Why do bad things happen to good people?
By Ellie
@ellie26 (4139)
Malaysia
March 13, 2009 12:10pm CST
To answer this question, we must first define what we mean by good people. Generally, but not exclusively, such people are perceived to be religious people whose behavior is characterized by kindness, compassion and caring for their neighbors; people free from envy, selfish ambition, intemperance and belligerence. In short, good people are decent people.
Now, the bad things that happen to good people are numerous: they might be the loss of a job, a debilitating illness, a physical accident, family break-up, wayward children, the death of a child or spouse, and so on.
Implicit in the question of why bad things happen to good people is the assumption that bad things ought not happen to good people. From childhood, we are taught that evil begets evil. If this were true, why would bad things happen to good people in the real world? Are we to throw out what we learnt in childhood and accept the view that good can beget evil?
4 people like this
23 responses
@the_dutchess (2610)
• Philippines
13 Mar 09
Bad things happen to everyone, regardless whether we're good or not. But, in the case of good people, like they say, God wouldn't give us a burden that we can't carry so just think of it as a test, a challenge that we need to overcome to become a better person than what we are right now. It's no use to think things like why did it happen or why me of all people or things of that sort. It's life, simple as that. For the good people, it's just a bump on their road but soon enough if they'll continue to remain good, things will run smoothly and I'm sure God will reward them of their faith and kindness.
@the_dutchess (2610)
• Philippines
14 Mar 09
Yeah, that's true ellie! 
If we stay positive despite of the problems and bad things that's happening to us, I'm sure we can overcome it. It's very vital to trust God that He'll help us along the way.
If we stay positive despite of the problems and bad things that's happening to us, I'm sure we can overcome it. It's very vital to trust God that He'll help us along the way.@ellie26 (4139)
• Malaysia
13 Mar 09
Hi the_duchess, I believe so. God has good reasons why some people have all the blessing while some have to struggle even to get thing right in their life. We all face tests and challenges in our life. As long as we have faith in God, nothing is impossible.
@ShellyB (5241)
• United States
13 Mar 09
I believe it all rests in the law of probability.
Both good and bad people reside on the same planet, chances are you will have an encounter with either a good person or bad person to no fault of your own other than you were at the same place at the same time, therefore if you are good and the person you meet is bad, something bad might happen to you regardless of how good your past actions are.
In illness well there is genetics, one might be prone to cancer, diabetes, or heart problems, and still have have the best diet and exercise often, not every action generates the right reaction.
1 person likes this
@vellibiz (297)
• United States
13 Mar 09
the bad people will tell you this so you keep them in power.
humans think logically, theres no room for a god or a satan that tortures people cause theyre bad...lol
why satan tortures bad people is a question in itself,the real question is why god would let an angel defect and create hell.
and let him torture his creations cuz theyre bad, even though he sacrifices his son for those people sins.
..bad stuff happens to good people, cause good people are the only ones that follows bad people's rules.
think logically....
1 person likes this
@primeaque86 (8105)
• Philippines
14 Mar 09
Hi ellie...
This is my first come back from a long idle on this site... When i logged in, i found your discussion as the most interesting one... Because I can relate to it... and I am always confused why it happens! My father was good anyway. He is a decent person as I knew about him... now he is only 54 but good fate is not on him.... He is suffering from an acute kidney....why? Or why he is always on the ground? Why time could not able him to stand up? Like those others?
1 person likes this
@ellie26 (4139)
• Malaysia
14 Mar 09
Welcome back primeaque86. I am glad that you find my discussion as the most interesting one. I am sorry about your father's suffering. We don't have the answers for all the misfortune that befall on us sometimes. Sometimes when someone is sick and we pray for healing, that person eventually pass on. We then start to question, why this thing happen. Honestly, I think we should just accept it as fate and be patient.
@bing28 (3795)
• Philippines
14 Mar 09
I think everyone is subjest to a test. Good or bad people can experience bad things, it's just a matter of how would they handle it. We can turn bad things into good or sometimes bad things happened for us to gain more good things. If all things that would happened will be good it's no longer challenging to some. From bad happenings we learn something to change or something to avoid next time in order bad things won't happen again. I think, however, few bad things happened to good people.
@bing28 (3795)
• Philippines
14 Mar 09
God is good that he shows his goodness to even those who are bad. So good things happened to them as a reward perhaps for regretting or accepting to the lord the bad things they committed. Bad people are not forever bad. They may ask forgiveness from God and changed to good that they are experiencing good things now. For those who are good they may experience bad things as a challenge for their faith in God. Bad things that happened may not be a punishment from God but may result from a choice of actions of good or bad people. We have our own free will and there's a temptation that even good people can't resist sometimes. However God forgives those who ask forgiveness and sincere of not doing bad things again.
1 person likes this
@water2009 (54)
• Hong Kong
15 Mar 09
may be your right
bad things hapen to good people &
good things happen to bad guys
this is the equal what are you taking about?
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@barehugs (8973)
• Canada
13 Mar 09
All things in this Dimension are relevant. There is no Up or Down, no In out Out, Back or Forth, Right or Wrong, Good or Evil. These things just seem to opposite, but they are not. The astronauts very soon saw through Up and Down, on their way to the moon. In the big picture everything is equal. Everything Black, becomes White as well and what looks like Bad, very soon begins to have aspects of Good. Good and Evil, although they seem opposite are simply aspects of each other. For instance if there was no Good there could not be any Evil, no In, would make it impossible to have any Out. Has anything Bad ever happened to you, that in looking back at it, has not turned out to be a Good learning experience?
1 person likes this
@ellie26 (4139)
• Malaysia
13 Mar 09
Life on earth has never been a smooth sailing for anyone. There are bad times and good times, there are good people and bad people. Whether it is karma that bad thing happen to good people, we never know. Sometimes we feel puzzled when bad people get good thing in their life, why? Perhaps they cheated their way up to top management level, may be they become filthy rich because they rob banks? Nobody know the exact reason why bad things happen to good people and vice versa.
@mimico (3617)
• Philippines
14 Mar 09
It's true. My mom is the most sanitary and germ free person. She always promotes good hygiene and is constantly cleaning the house. But now she has a bad bacteria in her stomach. Of all the people, she should be the one NOT to get that disease. I don't really buy into the good begets evil theory. I think that in life, good and bad things happen to all.
1 person likes this
@pratyushtamhankar (859)
• India
13 Mar 09
Oh no ellie, bad things dont ALWAYS happen to good people. Ok most of the times they do. But I think its all perception... When a bad person loses his job, everyone is happy that he has lost his job cause majority of people hate him/her. But when a good person loses his job, everyone feels that a bad thing has happened to a good person and everyone takes notice of it...
We must have faith in good. Come on think this way, bad things always happen to some or the other person whether good or bad, so if all of the people in the world become good then, we can easily say that bad things do happen without worrying about whom it has happened... And come to think of it, maybe if everyone becomes good, bad things won't happen at all !!!
What say ??? So discourage the bad and encourage the good thats the only thing we can do right now...
A very nice topic you have chosen, happy mylotting...
1 person likes this
@yanzalong (18984)
• Indonesia
14 Mar 09
Before I answer your questions, first I have to know which religion you belong to. In Islam (that what I belong to), God says in Qur'an that bad things will happen to all moslems not as a curse but more as trials determined by God to see if they are patient enough to go through as good moslems. Before I tell you more, I have to wait for your comments on this.
@ellie26 (4139)
• Malaysia
14 Mar 09
Hello yanzalong, my religion is Catholic. I am not really comfortable about talking religion here but I think every religion almost have the same saying about why things happen when they shouldn't have. Honestly, I think everything happen for a reason and yes, God does give us trials in our life here on earth.
@mommaj (23112)
• United States
13 Mar 09
Unfortunately bad things happen keeping the good things in balance. How do we know something is good if there is no bad? How do we know something is bad if there is no good? I no longer believe good only happens to good and bad only happens to bad. It's a balancing act and something to do with kharma.
1 person likes this
@zedlav23 (458)
• Philippines
13 Mar 09
I believe bad things happen to good people because in reality there is actually no good people. Everyone one of us are just masked by our "egos" that we are good and we deserve good. But reality tells us that we are not, we may seem like a good person but inwardly we are all born selfish, sinners, and self righteous.
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@BabyHoney (44)
• Malaysia
13 Mar 09
It is not actually bad things happen to good people but it is more to good people learning from mistakes. The misfortunes of loosing someone dear, having physical disabilities and what not, these are only a life challenge. If one have great faith in God, good people will not consider it bad things.
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@whyaskq (7523)
• Singapore
17 Mar 09
I would think people say that bad things happen to good people is because people feel the good people. Bad people do have bad things happening. It is just that people do not concern themselves too much about the bad people and hence they get less publicity. Worst still, people might say they deserve it. It is just the good people that every thing feels is unfair should anything happen to them. On religious ground, it is more apparent the belief/conception that good people will have good rewards when in fact one good turn deserves another applies to both good and bad people.
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@lynboobsy11 (11343)
• Philippines
14 Mar 09
My only thought about that, since as what you have said good people are people that are free from bad works and maybe that's why bad things are sometimes more often to them, is just to give them trials and to test their faith and belief on their own self. If they will stay be good even trials and bad things came in to their lives. I know God have His own plans of what are happening to us and I know He will not gave the bad things to us if we can do it right and through this things good lessons always come up. To give us strength and be always ready of the bad things will come to our lives.
@PRIYANK1992 (1677)
• India
14 Mar 09
Yeah you are right.The persons who are holy,that means their behaviour is of mercy.Always problems come to him only.It don't bond the bad people.
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@user_786 (1338)
•
14 Mar 09
becasue they are good people, they have to go through tests by God. God knows all about them but He does some bad things happen to them so that they may still remain patient and thankful to God for all the good He has done to them. And actually they should always be thankful but if they dont in time of any calamity, they dont really pass the test or past it with little marks
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@water2009 (54)
• Hong Kong
14 Mar 09
This ans is hard to measure,right?
The question is always being with me,
and I think that just do youself on your mind.
good people not exactly deserve on good things
and bad guys sometimes get things good
We cant control that what kind of people should deserve what kinda things
just let it be~~
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