Re: Everything happens for a reason?
To start, I am one who believes that everything does happen for a reason. I'll tell you why...
It all comes down to balance. To me, we are not (and never will be) perfect (no matter how anal or precise I/we try to be). However, we are part of something that is dynamically perfect (based on balance). The truth about most things that we think are “destructive” argues that in actuality they are very creative. An example would be a situation where a child playing with matches starts a forest fire. He is chastised to the point of being traumatized by the incident. Two factors created in this situation are an example of the balance that is naturally obtained. First, the forest that is damaged by fire grows back 6 to 15 times faster than a forest that is removed due to de-forestation. The carbon in the soil mixed with the cooked top soil provide excellent nutrients for a forest to regenerate itself stronger and more resilient than before. Not to mention that pine cones themselves are built with this event "in mind". Secondly, that child (depending on guidance or lack thereof) either develops into a fireman (that knows everything possible about preventing and maintaining fires), or becomes a full blown pyromaniac that burns himself to oblivion in effect teaching his parents and peers that chastising a person to trauma is a mistake. Or, it teaches the parents that they were negligent in their parenting to have allowed their child to become so dangerous to himself and others. Balance is obtained. This example may also have a million other strings of balance that launch of into other lessons eternally.
Another small example (I have created many of them to back up my theory). Here is a thought: Why is the Earths moon white? You can explain the geological physics to me (I.e. a large planetary body slammed into the earth at high velocity burning everything to ash. Ash is white....blah blah blah). Now explain to me why this occurred on a planet where "intelligent beings" (that cannot see in the dark) have evolved.
There is a balance in play regardless of whether or not one believes!