[tasuki]

>> Surely you in your life you have met many Christians who said "God works in mysterious ways", "there is a purpose for everything", "trust in the Lord", etc.?

> Yes, but this is something people say in times of grief, for the comfort of the grieving

It is the stupidest thing to say to someone who is grieving.

[estarkio]

God had a dozen billion years or so of lead time, but he couldn't piece the plan together without giving your toddler glioblastoma.

Trust the process!

[TaurenHunter]

What if that child was to become a Hitler otherwise?

[senko]

This is the cruelest comment I've seen on HN in a long time.

[TaurenHunter]

It is not cruel, it is a hypothetical question/ethical dilemma just like the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_problem

If you could go back in time would you kill Hitler or silently give him neuroblastoma at an age before he announced his evil ideas so that he doesn't become a martyr?

Check out: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0734776/

[gunian]

man not even close HN is so cruel

[carlosjobim]

What would you accept to be said? What would be good enough for you? Words are not magical, they are just sounds. In the most important situations in life and in death, words are simply lacking. We as humans haven't been gifted with neither a spoken nor a written language which can encompass all our feelings and meanings. Words cannot even come close. So people have to do with what they have. And you are in no position to judge against somebody who means well.

[codr7]

It doesn't take much common sense to realize that someone who's neck deep into grief isn't going to find much comfort in being told something happened for a reason.

I happen to believe that everything does happen for a reason, because in general that makes more sense to me and there's no proof either way; but in the middle of the storm it's an extremely difficult position to hold.

What people actually do need in those situations is presence, someone who listens; not good advice.

[drdude]

I strongly agree!

I'd rather say something truthful and of support, backed by real action and history if actual support instead of saying something trivial. I remember a friend told me such thing when I was grieving (something along the lines of "you have to pray" or something) and I blurted "oh really? so I wasn't praying. so it was my fault? so I needed YOU to remind me at my worst times? what happened to reason?"... he stopped talking to me for few months, we are still friends... but if he hugged me and kept quiet just the looks of their face feeling sad for me would have been the perfect support I needed. Sometimes silence is way better than telling a religious lie to "comfort me".

[tourmalinetaco]

I pray you find God and peace in life.

[tasuki]

> What would you accept to be said? What would be good enough for you? Words are not magical, they are just sounds. In the most important situations in life and in death, words are simply lacking.

It's ok not to say anything.

> And you are in no position to judge against somebody who means well.

Oh yes I am. Having good intentions is not enough. I'm sure - in their own worldview - Hitler and Stalin and Mao had good intentions.

When my partner died and I was left to care for our toddler, I learned firsthand about what is and isn't helpful to hear in such situations. The person who said "I know how you feel, I felt awful when my dog died" missed the mark. So would anyone who would say "there is a purpose for everything". No, there was no purpose, and fuck anyone who suggests otherwise.

"God works in mysterious ways", "there is a purpose for everything", and "trust in the Lord" isn't said to comfort the grieving, it's said to comfort the one saying it (and to help them propagate their worldview). Again, fuck that.

[specialist]

> it's said to comfort the one saying it

True.

Such utterances are offensive. But what of it?

My culture (WASP in USA) sucks when it comes to death and grieving. Denial of Death, Why Bad Things Happen to Good People, blah blah blah.

The only advice that's helped me cope with other people is "It's not about you."

When someone tells me "They're in a better place" (or whatever), I just try to remember your point: they're trying to comfort themselves, process their own experience.

[satvikpendem]

Yes, but that is nonetheless the context in which it is said.