Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?
Once upon a time, there was a panel discussion about the question that had been asked more frequently than any other. "Why do bad things happen to good people, people who are kind, responsible, virtuous, and even saintly?" The panel consisted of a Christian minister, a Roman Catholic nun, a rabbi, and a Hindu monk. The Panel The audience consisted of cancer patients and their families, all of whom found themselves confronting a life-threatening illness. The Christian minister said, "We are all sinful by nature, no matter how pious we might be, and therefore, we're all subject to being punished for our sins." The rabbi said, "God introduces trials and tribulations into our lives to test our faith and strengthen our devotion." The nun said, "The suffering God gives us is a mystery that we can never fully understand." When it was the Hindu monk's turn to speak, he faced a dilemma. The explanations offered by the other panelists were all