"Whether religious or not, this book will speak because it
touches-profoundly, but simply-on questions no parent and no person
can avoid." -Harvey Cox, Harvard Divinity School
"
When Bad Things Happen to Good People offers a moving and
humane approach to understanding life's windstorms." -Elisabeth
KŸbler-Ross
"A touching, heartwarming book for those of us who must contend
with suffering, and that, of course, is all of us." -Andrew M.
Greeley
"This is a book all humanity needs. It will help you understand
the painful vicissitudes of this life and enable you to stand up to
them creatively." -Norman Vincent Peale
1. What is wrong, according to Kushner, with the quotations from
the Bible on page 12? Such teachings tell us that God is in control
and makes things happen for a reason; why does Kushner disagree
with the perspective they express?
2. What does Kushner mean when he says, "Chaos is evil" [p.
61]?
3. Throughout the book, Kushner emphasizes the role of community
in bringing people through their worst pain and grief. He mentions
Jewish traditions like the meal of replenishment and the recitation
of the Mourner's Kaddish [p. 133], which shift the focus away from
grief and death and back to life. Why is this idea so important,
and why is it so often overlooked by people who are suffering from
a loss?
4. What is the main message of the prayer written by Jack Riemer
[pp. 130-31]? How does it differ from the kinds of prayers people
often pray, like asking God for acceptance to a certain college or
asking for a relative to get well? How is it similar to or
different from the prayer of Jacob, discussed on pages 136-37?
5. Do the ideas expressed in When Bad Things Happen to
Good People apply equally well to private and public
tragedy-say, one person's death from cancer as opposed to the
massive loss of life that took place on September 11, 2001, or the
devastation of the 2003 earthquake in Iran? How might these ideas
affect a reader's moral understanding of history's worst
events?
6. Why is the story of Job so important to this book? What
insight does Kushner bring to the story?
7. Kushner writes, "I no longer hold God responsible for
illnesses, accidents, and natural disasters, because I realize that
I gain little and I lose so much when I blame God for those things"
[p. 147]. Does it make sense that God is not an active agent in
human misfortune? Why do most people think that God is responsible
for the bad things that happen to us?
8. The idea that suffering has no meaning is "the most
significant challenge that can be offered to the point of view I
have been advocating in this book" [p. 148]. How does Kushner come
to terms with this problem?
9. What is the wisdom in Kushner's suggestion that we should
always focus on looking forward, asking ourselves, "Now that this
has happened to me, what am I going to do about it?" [p. 149]
10. Kushner writes, "There is a crucial difference between
denying the tragedy, insisting that everything is for the best, and
seeing the tragedy in the context of a whole life, keeping one's
eye and mind on what has enriched you and not only on what you have
lost" [p. 153]. Why is this shift in perspective so important?
11. "The facts of life and death are neutral. We, by our
responses, give suffering either a positive or a negative meaning"
[p. 151]. How central is this statement to the book's overall
argument?
12. Kushner says that he would give up all of the wisdom and
sensitivity that he gained through his own suffering in order to be
"the father of a bright, happy boy" [p. 147]. If Kushner's son had
lived, it is unlikely he would have written this book. Kushner
argues that suffering is not ennobling, yet his readers might argue
that in his case it was. What is the creative potential of tragic
experience?
13. If you could summarize in a sentence or two how this book
has changed your perspective on the most difficult problems you
face, what would you say? What inspiration does the book offer for
you?