This book has helped me overcome the hurdles of hating God and hating myself. Rabbi Kushner offers the profoundly comforting insight that God may not be all-powerful, may not be able to prevent tragedy, and is neither punishing us nor abandoning us by allowing it. The rabbi postulates that God gave humanity free will and will not take back that gift in order to intervene in human evil. God set in motion a world of natural laws that operate apart from God's will. To some this might be a frightening message, but since I was at home with the notion that life is not fair and there is no justice, this theory frees me from the enormous burden of blaming either God or myself for the terrible tragedies that have come into my life and the lives of those closest to me. Rabbi Kushner reaffirms my belief that while suffering is terrible, it is possible to take a curse and turn it into a blessing by using what we learn about loss in order to alleviate the suffering of others. In that respect, this is a very life-affirming book.

After reading this book I found my relationship with GOD better! Written simply and using his experience and that from the bible the author opened my eyes! No longer do I see GOD as the creator of pain and misery, but as the source of strength and courage to face the challenges that life presents to us!

Another great book by Rabbi KUSHNER. Readable and a solace of comfort for all beliefs

Kushner argues that God is too weak to stop the bad things of life.

He writes, "If God can't make my sickness go away, what good is He? Who needs Him? God does not want you to be sick or crippled. He didn't make you have this problem, and He doesn't want you to go on having it, but He can't make it go away. That is something which is too hard even for God."

That's not logical. How can the God be too weak to change the physical world that He created? Jesus heals the blind and crippled, changed water into wine, walked on water, and was resurrected -- all things that Kushner would say God is too weak to accomplish. Of course, Kushner is not a Christian, but a Jew, but does that mean he doesn't believe in any of the miracles of the Torah, such as the parting of the Red Sea?

And this statement is outrageous: "Are you capable of forgiving and loving God even when you have found out that He is not perfect, even when He has let you down and disappointed you by permitting bad luck and sickness and cruelty in His world, and permitting some of those things to happen to you? Can you learn to love and forgive Him despite His limitations ...?"

Yes, Kushner's God is weak. But Kushner's God is of his own creation. The true God of the Bible and of Truth and of the Universe is strong and perfect. He is Creator and Savior.

Buy "Mere Christianity" or "A Grief Observed," both by C.S. Lewis, to get a true understanding of God and suffering.

I chose to read this book because my Dad was diagnosed with Brain cancer and i found it to be extremely helpful, without being too 'religious'. I am not a church person, but i do believe in God. This book just seemed to wrap it's arm around me and let me think and feel exactly as i needed to, without offering any of that unhelpful help that others tend to, without thinking their words through first. I LOVED this book and it will most definitley be closely treasuerd by me, and pulled off the shelf everytime life gets a bit challlenging for me or someone i love. GREAT book!!

Even though I am Methodist, I basically agree with Rabbi Kushner's philosophy. He takes a very ecumenical view. The book gives you a lot to think about, and is well written; although it may help if one has at least a little bit of Biblical literacy. Kushner references Genesis and the story of King David. He uses the book of Job as the central Bible lesson that connects to the theme of the book.

Over all, though, I would say that it is fairlt easy reading (much easier than theological complexities by someone like Albert Schweitzer, who holds a similar view).

The book gives one an explanation to a most profound and perplexing question. I appreciate that the author shares his personal experience and his heart with the reader. I too, have experienced the loss of a child and have also seen some things that were quite terrible working in the fields of nursing and inner-city high school teacher.

I only wonder about something the author writes towards the end of the book:

"'[W]hat good is God? Who needs religion, if these [bad things] happen to good people and bad people alike?'...I would say that God may not prevent the calamity, but he gives us the strength and perseverance to overcome it."

My issue is that many people do not overcome calamity. Millions who died in wars, famines, genocides, natural disasters. They did not overcome anything-they just died and in many cases, the whole family died with them. Other people who experience calamity just go nuts; they face finacial ruin; they lose their jobs and families; they become so depressed that they are forever dead inside. Some people commit suicide, or eat, drink and smoke themselves to death.

to an extent, I overcame calamities but I'm not the same person I was. I am more forgiving, more tolerant, and more philosophical; but I am also more melancholy and less idealistic.

While I can be thankful to still have enough mental health to maintain work and family life; I know a whole of other people who lost their mental health, work and family life. What about them? Why didn't God give them the strength to overcome? Am I to believe that some people are favored by God by being blessed with a higher constitution?

No, I think, rather, that some people overcome because they are LUCKY. Rabbi Kushner and I are indeed the lucky ones who can now talk rationally and philosophically about the deaths of our sons. I believe that God wants us lucky ones to turn around and help the others who weren't so lucky in any way we can. Obviously, that's why Kushner wrote the book.

Still, a great book, though.

I was going through a horrible time in my life and really hoped this book would comfort and bring light. I was wrong. The basic message is that bad things happen because God is not ABLE to do anything to help you. (like he can't keep up or something) I know that God never left me, and the things that happened (though uncomfortable as the thought was at the time) did happen for a reason. Read Job - God will restore double, he will never leave you. This man should not call himself a Rabbi and spout this nonsense which seems a comfort only for a moment till you fall into deep darkness. I didnt want to give it a star but had to to continue.

This book was very helpful to my wife and I after losing our 17 year old son. I would recommend this book unconditionally to everyone. Although comforting after such a tragic loss, it is insightful and I think helpful to all towards living a good life. I look forward to reading more of Rabbi Kushner's books.

I've been looking for the answer to the question "why bad things happen" ever since I lost my parents 6 months ago (just before my 29th birthday) when they were hit by a drunk boater who left the wheel of his boat and it veered ashore.

Kushner's book spends a lot of time talking about how it is not the fault of the injured/ill or those around them (i.e. 'I was bad and so God made this happen to me or my loved one'). Also a lot of focus on the idea that God doesn't cause things to NOT happen, such as an inablilty to take away cancer or divert that boat. He outright says God cannot perform on-the-spot miracles because it would defy the laws of nature. Yet he acknowledges that assumably miracles happen, such as a car accident where one passenger is killed and the other walks away unharmed. Perhaps he considers this coincidence within the laws of nature, but doesn't say so.

When it comes to death, Kushner spends much more time addressing the issue of why this happened to the people left behind rather than why it happened to the indvidual who died. I personally am not concerned by why my parents were 'taken' from me, but rather why their lives were taken from them.

He mentions the story of Job often, and I don't find resolution in the text between what happened to Job and what Kushner says. The book of Job specifically says God caused bad things to happen to Job as a test. Yet Kushner says God can't cause bad things to happen. Which is it?

The final point of the book is that God cannot stop bad things from happening, but he can nudge people toward 'good' things, such as a career in medicine to fight cancer, to visit the mourning widow, etc. Also God provides strength to endure if we ask for it. Basically according to Kushner it is pointless to pray for miracles because God cannot perform them; all it is good to pray for is strength or patience or whatever we need to endure what bad things come to us via acts of nature and other peoples' free will to do bad.

I warmed to the author of this book and found some of his comments comforting at a difficult time in my life. I found him largely down-to-earth and helpful - for example, when he points out that there's often no point worrying about "why did this happen to me?" etc because often there's no particualar reason things happen, they just do.

However as a religious man the crux of his problem is how to reconcile this randomness and lack of justice with a supposedly all-loving, all-knowing, all-powerful God. So the author just decides God is NOT all-powerful - he loves us and is upset when we are upset, but can't stop certain things from happenning. He doesn't explain why this should be so, or try to prove it, but just states that must be right as it enables him to go on believing in God. It's certainly one way of looking at things, and coping with life, but not entirely satisfactory to me and is the biggest flaw in a nice book, in my opinion.

This is a great book. I gave it to some friends that were going through a tragedy. They told me that it was very helpful to them

I am sorry for the author that he suffered such a devastating loss, but the book is two-faced. He tries to give god praise for the world, and then turns around and says it isn't god's fault when bad things happen. I don't buy that. Either there is a god responsible for the world or there isn't. He's trying to have it both ways and it doesn't work. This book is only meant for believing Christians and is nothing but confusion.

We used this book in our Book Group and we all enjoyed it. I liked the way Rabbi Kushner laid out his book to get the point across that God does not create "Bad" but the one that sends people your way to comfort you.

I write this review with sensitivity to Rabbi Kushner. He has suffered the great loss of his son. His motivation for writing this book is to distill "some blessing out of Aaron's pain and tears" and perhaps to process and come to grips with how and why God `allows' such incomprehensible and unbearable grief in this life. As Rabbi Kushner says:

"I wanted to write a book that could be given to the person who has been hurt by life--by death, by illness or injury, by rejection or disappointment--and who knows in his heart that if there is justice in the world, he deserved better. What can God mean to such a person? Where can he turn for strength and hope? If you are such a person, if you want to believe in God's goodness and fairness but find it hard because of the things that have happened to you and to people you care about, and if this book helps you do that, then I will have succeeded in distilling some blessing out of Aaron's pain and tears."

Unfortunately I'm not sure this book is helpful because his answer to "the one question which really matters: why do bad things happen to good people?" is untrue. Rabbi Kushner does not believe in scripture other than as a literary and religious work. Therefore he can't find or rely on what God himself says about this question and ends up with only his own speculations.

Rabbi Kushner's God is impotent: concerned by the tragedies of our lives but unable to do anything about it. His belief system started by seeing God as "an all-wise, all-powerful parent figure who would treat us as our earthy parents did, or even better. If we were obedient and deserving, He would reward us. If we got out of line, He would discipline us, reluctantly but firmly. He would protect us from being hurt or from hurting ourselves, and would see to it that we got what we deserved in life." Suffering taught Rabbi Kushner that such an unbiblical world-view was wrong; however his impotent God world view is no less incorrect.

The major contribution of this book is to remind us that people are God's solution to much of this suffering. This is a wonderful corrective to the idea that God should work exclusively by mystical and miraculous methods.

Rabbi Kushner's "only question that matters" can't be answered, not by any secular or religious system. The biblical writers wrestled with the question but didn't offer any neat "fixes" either. The sufferings of Job, for example, were never answered with a reason but only by the character of God himself. I hope that people can find comfort in this book, that Rabbi Kushner's goal has been accomplished. I fear, however, that bad theology (that is lies and misrepresentations about God) only leads to further grief and suffering. What hope or comfort is there in a god that can do nothing in our lives? If a god created this mess and then can't fix it where do we find help?

Far better reading can be found in books by Philip Yancey, C. S. Lewis, and Dallas Willard. Scott Peck's book "A Road Less Traveled" is also helpful, not as an answer but as a guidebook. I also strongly recommend the book "Sacred Romance" by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge.

Main reason for purchasing this book was Christopher Barrios death on March 8. He was a six year old Little Angel that became an angel on that date.
His death affected me to no end. It affected my eating and sleeping habits. This book helped me to see things in perspective.
I would recommend this book to anyone trying to cope with the loss of a dear one.

This book claims not to be about theology, but actually that is what it is about from the first word to the last. And Kushner tackles an ancient and difficult theological issue: if God is good and His creation wholly good, why is there evil in the world? Kushner never really answers this question (probably because there is no satisfactory answer to the question as it is stated). And he has the courage to say that he does not really know. In fact, the book is loaded with courageously unanswered questions. This makes the work extremely satisfying on an emotional level. But on an intellectual level, it can leave the reader deeply unsatisfied. Kushner accepts that the world is chaotic; that good people will inevitably have bad things happen to them. He exonerates God by saying God did not create this chaos. In doing so, Kushner wishes to exonerate the God of Judaism from such sins as, among others, the death of innocent children. But by letting God off, he distances the deity from the world. He creates dual realms: one for God and one for us. Kushner's God is not the God of mysticism or pantheism (and some have said, not Judaism). For all its considerable emotional strengths, it seems that Kusnher in this work wants the best of both worlds: he wants to wed the chaotic universe of the atheist, and the good God of the Bible. In the end, it's a troubled marriage.

My mother died of cancer 3 weeks ago (she was only 59) and it made me MAD as hell at God for not saving her. For a while I denied the existence of any diety. A friend recommended this book. I learned I had to change my views about the nature of God.

The traditional "pray to God, he is all powerful, and he will fix everything" belief I was taught as a child no longer applied once my mother got sick and died. Why didn't God answer my prayers? Did he want my mother to suffer, become riddled with tumors, and then die at a young age? Why didn't he help us? Harold Kushner had a similar experience (his son died at age 13) and came to the conclusion that (in a nutshell)God does not heal the sick, stop tornadoes, cure AIDS and Cancer etc. because he can't. He is not all powerful.

I never EVER would have come to this conclusion by myself because it goes against EVERYTHING I was taught as a Christian. If my mother had not died there is NO WAY I would believe God was NOT all powerful. But, in doing some soul searching, that is the only explanation that makes any sense to me. For God to make my mom sick to teach my family a lesson, for a greater good, because she was a bad person, because we did not pray enough, because it was in his divine plan etc. makes no sense to me. All of these explanations offered by my church, my friends, Priests, and fellow believers led me to one conclusion: God did not help me in my time of need and therefore, God was either evil and enjoyed watching us suffer OR there was no God. Now I believe that neither of these conclusions are true. God is simply not omnipotent.

There is no doubt that accepting that God is NOT omnipotent opens up an entirely new can of worms. I had to rethink everything I knew about God and religion. I no longer look to the Bible or to any religious text for answers. I always had my doubts about the Bible. It was written by Men, Gospels were omitted and hidden away etc. It was not written by God himself/herself. Furthermore, each religion has a "Bible" or book of laws, worship, beliefs etc. How is there any way to know which is the correct set of beliefs? In a sense, due to my skepticism about Christianity/Judaism and the Bible's authenticity, it was easier for me to accept that my view of God as an omnipotent diety was flawed. REading this book made alarm bells go off in my head - AHA! Someone else feels exactly how I feel! Someone else, a religious leader, looked around and said "What the hell is going on here?!"

I may not agree with ALL of Kushner's statements (Kushner still believes in the Bible as a holy text, and the word of God, whereas I do not) but I do believe he is onto something. I now believe is that there is a higher power, and that higher power is good. I now look to God for strength - to help me through the tough times. I do not look to him to intervene in my life because I know that, as much as he would like to, he cannot.

Rabbi Kushner's writing style and brilliant ability to show contrast with real life situations creates an eagerness to read on and an insatiable need to learn more.

From the tone of this book it leads you to assume that Rabbi Kushner is just a lovable human being, rich in modesty and humility.

This is a very short book which will be of value for both religious and non religious people. Whether religious or not, Rabbi Kushner's book has the ability to put a new prayer or creed in your heart, and will also enlighten you to not lose sight of the meaning of life in your life.

People need not wait for some tragedy to come along to pick up this book. Personally, I am not currently dealing with a loss; however, after completing this book I feel more prepared to take on the burden of coping with any unfortunate occurrences, which the future may hold. I bought this book to enable me to pass on comforting words to people close to me which were going through some tough times in their life.

The majority of the readers of this book has mis-interpreted this book primarily from the misquoting of the title of the book. If you get the title wrong then this book will not serve its proper purpose to you.

If you seek a bridge to the New Testament read Melvin Tinker's "Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People". In Tinker's "Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People" you will find a more expanded interpretation of the Book of Job and other important passages in the New Testament that delivers what Kushner could not due to his commitment and belief in the Jewish faith. In my judgment, the two merged will give you a wider scope of learning.

Kushner's book makes a great discussion starter because every person has experienced bad things happening to good people. Using his book helps one look at reactions such as anger, guilt, the forever "why" questions. I'm currently using the book as a study with a group of Christian women. It is interesting to hear them broaden Kushner's theology with their own Christian beliefs. I am using Philip Yancey's Where is God When it Hurts? to supplement When Bad Things Happen to Good People.

There is no better book on the market than this one if you are searching for meaning behind the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" This one is simply the best. It doesn't matter what your faith is, or even if you have a faith. This book does more to help one heal from the pain and devastation of loss, trials, and tribulations than any other I've ever read....and I've read a lot. This is the one book I recommended to everyone who is going through something painful, struggling to make sense of the devastation and pain that can so often be a part of our lives. More over, even if you aren't experiencing anything of a devastating nature, this book can help you connect to the "whys" of the universe; help open your mind to explanations that actually do bring comfort. I read this book a couple of times a year, that alone can help keep me focused and hopeful, as well as renewing my sense of faith in the divine.

This book twists so much about God.
God is in control of all things and has the power to change all circumstances. When he doesn't that does not change the fact that God is good and is in control. Trials are put or allowed to be in our lives for a reason. We do not always know why but if you are walking with God you can be sure that it will work out for good. Yes even if we lose someone we love or have a lifelong struggle...

As you can tell from the title of my review, this book did not help me at all. In fact, it made me feel worse. More to the point, I thought it was poorly written. In addition to depressing the reader, the author contradicts his thesis. He pledges to tell the reader why bad things happen to good people, but instead argues that bad things happen for no reason and God has no control over it. Maybe this is helpful for people who are able to accept that that there are mysteries in life, but for someone like me who is very cerebral/logical, and finds comfort in answers, this book was not worth the money I spent on it. Perhaps Kushner should have picked a different title for his book.

Someone recommended I read this right after my mother died from colon cancer when I was 20. I bought it hoping to find some "reason" why this had happened to my family. The title of the book made me think that the author might address this point, but as mentioned above, the reality is quite the contrary. Since Kushner does not answer the questions posed in his book, he left me aching to find the answers and hating God even more which I am certain was not Kushner's goal.

For those seeking to understand how to cope with the death of a loved one, I highly recommend Learned Optimism, by Martin E.P. Selligman, Ph.D. Although no one can explain why God "allows" bad things to happen to the people we love, Selligman will help you figure out how to deal with hardships in all areas of your life much more effectively than Kushner. Take it from a licensed psychologist, not a Rabbi.

I have lost a child to cancer. My wife and I were looking for answers. we baught Rabbi Kushner's book. We read the book carefully. By the time my wife and I finished the book we were so broken and depressed, we felt terribly insecure. We felt that no one is in charge of the world and things happen to good people for no good reason, and that can happen easily to other good people we knew. After going thru counceling, our Pyscologist (a secularist) reffered us to a set of audio cassates and a book called "Making Sense of Suffering" ISBN: 1-57819-757-0. We read the book and listened to the lectures. Then after thinking over these new ideas and the logic that we were exposed to, we finaly got back much of our live, but it wouldn't be able to happen with Rabbi Kushner's theory.

Let's see... I had a friend who was murdered. I had no way to say goodbye to my dear friend, she was true and good, she left behind her two-year old son and husband. She was the last person I would've thought would get shot in her own home, it is unbelievable. There's no way to make sense of it. This book has some great insights, great ways of thinking. I never knew I could hurt so much, and I've been looking to see what people have to say about such tragedies. I'm not particularly religious, this book is good if you aren't into god, or even if you are, you can take what you want from it's passages, it has helped me. If you are going through grief, sometimes you won't want to deal with your it, I know that it is soul-crushing, and I feel your pain. But if you have a moment, in your stronger moments, in moments of repose and reflection, pick it up once in awhile, it can help.

We have used this book before to give as a gift when friends have been going through hard times with illness or death in their families. It gives you an understanding that there isn't always a blame to be placed at someones feet when something bad happens. Sometimes it is just a part of life and nothing you could do would have changed the outcome. We are not always in control. God does not exact his pound of flesh by taking a loved one from us. Sometimes, stuff just happens.

I bought this book once upon a time when I was still married and my then husband's best friend was living with us. The best friend was suffering through a divorce. I purchased this book for him, to help ease his pain.

I ended up reading it before actually giving it to the friend. My husband made fun of me for reading a 'present'.

I went out and purchased it myself after going through my own divorce.

I've has such issues with my faith, because I find so many to be blindly stuck in their ways afraid to ask questions, only saying that mantra,"God has his reasons." To this I always want to tell them what they are full of...

This book is not afraid to ask the questions that matter and while it doesn't give you black and white answers, it just basically lets you know that 'stuff' happens! It's a very good book, no matter what your religion.

Very helpful read for anyone that has lost a child.

If you are looking for the academic lecture video by this same title (the one hour lecture delivered at UNC), this isn't it. This is a shorter video, with a pragmatic focus on individual persons and families dealing with catastrophic loss. A good primer for health care workers, but does not have the broad academic, philosophic, and theological applications that the earlier lecture video has.

I was floundering, wondering if I could ever trust God again with the safety of my family after the death of my 19 year old son in a collision with a drunk driver. I did not understand why God did not protect Christopher, after all,I prayed constantly for his safety. I could not see how any sin I may have committed was so bad as to cause another person to lose their life. I could not reason how my son's death could benefit the world in some great Master Plan. I was SO SO angry with God until I read Kushner's book. I now realize that God cried too when Chris died. The man who killed him had free will and chose to drive drunk. He was driving a vehicle much older and larger than my son's Honda Civic. The laws of nature took over. This book does not go against God in any way -- it reaffirms God's love for us and his wishes for our safety. And it literally saved my life.


Marina Kushner
Author
The Truth About Caffeine: How Companies That Promote It Deceive Us and What We Can Do about It

Excellent! I gave this book to my sister who lost her granddaughter to cancer and she said it provided the most help of all. Thanks so much.

If you are a Christian, this book isn't for you. It is full of blashphemy, concluding that we must "... forgive God" and that we must love God "... even if He isnt perfect". Kusher even has the will to say that "...God would not be God..." without our love for Him. At one point he reduces God to an aminal saying that in the garden of Eden, when God said "...let US make man in OUR image" he was speking to animals and creation. Kusher explains that God created the world, and in the next paragraph that we came by evolution.

Since when was God in need of forgiveness? Isnt it that "... God so loved the world" and it wasnt us that loved God? I have no words in describing this book. It is full of error, because it does not base it self on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All this book does is frees you from the thought that you are a sinner, and that it isnt your fault, and that actully you are a good person. Why do bad things happen to good people? Wrong question. There are no good people in the world in the first place. " for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God..." The world is in sin. The world DOES NOT HAVE GOOD PEOPLE!! Only by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ you are made righteous. I beg you in the name of Jesus Christ to stay away from this book. It hasnt helped 4 million people, but it lied to them. Kusher, please turn from your ways and come to Jesus, then will you understand the life question "WHY"!

I had heard about this book and had looked at it, but I didn't read it until 2003 when I was disagnosed with cancer. This book really helped me deal with the diagnosis and treatment. I've been recommending this book ever since then. I gave a copy to a friend of mine whose husband died of cancer and now I am sending it to my niece & her husband, who has cancer.

This book has a good philosophy. Sometimes things happen for no reason. God is not sitting in heaven sending us bad things. God loves us and cares about us when bad things happen.

Rabbi Kushner says that when bad things happen, we'll ask, "God, why did you let this happen to me?" when a better response is to say, "God, help me with this".

This book helps the reader to remember that when we are dealing with any type of loss, e.g., loss of a loved one, loss of health, loss of home, God loves us and will help us deal with our loss.

There are no certain things in life. The book helps put everything in prespective and you understand that everyone sooner or later will have a price to pay. Excelent reading.

Harold Kushner is an excellent author. This audio cd is excellent to listen to in your car or when you are alone and too tired to read. It is so touching and real, you will want to listen time and time again, just to keep things in perspective, especially in this day and age of tragedy.

A very good essay about life. A book that does not explain why things happen but ackowledges that for the most part, there is no logical explanation. I came away with the following: 'GOD HELPS THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES'

I have had many of the same objections that Kushner brings up to traditional answers to the question of theodicy. Kushner provides a well-reasoned, realistic, and yet still comforting answer. I'll let Kushner explain his theory, because in summary it doesn't sound as compelling as it does in detail, but suffice it to say that while many of the reviews here do provide a good summary, you're still not going to understand Kushner's argument unless you read the book in full.

I'm going to respond to the review entitled "There are better choices to understand the mind of God..." and hopefully, in the process, provide a better picture of what the book is and isn't:

First of all, I'm not sure that the analogy the reviewer makes about Christ being both God and human (therefore God can be both completely powerful and completely loving) makes sense in this context. Kushner is Jewish, and while his book is pretty universal (he is writing for a mixed audience and so assumes little about his readers' beliefs beyond their belief in God), the fact remains that he is writing from within the Jewish tradition, and he makes no attempt to disguise the fact. Jesus is more or less irrelevant to him. Judaism presupposes an absolute cleavage between man and God: man cannot become God (ala Hercules) and God does not become man (ala Jesus or Dionysus). Both are originally pagan concepts. So I think the argument is a little out of place in a review of this book.

Second, your assertion that God is both all-powerful and all-loving is addressed in the book, and found wanting. Simply saying, in essence, "Kushner is wrong, God can be both," does not explain why one should accept your unsupported assertion over his argument.

Third, the book you recommend does not address the same issues as this one and is therefore not a good suggestion for substitution. It may be a perfectly good book for Christian readers, but suggesting it here is like suggesting a book on yoga to someone who's looking for information on nutrition. There's a little overlap, but it's not going to answer most of the person's questions.

Finally, perhaps some of the reason for your disappointment is suggested in the title of your review. Kushner isn't out to "understand the mind of God," (chas v'shalom). He quotes Job to point out that the mind of God is essentially unknowable. Kushner's purpose is to come up with a humanly acceptable answer to how a loving God can allow terrible things to happen to good people.

Unfortunately, we all suffer in our lifetimes. As part of our pain, we try to rationalize why we are undergoing trauma. Harold Kushner takes a personal tragedy as a backdrop for his explanation of why bad things happen to good people.

Kushner left a grey area in this book, though I do not find it particularly objectionable. How much you get from this book may depend on where you stand on the issue of sovereignty. Does God control everything that happens to us? Or is everything determined by free will of man? Free will, of course, is very real. It is not God that causes a bullet to kill an innocent person. The free will of the shooter allows him to fire the gun killing the innocent man. God does not intervene. If God intervened everytime an innocent person were hurt, he would be interfering with free will. Occasionally, the bullet may miraculously miss and maybe it is the work of God. God has that power. As an issue of sovereignty, it is a combination between free will and God making things happen. It is the logical explanation.

Once this issue is surpassed, Kushner presents various scenarios that happen to good people. He uses the most famous story in the Bible as an example. The story of Job is the ultimate story of bad things happening to a good person. In the story, Job must get past that fact that he has not sinned to deserve this suffering. Suffering, and religion in general, is an opportunity for us to be comforted and see the good in others. When we see others suffering, it gives us the opportunity to comfort, showing our goodness. With disease, hunger, or suffering, God gives us the resources to use. Man has the free will to end suffering.

The easiest way to think about the big picture is the poem title "Footprints in the Sand". The moral of the story is that God has not abandoned us in times of suffering. If we turn to Him and ask for strength to make it through, we will not disappointed. There is not one set of footprints in the sand because God abandoned us, he is carrying us through our suffering. Pain and death will not end in this world. We can never make complete sense of our suffering, but the strength can make life easier when we seek Him.

This book talks about what tragedy and suffering do and do not mean in life. The main point is that people often overinterpret what it means when something tragic occurs to them, in that they seek to blame themselves or others, or want to find cause-and-effect in bigger forms that it might actually exist.


My family has gone through three major tragedies or traumatic experiences: I became a quadriplegic from a spinal cord injury at age 15, my brother passed away at age 50, and my father was in a serious automobile crash. My father was given this book well after my accident, but well before my brother's death. He has read it three times, and finds it very helpful. My mother and I read it once each and, while we do not argue with it, we did not find it helpful either. It was a null entity for the two of us.


For the solace and comfort it has granted my father, I give it four stars, and I thank the author.

Dr. Kushner was well-intentioned in his authorship of this book to be sure. However, his basic conclusion is that God is either all-powerful or all-loving. Since bad things happen, God isn't all powerful.

The theology is faulty. As Christ was fully God, and still fully human, so God can be loving and powerful without losing either attribute. God's power never works outside His perfect will, and sometimes that will permits evil.

A much better book on endurance through adversity is "With Joseph in the University of Adversity". This book will answer most questions Kushner poses from a much more conservative and scriptural point of view.

This gem of a self-help book offers real comfort for those who are wrestling with the eternal dilemma of why disasters--especially the death of a loved one--happen. Sincerely humane
this book suggests how to survive emotionally, once the shock wears off. Most of us are guilty of speaking the typical funeral platitudes which we have heard many times over--in life, on TV and in the movies and books. These are the times that try not only men's souls, but also seem to test our faith. Will this psychological pressure cause us to be crushed by grief and despair, or will it change us into rough diamonds?

Kushner has walked down this agonizing road himself; now he shares his insight with all who mourn, regardless of religious persuasion. He assures us that it Is possible to retain belief in a God who "allows" these tragedies to happen. Hopefullyl we will mature spiritually into people of greater compassion than we would have ever expected possible. No book can bring back the deceased, but This one makes it easier to accept the loss, by urging us to honor the beloved, instead of indulging in guilt
or misdirecting our anger. Take heart--be true to the memories of those who now live only in your heart.

Rabbi Kushner's relections on the existence of evil and the goodness of God was of great help in coming to grips with the loss of our son and our anger at God. This is a book for everyone, but especially for those bearing grief.

A good piece of writing but greatly flawed. Rabbi Kushner should have read what other religions have to say about this topic. Kushner writes from the heart but one gets the feeling that he's just desperate to prove that God exists even though He is absolutely powerless. He wants us to love God even though God is incapable of any action - good or bad. But it requires guts to say many things that Kushner has said and I admire him for being brutally frank at times. The whole book can be summarized in 6 sentences:

1) God exists, God is good but he is not omnipotent
2) God is not responsible for the pain and suffering in the world.
3) God cannot prevent suffering but feels our pain with us.
4) Fate/Chance causes pain.
5) Praying will not cure us of our suffering but will give us the strength to bear the pain.
6) So we must believe in Him and pray.

God is therefore not the all-powerful figure we assume him to be. He is a powerless, silent spectator to all the pain in this world. It also follows that if God is not responsible for all the bad things that happen, He is also not responsible for all the good things that happen in this world. He is the cause of neither joy nor sorrow. We are the victims of fate- of bad or good luck. It has nothing to do with the kind of people we are.

So, why believe in God if he cannot do anything. It is wishful thinking to assume that he provides us with strength. There are many examples of persons breaking down even after praying for strength from God. And don't tell me that they did not pray correctly or sincerely. Our inner strength or lack of it is the combination of many things - the nature of the tragedy, circumstances, our environment, our nature and our attitude among many.

Yes, what we should do when in pain is not to ask where this pain came from but to ask what we can do with ourselves now that we have it. This point is expressed very well though Kushner goes totally overboard in his attempt to describe people as "Gods martyrs" or the "Devils martyrs", depending on their reaction to the crisis. This distinction is an attempt at outright emotional blackmail - to instill a fear of the Devil and to force a love of God.

So let us come back to the original question - Why do bad things happen to good people?

The answer is known to almost anyone who knows the Hindu religion. Hindus believe in the concept of "karma" and "reincarnation". All deeds, all actions - good and bad -- of a person determine his fate in his NEXT birth. What you do now will affect your next life. Good deeds will give you happiness and bad ones will bring you sorrow. Greater the goodness, greater the reward. Greater the bad deeds, greater the punishment. In effect, you sow what you reap but a lifetime later. One also has to remember that a person is not a body. He is a soul. The soul may take various physical forms - of an animal, insect or a human- but it never ceases to be a soul. Therefore the soul is being rewarded or punished for its deeds not the physical body. God has made these laws and will not interfere with their execution. These are immutable and irrevocable. God is therefore also called the "karmaphaladata"- the giver of the fruits of action. If we understand this concept properly, we also understand that God wants us to be good and to do good. It is the right thing to do, not only because it increases our own happiness (remember the inner glow you feel when you do something nice), not only because it makes someone else happy but also because it gives us a chance to lead a happier life in our next birth. It helps us to get a bit closer to God and to ultimately reach a union with Him. It helps us escape this endless cycle of birth and death- "moksha".

So bad things happen to us because of our own selves and so do good things. There is no random chance or luck or even God determining our fate. We ourselves are the architects of our own destiny, once we understand the concept of karma. If everyone realizes this and stops being bad and starts being good, a time can ultimately come (in the very distant future) when there is only happiness in this world. Theoretically this is possible but knowing human nature, I guess, it is never going to happen.

Let me also say that I have given the briefest, simplest explanation and there is a lot more to this concept. Please also understand that not all effects of actions return in a later life. Some of the effects may be felt in the same life itself. Different actions have different maturity dates. There are also ways of getting rid of these karmic forces but that is an entirely different issue. To anyone interested, I would recommend reading The Bhagavad Gita to understand these concepts in detail.

All this in no way lessens our pain but at least it helps us in understanding the reason for the same. And this can prevent us from breaking down or becoming bitter and frustrated.

So, should we believe in God? Yes, in his existence. But if by believing, you mean, should we believe in his ability to help us, the answer sadly is no. Kushner is right in this respect. God will not, God cannot help. I'm sure he feels for us but that's just about as far as He will go. This is a tough decision to make and to each his own. I think one should respect God but not depend on him. As for loving him..... well, its your choice.

Rabbi Harold Kushner takes a hard look at difficult issues in "When Bad Things Happen to Good People." Written out of his own personal grief and struggle with spirituality, this book is an important and groundbreaking reassessment of what it means to believe in a god and how to reconcile that belief to the cold fact that horrible things happen in this world on a daily basis. This is the fundamental tension of religion, and Kushner approaches it from an original and profound perspective.

Kushner is a Reconstructionist Jew and a former student of Reconstructionism's founder, Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan. Reconstructionist Judaism examines spirituality from a metaphorical perspective, seeing God as the impulse in us that brings out our best traits and leads to live honestly and ethically. It does not see God as an all-powerful father figure in the sky, interfering in people's lives and letting things like the Holocaust happen for a "reason." It is, in other words, a religious worldview that takes a more mature, probing approach to divinity than the standard "God controls everything and we cannot understand His ways" religious line. There are numerous precedents for the Reconstructionist view in Jewish history.

Thus the negative reviews here from fundamentalist Christians, who believe every word of the Bible literally (though they can't be bothered to actually read it) and are unable to consider the thought of a more abstract god because their entire intellectual and spiritual house of cards would collapse. This sort of "God-is-my-protective-daddy" view inevitably forces people of this mindset into a state of denial, obfuscation, and pretzel logic when they try to explain or defend their faith--even to themselves.

"When Bad Things Happen to Good People" is an enormously powerful book which offers a vital glimpse into a more humane and compassionate view of God. I recommend it to everybody.

Rabbi Kushner has written a book that I believe will be remembered for hundreds of years to come. In a non-judgemental way, he talks about bad things and how good can still exist in the world. Reading his book gave me more profound hope for the world. Although some fundamentalists are offended with his words, I found then comforting. Kushner helped motivate me to write a book about my autistic son called "Our Brown Eyed Boy"

Thank you Rabbi Kushner!

Before reading this book, the first thing that came to mind, as I noticed the title was, "They find a way to turn things around."

I had no idea that this book would be such a wonderful book about accepting life, on life's terms.

But first, let's look at what causes bad things:

1. The laws of nature
2. Chaos
3. An act of nature
4. Human choices
5. Self-punishment when things go wrong
6. Accidents
7. Expectations of others that can't be fulfilled
8. Denial of emotional immaturity
9. Our reactions to our own hurt and anger

This book teaches readers how to accept any kind of loss as part of the human condition.

This book also tells us that God doesn't cause accidents, sickness or disasters.

When Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge, they chose to live a life of choices, as knowledge is about choices. They were no longer in the category of animals. And with those choices God gave humanity choices, feelings and a need to congregate with other human beings, to affirm who we are.

God is here to build strength, courage, and a sense of human connection - when we are ready to ask ourselves, "Now that this has happened, what am I going to do about it?" And, "Whom does this suffering serve?"

"Let me sugggest that the bad things that happen to us in our lives do not have a meaning when they happen to us. They do not happen for any good reason which would cause us to accept them willingly. But we can give them a meaning."

It is a book to be read over and over again, to become more compassionate, as compassion is the language of God.

I'm sure that the question "why do bad things happen to good people?" is one of the big questions that spiritually-minded people have always asked themselves. Even non-spiritual people may also find themselves dealing with this issue, if they are ever unfortunate enough to have something bad happen to them. It's good that there is a book like this, in case such people need something to read on the subject. As a very spiritual person myself, though, I find myself much more likely to be pondering the opposite question : why do good things happen to bad people? This phenomenon can be just as distressing, if not even more so, depending on how spiritual you are. The two things are very related - both questions stem from our wish to get all the good things for ourselves, and give all the bad things to someone else. Why bother being good if I don't get good things? Why don't I just be bad? I'd be just as likely to get good things anyway. The moral and spiritual question of how to palm off all the bad things onto someone else, while skimming off all the good things for ourselves, has always apparently tortured us, and never more so in this age of envy and greed. Where is the motivation for doing or being "good" if good things go to bad people? Considering this book was written 20 years ago, you'd think it could have been updated by now to incorporate this more spiritual approach to the subject.

This is a deeply moving book that challenged me to review my life perspective and reframe it in a way that works. I highly recommend this book, and consider it a classic. I also strongly recommend Optimal Thinking: How to Be Your Best Self. Optimal Thinking showed me how to accept what is out of my control and optimize anything and everything within my control. Both of these books are first-rate!

When I faced incredible loss a few years ago, I was amazed at the insensitive words my so-called friends offered in their "compassion", words that cut me right to the bone of my soul. It seemed that my grief was a burden for many. I painfully watched many of my closest friends distance themselves from me and even resent me for the tragedy and emotion that I had no control over. I questioned my feelings, my thoughts, and even my faith.

This book is a comfort for all people who have been forced to swallow such stupid sentiments in their times of grief and loss. It is an exploration of how we comfort each other in such terrifying times, and the dumb mistakes we make. Most of these sentiments wax on about God, why He created a world in which such pain exists: Is this all part of a greater good, a higher order? Is God testing you, expanding your soul for your own good? Has He taken your loved ones to a better place? This book gets right to the heart of the matter, that people in fact say such things as disguised justification for their own lack of understanding. They say things in defense of God to keep their world in order and the senseless tragedy in your life out of theirs. For example, someone might tell you, "God gave this grief to you as a test, because He loved you so very much, and knew you would become a better person for it," (to which the author replies, "If only I had been a weaker person, my daughter would still be alive.")

And yet, author Harold Kushner weaves this with a deep exploration of God and how He helps us and loves us. This is no cheap excuse for shallow religion. The knowledge Kushner shares has obviously been earned through incredible personal pain. You will never feel like some therapist is philosophizing about some subject they know nothing about - this is the Real Deal. Kushner makes no apologies or defense for his anger and pain, and fearlessly questions the ways we comfort each other, and God Himself. Having lost my own faith for a time, I found every word in this book deeply satisfying, the logic pure. Strong recommendation for anyone with deep pain in their life.

The book was very uplifting. My son was born with severe autism. My wife and I have been wondering from time to time, why did God do this to us? The book helped me see things in the grander perspective they are meant to be seen in. It also gave me solace after 9-11. Bad things happened to good people at the World Trade Center. There is no doubt about it. Kushner's soothing words helped me when I was very angry about the nature of warfare and human kind's inability to make peace.

Harold Kushner's book has an insight for a heart touching, warming feeling for those who got to be content with Suffering. Some of the other time in life, we suffer. Why do we have to suffer? Why do Bad things Happen? Why Me? These and many questions surface our minds and that's when our 'Faith' is challenged. Why do we turn to the same God who makes it happen? The author came to see god when he faced the worst trials in his life of having lost his son Aaron when he was fourteen. God weeps with us and would not abandon us and can fill the deepest needs of an anguished heart says Harold. The story of job inspires and builds the strength and courage. Harold provides invaluable reassurances and his words are source of comfort in times of bad things happening just out of the blue. His logic that when bad things happen we dump our anger on others or turn it on ourselves. Sometimes angry on God. Why me? And then referring to Cain killing his brother Abel in a fit of jealousy...all through Harold soothes the mind to relax and be at peace saying 'God can't do everything, but he can do some important things' This ticks the mind Fate, not god, sends us the problem. If we are weak, we get angry, overwhelmed. Its faith strong all the way and God rewards in his own fashion; Knows much better what he has to do. A must book to be read by all people in trouble, no matter what their religios faith. Indeed, When Bad things happen, be positive, What happens, happens for good. Good People turn to be Better.