I know this question has been asked for thousands of years, but..."Why, God?"
And is there a single answer, one that covers the tragedies of cancer and murder, of the Burma cyclone and the Rwanda genocide?
Is every thing that does happen God's will, or is there some factor that will make God act in some scenarios but not for others? (argued either that God protects some and lets things happen to others; or that God gets fed up and 'smites' some, but lets others go). Or is this just a 4000-mile radius ant farm where God just lets us 6 billion critters go nuts, hands-off until the end of the world?
Although I understand and agree that a lot of things in life are cause and effect, I do NOT believe that 'everything happens for a reason.' Not the way I hear people use the phrase. That is sentimental fatalistic baloney. I reject that completely with every fiber of my being. Terrible stuff happens, and it's not always God's will. Sometimes it's just stupid people doing really dumb stuff.
Why do we pray 'Thy will be done' unless it ain't being done on earth yet? Tragedy is not God's will. Senseless violence is not God's will. The winner of the football game is irrelevant.
I believe in God, but I also believe in Henley:
I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.
(Reposted and tweaked from Republic of Swain, which was an expansion on a point in a blog here)Do you believe that all tragedies and unfortunate circumstances are God's will?
True
Comments (76)
@HouseSparrow@xanga - uh, hello. they're ANIMALS. thats how they are, a fact of life. you must be pretty depressed to think that nature is built upon pain and suffering. pain and suffering is accompanied equally by joy and beauty.
so, in regards to the title question, sure, i guess im giving you reason to believe that YES, it IS god's will; no shit sherlock. it seems like either everything is his will, or nothing is. it may not suit my beliefs, but it DOES answer your question.