Why do bad things happen?

In a world of duality, we must have events to evaluate as "bad" in order to have events that can be called "good." Everything here is defined by contrast and comparison. People are defined by what they are and by what they are not. Things are identified by their traits as distinguished from the traits of other things.

In non-duality, God has nothing to do with this world. God pertains to a realm of no contrasts, no comparisons, no distinctions, no individuals. Perfect Oneness, all-inclusive.

People ask all the time, "How can I believe in a God that allows this (insert unsavory event) to happen?" People who find this dilemma to be a stumbling block might do well to consider non-dualistic thought. God doesn't allow bad stuff to occur, and God doesn't make the good stuff happen, either. We are doing the whole show.

Incidentally, this is why we like dramatic story plots so much, too. We teach the kids in literature classes that you can't have a plot without a conflict. Wow. Very telling. We can't imagine a storyline that's worth our time unless there's duality involved. Literature is symbolic of human life. And human life is symbolic of ego. Ego is the belief that there is something OTHER than God.

So if we stopped believing in ego, would bad things quit happening? Eventually, ALL things will quit happening. (They're not REALLY happening NOW !) But I will assert that as you walk the path of non-duality, you will find it less and less necessary to constantly evaluate anything as 'good' or 'bad.' As you become more aware of the Peace of God, you begin to see the turbulence and drama of the world as the nonsense that it represents, and you will participate in it less. Your forehead will smooth out, you will smile more frequently, and you'll sleep better.

Hey, that's a pretty good deal. What could you lose by ASKing?