Do "bad" things really happen to "good" people?

[quiethumir]

I believe that there is no good or bad, but according to the LoA, if you're a "good" person, can negative things happen?

[wanzulfikri]

How do the LOA define 'good' actually? There are lots of 'good' definition out there.

[The One]

Everything that happens to you, whether good or bad is vital in making you who you are. You have to experience the bad to appreciate the good.

I believe that yes there is good and bad but there is also silver lining in the bad. Whenever something bad happens, step out for a second and look for the good in it. You will always find something

If you're a good person and you dont apply the LOA properly then yes bad things can and probably will happen. I cant really say for sure if your good with the LOA that bad things will never happen but i believe that it will be significantly less if applied properly

[ButterflyWoman]

The whole concept of "good" and "bad" and "negative" and "positive" and so forth is entirely contextual and based in perception. In fact, the concept of "things happening" and "people" is, as well.... So you could say it's more like "things happen". Or, "happen". Or "are perceived to happen"....

[cantankerous]

Originally Posted by quiethumir

I believe that there is no good or bad, but according to the LoA, if you're a "good" person, can negative things happen?

Yes of course. I am sure all those children raped and murdered by paedophiles were good, innocent souls and being raped and murdered is bad.

[JSB]

"Bad" things happen to "good" people all the time. The world is full of war and tyranny, poverty and suffering, bigotry and injustice. Of course, those aren't the only things in this world; there are many wonderful things as well, but to pretend it's all roses and unicorns is nonsense.

Originally Posted by quiethumir

I believe that there is no good or bad, but according to the LoA, if you're a "good" person, can negative things happen?

[positive power]

Bad things do indeed happen to good people. The only way I can get round this in my head is the idea of reincarnation. The idea that we choose our life, our families and that we have themes which we have committed to experience for growth and spiritual discovery. How this stands with manifesting and creating our own reality I can only guess . Perhaps we are have a blue print for life but within that theme we are experiencing we have choices and can use the energy to get closer to source.

[reekah]

Originally Posted by positive power

Bad things do indeed happen to good people. The only way I can get round this in my head is the idea of reincarnation. The idea that we choose our life, our families and that we have themes which we have committed to experience for growth and spiritual discovery. How this stands with manifesting and creating our own reality I can only guess . Perhaps we are have a blue print for life but within that theme we are experiencing we have choices and can use the energy to get closer to source.

but why do bad things need to happen to bad people? A sense of justice?

IMO, a healthy life approach is to accept things as they are, and things that cannot be altered. Some human beings simply are cruel, it is as is. Hitler or Stalin were as they were. It then is best to manage around such persons.

I also think that the Universe doesn't play favourites, it is impersonal. In that sense, bad things don't have to exclusively occur to bad people.

[MariconesUnited]

Originally Posted by positive power

Bad things do indeed happen to good people. The only way I can get round this in my head is the idea of reincarnation. The idea that we choose our life, our families and that we have themes which we have committed to experience for growth and spiritual discovery. How this stands with manifesting and creating our own reality I can only guess . Perhaps we are have a blue print for life but within that theme we are experiencing we have choices and can use the energy to get closer to source.

I've been where you are in my thinking. Today however, it is my belief that ideas of Hell and Heaven, of Karma etc. are all man-made concepts to somehow cope with nature's indifference towards our ideals of justice. We came up with the notion of justice as a result of our advanced intelligence and social nature. It's a reassuring notion as well. But it doesn't exist outside of the man-made concept that it is.

Bad things happen to good people and vice versa. I still think reincarnation is a possibility, but to believe it exists as a way to somehow dish out divine justice or something is fallacious imo.

And since this is in the intention-manifestation subforum, I'll state to how I think it all relates to the LOA...I think the LOA is a good goal-setting tool. It makes perfect sense to clarify what your intentions are, to visualize them, to meditate on them, to feel the positive vibes this or that dream gives you, to talk about your dreams and goals to people and to actively make efforts towards making that goal a reality. That would normally increase your chances. But as a metaphysical ''Law''? I'm still a skeptic to be honest. To me, believing in it in that way invariably leads to the same mental gymnastics involved with the other beliefs mentioned earlier, regarding finding explanations for why bad things happen to good people.

[Acting Like Godot]

"Good" ... "Bad" ... How vague. Let's try to flesh it out.

In relation to "things", "good" could mean pleasant, happy, fun, joyful, rewarding, enriching, memorable, peaceful, exciting, lucky, safe, healthy, success. "Bad" could mean painful, grief-inducing, frightening, hateful, loss, sad, traumatic, unpleasant, nerve-wracking, failure, the experience of being rejected, disliked, ostracized, ignored, unloved.

In relation to "people", "good" could mean kind, honest, helpful, brave, compassionate, loving, friendly, sincere, civic-minded, generous, responsible.
"Bad" could mean dishonest, violent, angry, selfish, mean, irresponsible, cowardly, malicious, cruel, unfriendly people.

By now, you may realize that there are multiple flavours to these words "good" and "bad".

[MariconesUnited]

So what's your answer to the question?

[quiethumir]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

"Good" ... "Bad" ... How vague. Let's try to flesh it out.

In relation to "things", "good" could mean pleasant, happy, fun, joyful, rewarding, enriching, memorable, peaceful, exciting, lucky, safe, healthy, success. "Bad" could mean painful, grief-inducing, frightening, hateful, loss, sad, traumatic, unpleasant, nerve-wracking, failure, the experience of being rejected, disliked, ostracized, ignored, unloved.

In relation to "people", "good" could mean kind, honest, helpful, brave, compassionate, loving, friendly, sincere, civic-minded, generous, responsible.
"Bad" could mean dishonest, violent, angry, selfish, mean, irresponsible, cowardly, malicious, cruel, unfriendly people.

By now, you may realize that there are multiple flavours to these words "good" and "bad".

You seem condescending. I knew that ALG. Now can you please answer the question? thanks

[Balbrae]

Originally Posted by quiethumir

I believe that there is no good or bad, but according to the LoA, if you're a "good" person, can negative things happen?

Hi, QuietHumir:

I think the LoA does respond to good and bad, to the degree that the person holding belief in good and bad allows such judgments of good and bad to color their dominant mental impression. As well, a "good" person who consciously or unconsciously radiates thoughts of weakness or inferiority, will draw unto himself or herself an outcome of the same general vibration. Finally, "good" people can become distrustful of the world--even paranoid, such that they manifest a world to be distrusted or paranoid about. So, "yes," is my answer to your question. A thousand times, "yes" because I can think of a thousand examples, such as the ones I listed.

[ChrisGinsburg]

Originally Posted by quiethumir

I believe that there is no good or bad, but according to the LoA, if you're a "good" person, can negative things happen?

Do animals ponder this question? Was one zebra a good zebra and another a bad zebra? When the lion sunk its fangs into the good zebra, was this a miscarriage of justice or is the whole dilemma completely imagined?

Sidenote: I do realize the thread was about people. I don't actually see a difference.

[elucidate]

Originally Posted by ChrisGinsburg

Do animals ponder this question? Was one zebra a good zebra and another a bad zebra? When the lion sunk its fangs into the good zebra, was this a miscarriage of justice or is the whole dilemma completely imagined?

Sidenote: I do realize the thread was about people. I don't actually see a difference.

Isn't the difference that the lion needs to eat to survive?

Pedophiles have desires they choose to fulfill. They don't NEED to molest a child to survive...they do it because they want to.

[ChrisGinsburg]

Originally Posted by elucidate

Isn't the difference that the lion needs to eat to survive?

Pedophiles have desires they choose to fulfill. They don't NEED to molest a child to survive...they do it because they want to.

Both examples are just movements of life. Life is not distinguishing between good/bad, needs/wants. Hunger appears to the lion and so it hunts the zebra. It's not deciding to get hungry at 3pm. Similarly, the pedophile doesn't sit down on his couch one day and decide to take up molesting children as a hobby. The urge or the interest in molesting children arises spontaneously, usually from past conditioning. Life excludes nothing. No movement is out of place, nothing is opposing or separate from that movement, ever.

Good/bad are distinctions made within the mind to try to make sense of what's going on. In some contexts this can be useful but it is important to clearly see that it has been imagined and that life is not operating with a brownie point system or watching to see if the person has been good this year. When these distinctions are taken beyond their useful context and applied to everything the person experiences it is bound to cause suffering. The inevitable, 'why is this happening to me!? I've been volunteering at the homeless shelter every day and never say anything bad to anyone!' etc. or the justification to demonize others behavior and create separation wherever you go.

[Prinie]

Well, yes. Bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people. *nods* But that's because we don't have that kind of control over life, only ourselves. Whose to say where those events will take us in the future?

[localrobert]

I believe that society has, in the past, held a belief that bad things happen (more often) to good people than bad. I think we as a society would benefit by noticing this belief cropping up in our lives.

[reekah]

Originally Posted by elucidate

Isn't the difference that the lion needs to eat to survive?

Pedophiles have desires they choose to fulfill. They don't NEED to molest a child to survive...they do it because they want to.

Morality is anything one makes it. I think that what we deem moral is entirely subject to the individual.

[reekah]

Good and bad with reference to people don't exist, they're undefinable.

Per LOA tenets, what we ponder on is what we attract in our lives.

[Frisky]

Originally Posted by quiethumir

I believe that there is no good or bad, but according to the LoA, if you're a "good" person, can negative things happen?

So called "good" people fear evil.

And because they fear it so much evil is frequently on their mind(s), which attracts evil, which in turn explains why bad things happen to good people

[Moriarty]

Originally Posted by quiethumir

I believe that there is no good or bad, but according to the LoA, if you're a "good" person, can negative things happen?

Total nonsense! Belief will get you everywhere.

[waizen]

Correct me if I'm wrong (and I'm sure you all will ) but isn't the simple answer to the OP's original question is that "things happen, to any living spirit, as intended"? Period?

[ButterflyWoman]

Originally Posted by waizen

Correct me if I'm wrong (and I'm sure you all will ) but isn't the simple answer to the OP's original question is that "things happen, to any living spirit, as intended"? Period?

No. That's not "the" simple answer. That's "a" simple answer.