When Bad Things Happen to Good People

Kushner asserts that God does not dole out suffering as a form of divine retribution. The author openly challenges the theological assumption that misfortunes are a cosmic punishment for some past misdeed. From his own observations of life, he notes the randomness of suffering and the moral inconsistencies that this belief in divine punishment produces. To ground his argument in source texts that are widely accepted by a Judeo-Christian readership, he first cites the example of Job from the Hebrew Bible. Job suffers immensely despite his status as a good and righteous man, and God never provides a moral reason for Job’s suffering. Kushner then provides the real-life example of a couple who believed that their daughter’s death by a stroke was a direct result of their own failure to fast during a religious event. Seeing the spiritual harm that this belief wrought upon the couple, Kushner rejects the notion that God’s outlook is inherently punitive. His discussion on this topic is designed to free individuals from misplaced guilt and self-blame during crises. He therefore encourages people to stop asking “Why me?” and instead ask “What now?” in order to focus on constructive forms of healing.