When Bad Things Happen to Good People

by Harold S. Kushner

Book Overview

Offers an inspirational and compassionate approach to understanding the problems of life and restoring faith in God.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 038067033X
• ISBN13: 9780380670338
• Release Date: December 1983
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.34 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Still amazingly relevant!

Heard the taped version of WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE by Harold Kushner, a Jewish rabbi . . . although written some 25 years ago, it is still amazingly relevant . . . and, in fact, it was reissued in 2001 with a new preface by the author. Kushner originally wrote the book when faced with his own child's fatal illness . . . it deals with death and, also, with other situations where evil enters our life . . . though it gives no easy answers, WHEN BAD THINGS got me thinking about with this one particular bit of advice . . . he urges people not to ask why all the time, but instead ask this question: What can I do now? What Kushner has to say applies to people of all religious faiths . . . I urge you to get a copy of this short book . . . like me, you'll want to go through it more than once. There were many worthwhile tidbits; among them: * God never gives you more than you can bear. * We can't make sense of God's thoughts by saying it is God's will. * Things of nature don't make exceptions for good people. * We suffer because we misuse our power to choose. * God intervenes when in a tragedy, he takes ordinary people and has them behave in an extraordinary way. * If you know somebody who has been hurt, reach out to him or her. * People don't want theology, they want reassurance. * When we most need it, God gives us more strength. * You have no control of the past. You have a lot of control over the future. And, lastly, this one: God has given us the tools to live meaningfully in an unfair and unpredictable world.

Amazing!

This is an incredible book,it shows you to see the world and GOd like humans, just as we are, everybody should read it

Positive Review

Very Good, excelent. Muy bueno exelente. Deberían de tener todos los titulos de Harold Kushner.

Very Helpful In Times Of Trouble

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.

A Classic of profound knowledge...

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.