I think it reinforces the belief that they are not in control, and that god is the ultimate arbiter who doles out both rewards and punishments.

Because they secretly escaped the mental ward and are spread the virus of an invisible deity.

I understand your pain and your thinking. there is No GOD and NO plan.

Offering empty platitudes eases their suffering when confronted with reality. Thoughts and prayers might fill someone's coffers, but will never benefit anyone in need.

First of all, I'm truly sorry for your loss. People live what they learn and we have to decide it if comes from a genuine emotion or not. I get the anger, I went thought it with the loss of my husband and mom. The people that knew my husband and mom were genuine about their feelings and used God and Jesus to as their coping mechanism, they used what they knew and I let it slide.

The only person I have control of is me. I choose how to act and react and only I will get the benefit or suffer the consequences for them. The people around me will either learn from me or ignore me. It is after all, their choice.

Any one ever hear the term god-fearing?

They don't think their God is good... They know in their hearts he isn't...

They don't love him, they don't really understand how they feel about him.

They fear him...

So much so they offer up consent for unjust murder rather then challenge his will or doubt his power... The rest is just words.

Because they want a reason for their suffering. I know I sure as hell wish my suffering was part of some bigger plan to make it worth it but noooo it's just bad luck

God’s plan doesn’t have to be humane.

Most people like to think someone is in charge. It gives them some sort of comfort and takes the responsibility for their lives off of themselves.

Such people have created a false construct, which they use to get through life - because they're mentally weak.

They view themselves as being exempt from all the bad things that can happen in life, because they are deluded.

They remind me of the people who like violent drama. The type who watch slasher films or who read crime fiction about serial killers. They enjoy it, but they never think that they could become a victim of violent crime themselves. They're special. Those things only happen to other people.

This could be extended to politics. Some working class people might vote for republicans or for a party that traditionally serves the rich. They are exempt.

I wonder if there's a narcissistic component.

I do believe it is a way to stay positive and not become devastated and become overwhelmed when bad things happen. It gives people a reason to move forward. My view is; bad stuff happens and it's a good time to reflect make changes when needed and move forward. As far as death and illness is concerned; it's a good time to remember the good times and forget the bad and treasure the memories of the ones you've lost and fill your life with others that will fill in until the pain of that loss subsides.

It's not even in the Bible. Jesus told everyone healed during his ministry that THEIR faith healed them.

In Mark 11:23 Jesus said that anyone and anyTHING (the Greek pronoun includes all declensions) that tells a mountain to throw itself into the sea and believes it (the Greek word includes both conscious and subconscious levels) that the mountain must obey them.

No mention of a mountain being thrown into the sea, and no doubt causing tsunamis, being something good, or even "god's will" - just the idea being emphasized that you are creating your own reality.

“Consciousness is fundamental and matter is derived from consciousness." – Max Planck, theoretical physicist who originated quantum theory, 1918 Nobel Prize in Physics

God has terrible plans. Is it his plan to starve millions of children worldwide? I sometimes tell christians that if there is a god he is a sadistic cruel entity.

Because it's an easy excuse to give as a way to avoid telling the truth which is that we can only play the hand we are delt.

It's a conundrum for Christians. If their god is all powerful, he has power over evil and pain and suffering. They can try to blame it on some devil, but an all powerful god would also have power over the devil. So, it has to be part of some mysterious plan that we mere mortals cannot understand. I'm not that dumb.

Do they follow up with that insipid corrollary, "that which doesn't kill us makes us stronger?"
Thanks, asshat but I was strong enough already.

I really detest it when people say, it was gods will, or it must have been their time. What a crock. Talk about passing the buck

An ignorant inane, thoughtless response

Well, if there happens to be a god, and it has a plan, it has to be in god's plan other wise it would one half-ass of a god

Of course it's a lie.

Even the Christians who say that stuff didn't get it from the Bible, since they seldom read it.

Jesus always told people who were healed during his ministry that it was THEIR faith that healed them.

In Mark 11:23, he said that if anyone or "anything" (the Greek pronoun includes all declensions) tells a mountain to throw itself into the sea, and believes it (Greek word includes both conscious and unconscious thoughts), the mountain must obey.

No mention of god or of it being "god's will" for some mountain to fall into the sea, which could presumably cause tsunamis.

The idea being conveyed is that we are co-creators of our own universe..making our own reality.

“Consciousness is fundamental, and matter is derived from consciousness." – Max Planck, theoretical physicist who originated quantum theory, 1918 Nobel Prize in Physics

They have to above all have to have someone or something to blame!

I think it's cognitive dissonance resolution. People who say things like that have bought into "god's plan", and when bad things happen, they have to lie to themselves to keep the belief strong. Anyone who will lie to herself will extrapolate that lie to anyone else feeling that pain in order to strengthen the resolution. It's psychotic, delusional Behavior. I don't think that people who will do such a thing are capable of considering the feelings of others. I am sorry for your loss, I know that time makes things a little easier, but it never makes the pain go away completely.