Does Everything Happen For a Reason?

“Everything happens for a reason” – a phrase you’ve probably heard of countless times. For the most part, this saying is used to console or provide comfort when something unfortunate happens. Personally, I’ve repeated this expression to myself and others numerous times because it helps relieve some of the overthinking and anxious thoughts. It’s important to recognize that this phrase is most believed to have derived from religious influence. However, being raised non-religious, I’ve always found this saying quite interesting and yet also hypocritical. To elaborate, if God has a plan for us all, how does one explain to a mother that her child dying is somehow part of a plan for her or it happened for a reason? Thoughts like this prompt me to question the legitimacy of this saying. Therefore, I’ve found it to be an interesting topic to further investigate. I haven’t yet tried to answer this question, but I think I can take it from two different perspectives: religious and non-religious.

Each of these lenses tend to view this question on opposite sides, so I think it will be intriguing to research. I might want to ask Professor Kjellberg about this topic because of his familiarity with philosophy, specifically Buddhism. Alternatively, I’d like to ask my friend Trinity since she has a strong Catholic background yet has alternative viewpoints regarding certain topics pertaining to my questions. Finally, I’d like to ask my mother as she chose to raise me non-religiously and holds a unique perspective about the universe. Others have tried to answer this question, but most lack evidence, since the topic has no true physicality to research.