Why do religious people say "God has a plan" or "It's all part of Gods plan"?

The whole "god has a plan" refrain is used when someone doesn't know what else to say, and/or to comfort not the person hearing it but the person saying it. It is a way for someone hearing terrible news to self-affirm her or his religious beliefs when bad things threaten to make them question their faith, and has absolutely nothing to do with you, the recipient of aforementioned trite colloquialism. It's basically a way of telling you they can't handle your (or their own) sad feelings and would like you to not grieve in front of them because they don't want to feel sad too.

I am so terribly sorry about your friend, and I hope her daughter can recover someday.

I would have to assume those who say things like that believe it. They often don't know what to say to someone who has suffered an unspeakable loss, so they fill the air with stupid sounds that they assume will bring some peace. What would help is empathy. Put themselves in the place of the one going through the loss and asking themselves how it would feel to be told "God has a plan" or "it was God's will." Maybe then they would shut up or simply say, "I am very sorry for your loss."

Congratulations, you have began the 1st step of your journey in direction of faith. maximum atheists presume that they have extra suitable intelligence & believers are dumb. by definition, there can purely be one writer, GOD, by regardless of call he's usual. GOD has tried to bare himself to all mankind in the time of the an prolonged time. Our diverse religions are mankind's theory expressed by their custom. Abraham is created with having the main precise know-how: "pay attention O Israel, your GOD is One GOD." consequently, the Jews have been chosen. Their venture became into to deliver the Son of GOD into the worldwide, to maintain all mankind.

god has a plan for mankind and for those he created

So this time Gods plan is to leave an 11 year old child with no mother?

no that was not god's plan the mother took it upon her self to leave the daughter with out a mother

Gods plan is to make an 11 year old girl go through bouts of depression at this loss, to feel at fault (most children do feel that way in such cases), to go through her life with no mother?

no god had a plan for the woman and she chose to take her own life

god has a plan for the child to make her life better

her mother caused the pain in the child's life not god

How can these people actually say that "it's all part of Gods plan" with a smile on their faces?

god has a plan he would like the child to come to know

the child has to choose to seek out the plan

god's plan is not to make the child suffer you are making assumptions that are not true

"God has a plan" supposed to be comforting in such a situation?

it means god works things out for good from the sorrows and tragedies in our life

Yeah it is a tragic event. But can I ask you a question? Can that mother ever avoid death? One day or other she has to die. It is out of our control. Nothing happens without God's knowledge. Romans 8:28 says all things work togather for those who love God, who are called according to His purposes. Death is unavoidable. It will come. But there is Someone who knows the future. If you love God it is for your good.

Because simple people look for simple answers to complex problems.

and throwing your hands up and saying "god has a plan" is another way of saying "I give up, I just don't get it."

it's an easy way out.

life is complicated. but religion makes it seem black and white. wrong or right.

the problem is under scrutiny, religion contradicts itself.

God wants life to have meaning.

Life is meaningless without free will.

With free will there is suffering.

God wants suffering.

So you told a Christian that your friend killed themselves and they responded with a smile? That does not seem like the response of a rational person. I don't know about the smile part, but putting that aside, God does have a plan for every single person on Earth. But the reality is that we have choice. We do not have to follow God's plan. We can "do our own thing" any day of the week that we want to. And this is the problem. We only look to God when we do not want to take human choice and volition into account.

Did you talk about God when your friend gave birth to the child who is now 11? Did you go around giving God credit for blessing her with a baby girl? Did you or the friend thank God for keeping the girl safe and healthy all these years? See, this is where the disconnect comes in. God is only a factor when you feel like making Him one. But at the end of the day we CHOOSE what type of relationship we want with God.

God's plan is for all of us to come back into His family and have a loving relationship with Him. People choose (with the assistance of Satan who provides all sorts of distractions and temptations) to either follow God's plan or not. But first we have to deal with our sin. And that is what lots of people don't even want to hear about. We are all sinners, all in violation of God's laws and all deserving of eternal punishment. But God, out of love for us, sent His Son to die for us and take our punishment for us.

I hope your friend had a relationship with God, but it sounds like she probably didn't. It seems like it may be the time to bring God into this, but at the end of the day, your friend made a choice. We are all accountable for our decisions. And believe me, we in America have it GOOD. If you have 3 meals a day available to you, you are better off than 75% of the world's population. If you have a car on top of that you are better off than 85%! We have so much to be thankful to God for and yet we don't even make time for that. And yet, God still makes a plan for us to come back to Him.

John 3:17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

I pray you CHOOSE to consider God's offer.

God was not in on your friends suicide that is you idea of a joke?

It is the devil who has an assignment against human beings because he hates all of us and Christians especially.

It would help if you got your story straight and not blame God for things that are hearsay from you because it is a jumble whether on purpose or you really do not know.

Christians are NOT RELIGIOUS fyi

I am very sorry for the suicide of your friend perhaps they were on drugs or some other things have been happy like bulling that happens a lot in school as you know.

Some will say that to cope themselves with the reality of the situation.

I am sorry for your friend, and her daughter.

Because, it's all part of God's plan. I could cite a few scriptures. But, I seem to have the inkling that you would prefer to have an answer that confirms your prejudices.