Do things happen for a reason?

So i was talking to my friend the other day about this subject and we ended up gettin in a debate...he says that he believes people that are more religious tend to believe that they do as opposed to less religious people...i disagree because i know plenty of people that aren't religious and still believe this...what do you guys think?

Huh? who what? :confused:

Well, Im a practicing Lutheran and I do believe most everything happens for a reason, despite how bad situations get there is good to come from it. But having said that I dont believe there is any good from children being molested, abused, exc, I just cant fathom how that "happens" for a reason. Contradicting yes but thats what i believe.

everything happens for a reason. every single detail. from the color of your carpet to the number of lanes open at vons.

Just my personal view....I wouldn't say that horrific things "happen for a reason" (what does that mean, anyhow???)....but what I DO believe is that God can take ANY circumstance and use it for good if you trust Him to do so.

Now...how that plays out from a "non-religious" view point, I don't know. And I guess it depends on what you consider "religious" too....which is a whole 'nother ball of wax to discuss. ;)

You'd have to define "religious". If you mean "Christian", or if you mean "I believe in some higher power", then it's sort of differs.
Me? I prefer to believe that it just happens.
The only "reason" behind it is if you MAKE it happen. If I'm careless around my blackthroat, I get bitten. So the bite happened because I was careless, and it would teach me to not be careless. So did a higher power make it happen? Not in my book.
I think a LOT of people are superstitious too, so you have to further divide it into superstitious as opposed to religious, which SOME will say is the same thing, and OTHERS will say is totally different.

i dont get it

sorry i'll try to explain it again...let's say that someone close to you passes, then you come to financial struggles...do you believe that happens for a reason and that down the line it will be to teach you a lesson...kinda like, that, that doesn't kill you makes you stronger?...idk maybe i'm just really really bad at explaning things

I kind of embrace that things happen for a reason. And I consider myself more spiritual than religious. I believe in God, but I don't take the Bible literally. I kind of like something I heard Oprah say years and years ago. That she believes that when we die and we meet our maker (if you believe in a higher power) that He will have you experience every joy, every sadness, every hurt that you caused people in your life 10 x what they experienced.

I try to live my life that way. Trying to be respectful of other's feelings. I don't always succeed in not hurting others, but I really try not to.

I was out of work for a year after 9-11. As a result - you will never hear me complain about my job. I also got a better job than I was laid off from. So, yeah - I sort of felt it happened for a reason.

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Originally Posted by AshleyB

Well, Im a practicing Lutheran and I do believe most everything happens for a reason, despite how bad situations get there is good to come from it. But having said that I dont believe there is any good from children being molested, abused, exc, I just cant fathom how that "happens" for a reason. Contradicting yes but thats what i believe.

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Maybe it happens to make them stronger when they get older, then maybe they will help someone, in some way.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not for it or anything, but I do believe things happen for a reason. Everyone at some point has a vast impact on someone else.

I'm not religious, in a sense of every creature was created. I feel spirits watch over you and help you, and I definately believe in karma.