When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Rabbi Harold Kushner Chapter 7: God Can't Do Everything, But He Can

Do Some Important Things" Discussion Questions 1 A man called Rabbi Kushner late at night asking him to recite a prayer for his sick mother, and the rabbi reports feeling "troubled" by the conversation. What makes him uncomfortable about this sort of request? What are the "disturbing implications" about praying for health, according to Rabbi Kushner? 2 Have you ever prayed for someone's health? Describe the situation, what you did or said, how you felt, and what happened. Do you think that praying was helpful in that situation? Do you think it was helpful to you? Why or why not? 3 On page 115, there is a list of six responses to the problem of "unanswered prayers." Choose two of these answers. For each one, imagine that you offered a prayer for healing that was "unanswered" and somebody offered this "explanation." What would you say back to them? How do the responses make you feel? 4 Give two examples of improper prayers. (Come up with your own; don't copy the examples that Kushner gives beginning on page 115.) One of your examples whould be about impossible/unnatural requests and one should be about things in our own human power. 5 What does Rabbi Kushner think that religion does best? give one example of this type of religious experience that you have had and have enjoyed. 6 Why did Rabbi Kushner agree to pray for the stranger's mother? 7 On page 122, Kushner writes: "Prayer is not primarily a matter of asking God to change things." Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why? 8 On page 125, Kushner writes: "People who pray for miracles usually don't get miracles...But people who pray for courage, for strength to bear the unbearable, for the grace to remember what they have left instead of what they have lost, very often find their prayers answered." do you think he is right? If you agree, give an example of an "answered prayer" that you or someone you know has prayed. If you disagree, explain what you find problematic with the statement. 9 If a person dies after being prayed for, Rabbi Kushner thinks that, in a certain sense, the prayers might have still been answered. Please explain what you think he means. 10 Please list three things that you have prayed for during the during the past two weeks. 11 Please list three things for which you have expressed gratitude to God during during the past two weeks.