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[Quantess]

Sometimes you have to stop worrying, wondering, and doubting. Have faith that things will work out, maybe not how you planned, but just how it's meant to be.

Someone responded with this:

"All things work together for the good of those that love the lord."

What does loving the lord have to do with it?

[uriel1972]

1. I'd take issue with the original comment

'meant to be', who decides what is meant to be?

[Warpy]

2. It means these people are whistling in a graveyard

hoping a merry tune will keep all the scary spooks away.

Face it, life is a scary proposition. This is how they deal with that. They're wrong, of course, but as long as it gets them through a long and lonely night and they don't demand I give lip service to the whole thing, it's OK with me.

[immoderate]

3. "I believe everything happens for a purpose," my friend said.

"How do you know?" I asked.

She thought for a moment and answered, "Because there's a reason for everything."

No sense taking it too far.

--imm

[FiveGoodMen]

4. That one drives me up a wall!

I understand that it helps people deal with heartbreaking tragedies, but it also cements those bad happenings into place as "God's will"

[Quantess]

6. See, I believe that one.

Everything happens for a purpose, and there is a reason for everything.

But I also believe it's true for everyone (and everything, for that matter) whether you believe in god or not. You don't get special treatment for believing in god.

[immoderate]

9. Just pointing out she didn't connect them with "and," she used "because."

She was using one phrase to prove the validity of the other.

--imm

[Quantess]

12. Circular reasoning.

But to be fair, how can you explain some nebulous idea like that..? And of course, none of this can ever be proven or known, so there really is no good answer.

She probably thought you were going to agree with her. "Everything happens for a reason" is such a widespread saying, it's almost a given.

[immoderate]

13. Can something happen for no reason?

I agree that the premise cannot be tested.

--imm

[Odin2005]

10. That one drives me bonkers.

That kind of thinking is the ultimate source of religion, projecting human "social reality" onto the world and seeing purpose in everything.

[immoderate]

11. Occasionally, for social reasons, I go to "rituals" at the Pagan church...

They believe in every kind of shit possible. But the usual thing is celebrating the compass points, and dancing around the fire. I get to play a drum.

My rule is that I will attend any religious observance where the food is good.

--imm

[Curmudgeoness]

5. That first statement begged the second one

by mentioning "faith" and how it is "meant to be". When I read the first statement, I think immediately of a religious connotation.

Personally, I have no "faith" that things will work out----I just hold my breath and hope it does. And I certainly do not think that anything is meant to be. Shit happens.

[Quantess]

7. Shit happens for a reason too.

And there is certainly no guarantee everything will work out in a positive way, either.

Maybe there's some grand cosmic lesson behind all of it. That's the agnostic in me.

[Curmudgeoness]

8. The reason is usually something you did.

We all make choices that lead in one direction or another, and I find that when shit falls on me, I did something stupid. No grand cosmic lesson.

But that's the atheist in me.

[PVnRT]

14. Silly responder. Everyone knows that all things follow the Beam.

[iris27]

15. Because to someone living within the Jesus bubble, the "have faith" phrase makes them think

the other person shares their religious worldview, and they are trying to encourage the person they responded to. Because by default as believers, they "love the lord", so when things work out, they will work out "for the good". They are trying to be supportive, albeit from within a very narrow framework.