--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: God does not cause our misfortunes. Some…" description: "\"God does not cause our misfortunes. Some are caused by bad luck, some are caused by bad people, and some are simply an inevitable consequence of our be..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/harold-s-kushner-4877_bad-luck_god-does-not-cause-our-misfortunes-some_679261.png" --- # God does not cause our misfortunes. Some are caused by bad… ![“God does not cause our misfortunes. Some are caused by bad luck, some are caused by bad people, and some are simply an inevitable consequence of our being human and being mortal. living in a world of inflexible natural laws. The painful things that happen to us are not punishments for our…” quote by Harold S. Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/harold-s-kushner-4877_bad-luck_god-does-not-cause-our-misfortunes-some_679261.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/harold-s-kushner-4877_bad-luck_god-does-not-cause-our-misfortunes-some_679261.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/harold-s-kushner-4877_bad-luck_god-does-not-cause-our-misfortunes-some_679261.png) > “God does not cause our misfortunes. Some are caused by bad luck, some are caused by bad people, and some are simply an inevitable consequence of our being human and being mortal. living in a world of inflexible natural laws. The painful things that happen to us are not punishments for our misbehavior, nor are they in any way part of some grand design on God's part. Because the tragedy is not God's will, we need not feel hurt or betrayed by God when tragedy strikes. We can turn to Him for help in overcoming it, precisely because we can tell ourselves that God is as outraged by it as we are.” [Harold S. Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-s-kushner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suffering isn’t a divine punishment; it’s part of human mortality and natural law, and God shares our outrage. **In simple terms:** Pain isn’t God’s punishment. Key Takeaway Seek comfort in shared humanity. Themes suffering faith humanity Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - grief counseling - personal crisis - spiritual reflection Key Concepts theodicy existentialism Questions to Reflect On - How can you find meaning in suffering? - What role does community play in coping? A Different Perspective Belief that God is indifferent can still cause despair. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-luck/) [Bad people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-people/) [Being human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-human/) [Consequence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequence/) [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [God 's will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-s-will/) [Healing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/healing/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luck/) [Misfortunes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misfortunes/) [Mortals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mortals/) [Natural law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-law/) [Overcoming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overcoming/) [Painful things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painful-things/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Punishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/punishment/) [Strikes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strikes/) [Teens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teens/) [Tragedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragedy/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“Pascal, in one of his gloomier pensées, gave it as his opinion that all our miseries stemmed from a single cause: our inability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-chatwin/pascal-in-one-of-his-gloomier-pens-es-gave-it-as-his-opinion-that-all/) [Bruce Chatwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-chatwin/) > [ “Where \[God\] is, tragedy is only provisional and partial, and shipwreck and dissolution are not the absolutely final things.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/where-god-is-tragedy-is-only-provisional-and-partial-and-shipwreck/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [The tragedy of life and of the world is not that men do not know God; the tragedy is that, knowing Him, they still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barclay/the-tragedy-of-life-and-of-the-world-is-not-that-men-do-not-know-god/) [William Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barclay/) > [“I saw a banner hanging next to city hall in downtown Philadelphia that read, "Kill them all, and let God sort them out." A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/i-saw-a-banner-hanging-next-to-city-hall-in-downtown-philadelphia/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [I do not see how it is possible for an intelligent human being to conclude that the Song of Solomon is the work of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/i-do-not-see-how-it-is-possible-for-an-intelligent-human-being-to/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [Your tragedy is God’s opportunity to show Himself faithful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-george/your-tragedy-is-god-s-opportunity-to-show-himself-faithful/) [Jim George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-george/) > [A man by his sin may waste himself, which is to waste that which on earth is most like God. This is man's greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-man-by-his-sin-may-waste-himself-which-is-to-waste-that-which-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Death isn't a tragedy to God, only to those left behind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/death-isn-t-a-tragedy-to-god-only-to-those-left-behind/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [It appears that when life is broken by tragedy God shines through the breach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-appears-that-when-life-is-broken-by-tragedy-god-shines-through-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Men of success meet with tragedy. It was the will of God that I won the Olympics, and it was the will of God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abebe-bikila/men-of-success-meet-with-tragedy-it-was-the-will-of-god-that-i-won/) Abebe Bikila > [“No one understands a stranger’s tragedy, God willing you might understand your own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/no-one-understands-a-stranger-s-tragedy-god-willing-you-might/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [“The search for Jesus is about reconciling loss and tragedy to God and us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-scott-lineberry/the-search-for-jesus-is-about-reconciling-loss-and-tragedy-to-god-and/) [W. Scott Lineberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-scott-lineberry/) > [Even in tragedy, God through His Word offers hope for those who seek and believe. It starts with the promise of a better tomorrow,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/even-in-tragedy-god-through-his-word-offers-hope-for-those-who-seek/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [“Through the sacrifice of each martyr, the power of the Roman Empire became increasingly weakened until it completely collapsed. This was certainly spiritual warfare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-mendez-ferrell/through-the-sacrifice-of-each-martyr-the-power-of-the-roman-empire/) [Ana Mendez Ferrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-mendez-ferrell/) > [“In times of deep despair we dethrone Him through our doubt and find Him a failure through our fears. We cling to what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherie-hill/in-times-of-deep-despair-we-dethrone-him-through-our-doubt-and-find/) [Cherie Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherie-hill/) ## More by Harold S. Kushner > [When a mentally retarded child is born, the religious question we often ask is, "Why does God let this happen?" The better question to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-s-kushner/when-a-mentally-retarded-child-is-born-the-religious-question-we/) [Harold S. Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-s-kushner/) > [Seek something outside your nine-to-five job as an additional source of fulfillment and as a way to feel the joy of helping others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-s-kushner/seek-something-outside-your-nine-to-five-job-as-an-additional-source/) [Harold S. Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-s-kushner/) > [But at the end, if we are brave enough to love, if we are strong enough to forgive, if we are generous enough to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-s-kushner/but-at-the-end-if-we-are-brave-enough-to-love-if-we-are-strong-enough/) [Harold S. Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-s-kushner/) > [Life is like the baseball season, where even the best team loses at least a third of its games, and even the worst team…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-s-kushner/life-is-like-the-baseball-season-where-even-the-best-team-loses-at/) [Harold S. Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-s-kushner/) > [The circumstances of your life have uniquely qualified you to make a contribution. And if you don't make that contribution, nobody else can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-s-kushner/the-circumstances-of-your-life-have-uniquely-qualified-you-to-make-a/) [Harold S. Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-s-kushner/) > [None of us has the power to make someone else love us. But we all have the power to give away love, to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-s-kushner/none-of-us-has-the-power-to-make-someone-else-love-us-but-we-all-have/) [Harold S. Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-s-kushner/) > [We teach children how to measure and how to weigh. We fail to teach them how to revere, how to sense wonder and awe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-s-kushner/we-teach-children-how-to-measure-and-how-to-weigh-we-fail-to-teach/) [Harold S. Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-s-kushner/) > [God, who neither causes nor prevents tragedies, helps by inspiring people to help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-s-kushner/god-who-neither-causes-nor-prevents-tragedies-helps-by-inspiring/) [Harold S. Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-s-kushner/) > [There seems to be something in the human soul that causes us to think less of ourselves every time we do something wrong... And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-s-kushner/there-seems-to-be-something-in-the-human-soul-that-causes-us-to-think/) [Harold S. Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-s-kushner/) > [There is a Jewish notion that holiness is found with other people. To understand what life really is, one has to share it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-s-kushner/there-is-a-jewish-notion-that-holiness-is-found-with-other-people-to/) [Harold S. Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-s-kushner/) > [The path to God is rarely a steady climb upward. We climb, we fall back, and we climb higher again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-s-kushner/the-path-to-god-is-rarely-a-steady-climb-upward-we-climb-we-fall-back/) [Harold S. Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-s-kushner/) > [You don't have to be religious to have a soul; everybody has one. You don't have to be religious to perfect your soul; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-s-kushner/you-don-t-have-to-be-religious-to-have-a-soul-everybody-has-one-you/) [Harold S. Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-s-kushner/) > [When your life is filled with the desire to see the holiness in everyday life, something magical happens: Ordinary life becomes extraordinary, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-s-kushner/when-your-life-is-filled-with-the-desire-to-see-the-holiness-in/) [Harold S. Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-s-kushner/) > [When I talk to people who feel this emptiness and lack of fulfillment, I recommend they find a source of balance in their lives.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-s-kushner/when-i-talk-to-people-who-feel-this-emptiness-and-lack-of-fulfillment/) [Harold S. Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-s-kushner/) > [Forgiveness is a favor we do for ourselves, not a favor we do to the other party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-s-kushner/forgiveness-is-a-favor-we-do-for-ourselves-not-a-favor-we-do-to-the/) [Harold S. Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-s-kushner/) [Explore all 105 Harold S. Kushner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-s-kushner/) ## More Bad luck quotes > [“You never talk to the pitcher when…” He shook his head. “You just never talk to the pitcher when--” “I just wanted to congratulate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-hawthorne/you-never-talk-to-the-pitcher-when-he-shook-his-head-you-just-never/) [Rachel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-hawthorne/) > [Bad luck isn't brought by broken mirrors, but by broken minds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramandeep-singh/bad-luck-isn-t-brought-by-broken-mirrors-but-by-broken-minds/) [Ramandeep Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramandeep-singh/) > [I never knew an early-rising, hard-working, prudent man, careful of his earnings, and strictly honest who complained of bad luck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/i-never-knew-an-early-rising-hard-working-prudent-man-careful-of-his/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [“I didn't do any of what they told me,' she said, 'because the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-didn-t-do-any-of-what-they-told-me-she-said-because-the-more-i/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“Everyone knows it is bad luck to step on a toad or on the shadow of a tree, to walk under a ladder,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-knows-it-is-bad-luck-to-step-on-a-toad-or-on-the-shadow-of-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Because the core of my personal philosophy is that everything that happens to us benefits us, I was also spared the futility of cursing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/because-the-core-of-my-personal-philosophy-is-that-everything-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There is no bad luck in the world but whitefolks”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-is-no-bad-luck-in-the-world-but-whitefolks/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [The biggest trap, the biggest dungeon in life isn't laziness or bad luck, it's comfort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/the-biggest-trap-the-biggest-dungeon-in-life-isn-t-laziness-or-bad/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [All of us have bad luck and good luck. The man who persists through the bad luck - who keeps right on going -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-collier/all-of-us-have-bad-luck-and-good-luck-the-man-who-persists-through/) [Robert Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-collier/) > [“I was just beginning to wonder how long I would have to wait when finally a guard sauntered up and said, “Galloway, get your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-galloway/i-was-just-beginning-to-wonder-how-long-i-would-have-to-wait-when/) [Noah Galloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-galloway/) > [“Oh, I don’t buy lottery tickets... because if I won, and I was capable of that kind of odd luck, then I would also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrissi-sepe/oh-i-don-t-buy-lottery-tickets-because-if-i-won-and-i-was-capable-of/) Chrissi Sepe > [“Before Tessa could answer, there was a knock at the door, and a familiar voice. "It's Jem. Tessa, are you there?" Charlotte sat bolt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/before-tessa-could-answer-there-was-a-knock-at-the-door-and-a/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“If you were crossing the road and saw a black cat passing, you may possibly get hit by a car, or a mail boy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/basma-salem/if-you-were-crossing-the-road-and-saw-a-black-cat-passing-you-may/) [Basma Salem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/basma-salem/) > [I'm very superstitious, and I think it's bad luck. You don't have to show your love by tattooing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priya-sachdev/i-m-very-superstitious-and-i-think-it-s-bad-luck-you-don-t-have-to/) [Priya Sachdev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priya-sachdev/) > [To my bad luck, my first schedule for 'Natasaarvabhowma' was in Kolkata and I was not really introduced to the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anupama-parameswaran/to-my-bad-luck-my-first-schedule-for-natasaarvabhowma-was-in-kolkata/) [Anupama Parameswaran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anupama-parameswaran/) [Browse all 529 Bad luck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-luck/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "God does not cause our misfortunes. Some are caused by bad luck, some are caused by bad people, and some are simply an inevitable consequence of our being human and being mortal. living in a world of inflexible natural laws. 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