses were low and he almost lived with my grandparents anyway. This school was built in the 1950's, and many of the equipment that was in use there was the same as it had always been, for 50 years. One of these was an old furnace that was used to bur up old boxes (and other things I'm sure). To make a very long story short there was a backdraft from the furnace that left him burned on 90% of his body. After all of the treatments he endured he was left without his arms, and he has had multiple skin grafts since. But despite the surgeries, he was able to live as comfortable as he could be under the circumstances. This brings us up to date to yesterday. After a conversation with my grandmother I came to find out my uncle now has glaucoma, and is blind in his left eye. On top of THAT, a recent visit to his neurologist revealed that because of all the trauma from his accident, the glaucoma, and everything else, his brain is deteriorating. The best estimates they gave said there was less than a 10% chance of him surviving more than 5 years. That brings me to what I wanted to say... WHAT IS THE POINT!? Why is it that there can be wife beating alcoholics living into their 80's while a man who has never harmed anything in his adult life must endure endless suffering? How can there be ANY higher power when decency and virtue has no effect on our misfortune? I'm sure some would suggest that there is a lesson to be learned here. Don't bother. Because the only possible lesson is that life is just a gamble of random events that leaves some people in prosperity, and others in squalor. :bang::bang::bang::bang::bang::bang::bang::bang::bang::bang::***::***::***:
I was just talking about this today with someone actually. It still doesn't make sense to me. If there was a "God" he wouldn't let this kind of stuff happen. Not only illnesses, but natural disasters too. One storm can ruin hundreds of peoples' lives. I'd love to know why "God" lets that happen. He has control over everything, no?
First off that really sucks to hear about. There is no lesson to be learned it's just life. Shit happens. You say "why do bad things happen to good people?" well at the same time why does good things happen to bad people? It's all out of our control things happen and in a flash your whole world can be turned upside down. Actually when people say this I tend to laugh. If God does exist why should a being that is the ultimate existence care about humans. It'd be like you caring about the atoms in a grain of sand. But it's one of those mysteries of life.
The Bible has been watered down through the ages with mans prejudices. That's why I don't trust it. I'm not anti-christian I just don't known what to believe.
I agree. A lot of it is a load of crap in my opinion and doesn't apply to today's (at least) society.
I honestly don't believe in a God anymore, since this world gives shit and gold to certain people. This man was born into an unfortunate body, then to lived that existence. If that could happen to him then that could happen to anyone. What we have is a reactionary world, things happen because it is what it is. You're born beautiful or not, born healthy or not, born rich or not. Some situations can change, and others cannot. Make the best of what you got, is all I can say. I have no heart because of this ruthlessness, since I feel bad for certain people, but I don't let emotions blind me. Well I won't get into me, but whatever. And some very average people become the best, and some very best people become nothing special anyways.
I believe that shit happens to everyone. It's just that the good people complain more so it makes seem more apparent. When bad things happen to bad people, we just say that they deserved it, shrug it off and carry on with our lives. Regardless of there is a higher power or not. I don't think that "He" causes or chooses things to happen. If He did, there is no point in living as everyone's fate is already decided. Others may believe that the bad things that happen are hurdles create by a higher power to test us. I don't really seem to care about religion anymore, life if what you make off it. Cheers!
No answer can be given to the title question ("Why do bad things happen to good people?") that can justify what has happened to your uncle. Times like these can send people away from or into the arms of religion. We'd all like answers to make a cool and chaotic world make a little more sense. Do we have any evidence that a higher power is benevolent, interested in the affairs of humans, or even exists? What difference would knowing the answer make in your life?
It's unfortunate, but that's life. Whether you're "good" or "bad" doesn't affect how some things can change you. In some instances it can, for example, like in a gangster drug deal, likelihood of getting shot are higher than say in a beauty parlor. However, some things like natural disasters can not be prevented. Good things happen to "bad" people all the time. Bad things happen to "good" people all the time. But in retrospect, good things happen to "good" people, and bad things happen to "bad" people. There is nothing that determines who gets bad things and who gets good things. We all just have to accept them for how they are and try to enjoy life for what it is.
I believe that, paradoxically, concepts like good and evil can only exist in a world where there is no immediate reward system in place. If you got immediate punishment or reward, there would be no good or evil, just common sense to do the things that do not get punished. It would reduce the value of good deeds to putting a coin in the cosmic karma machine and pushing the button for a reward. However, the beauty of a good deed is that it's done without needing a reward, even without wanting one. That you made people happy and that you know you did the right thing. I'm aware of how horribly little consolation this might seem when you see your uncle suffer. It seemed little to me when my dad died as well. But your uncle has one reward for being a good person: his family loves him and takes care for him. And to a lot of people, that's more than they can ever hope for...
