Comments on: Not Everything Happens for a Reason

By: Shelby

Shelby — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 18:27:59 +0000

“I’ve never received a greeting card from God that communicated that message (Stephanie, I had to do it. My plan is greater than you can understand. XO, God).” LOL! I’m still waiting for explicit messages from God on a number of issues…

By: Ms. Theologian

Ms. Theologian — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 16:49:59 +0000

That was a great post, Shelby. I had a lengthy comment in my head, but it has vanished. One of my pet theological peeves is the God made this happen for a reason line of thinking. I know people find that comforting to think that things happen for a reason, but I’ve never received a greeting card from God that communicated that message (Stephanie, I had to do it. My plan is greater than you can understand. XO, God).

By: Shelby

Shelby — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 15:33:03 +0000

Hi Terri,

Thanks for writing. You said, “I LOVE the spiritual journey aspect of UUism, and have found it so vital to my life.” I love it too, and I think that our freedom to look for new answers (and help each other find those answers) during difficult times is one of the under-rated strengths of Unitarian Universalism.

Also, you wrote, “Though I have learned important lessons from pain and suffering– I just can’t believe that those things happened SO THAT I would learn those lessons. Especially if it was the pain and suffering of others.” I so much agree.

By: Terri

Terri — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:54:45 +0000

Wow– really powerful clip!!

I don’t know much about reasons… this kind of thinking just never sat well with me. Though I have learned important lessons from pain and suffering– I just can’t believe that those things happened SO THAT I would learn those lessons. Especially if it was the pain and suffering of others.

What you say here rings so much more true…
“Maybe religion helps us cope with terrible situations not by providing a systematic theological worldview, but by providing a place to ask the questions, connect with other people, hear stories that relate to our own lives, and engage in prayer and worship.”

Those things help us see the beauty in darkness, I think, and help us get through the dark nights.

I also like what you say about UUism giving us the freedom to doubt and change direction. This was exactly the reason I came to UUism after my dad’s death– I found more comfort in the freedom to doubt and question and–eventually-to create my own meaning than the easy answers that were being handed to me in Christianity . I LOVE the spiritual journey aspect of UUism, and have found it so vital to my life.