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Permalink Reply by Frink on January 5, 2009 at 6:08pm

I'd say it's a pretty fatalistic outlook, and that they ought to kill themselves since they don't have any control of their lives to begin with. At least that way, they get to be in heaven sooner.

Alright, that's a bitter outlook, but really, it's still a fatalistic approach. I would ask them why they think they should aspire to anything if god already has a plan for them and will simply sweep their life away without warning. Why plan for anything at all?

Honestly, their response tot he tsunami is that "God has a plan?" How do they think it would make the families of the victims feel if they told them the entire purpose of their loved ones' lives was to die a watery death? It seems pretty hopeless if you ask me. I'd rather be free than be an expendable pawn in such a cruel master plan.

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Permalink Reply by Dinah on January 8, 2009 at 5:00am

hmmm i agree! yeah if the tsunami situation is put to the situation of their loved ones, then they would feel and know the hurt, and i guess they wish they didn't say that in the first place at all... thank you for the response! =)

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Permalink Reply by cottontoad on January 5, 2009 at 6:48pm

Hey Dinah,

I suppose everything happens for a reason, if we're speaking in terms of causation... Tsunamis form when certain weather patterns occur, or something of that sort. Those weather patterns took place as a result of changes in temperature and pressure, etc. And so on. Beyond that though, I see no reason to believe that things happen according to some grand master plan. What motivation do we have for such a belief? And since we're asking questions, what sort of master plan would include mass tragedies, genocides, and world wars? The sheer amount of suffering and injustice in the world makes two things very difficult to accept: 1) a benevolent, omnipotent, omniscient god; and 2) any sort of plan that such a god might have.

I feel much the same way about karma as I do about God's plan. Perhaps if you go around acting like a jerk, people will start to treat you badly, whereas we are all more likely to do favors for friendly folk, etc. If we accept karma, we have all sorts of trouble explaining just what it is, how and why it functions the way it does, and all sorts of other confusing questions...Isn't it simpler just to say good things sometimes happen, and bad things sometimes happen?

I suppose my main point is, the burden of proof is on the believer, not the skeptic. The question we should ask is, why should we believe that everything happens for a reason?

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Permalink Reply by Morgan Matthew on January 6, 2009 at 7:21am

I feel much the same way about karma as I do about God's plan. Perhaps if you go around acting like a jerk, people will start to treat you badly, whereas we are all more likely to do favors for friendly folk, etc. If we accept karma, we have all sorts of trouble explaining just what it is, how and why it functions the way it does, and all sorts of other confusing questions...Isn't it simpler just to say good things sometimes happen, and bad things sometimes happen?

well said

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Permalink Reply by Dinah on January 8, 2009 at 5:03am

i agree! =) nice! =) yeah... if we don't respect people, people won't respect us as well... thank you for the response! =) it gives me good insight! =)

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Permalink Reply by Nolan Meyer on January 5, 2009 at 7:24pm

I think things do NOT happen for a reason. I don't really believe in destiny or karma(though I wish karma were for real!). Things that are controllable (ie. donating money, taking a job opportunity, different decisions, etc...) are more because of the whims of the person themselves, rather than the preplanned moves of a deity... In the bible it talks of our "free will". If we are destined to do things, and things happen for a reason, what free will do we really have if we are forced to follow what we are destined or "planned" to do?

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Permalink Reply by SevenTenths on January 5, 2009 at 11:49pm

Negatory Ghost-rider ... That would indicate a designer/planner.

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