Why Do Good Things Happen to Bad People?

A recent conversation with a friend at a concert in Canada brought an old question back to mind. The two performers—British singer Billy Bragg and the American band Social Distortion—did not wait long before criticizing the “big bad orange man” and some of his administration’s policies, seemingly eager to display their moral purity through a little virtue signaling. Their confidence in identifying the bad people and, by implication, placing themselves among the good, reminded me of how easily we divide the world into morally simple categories.

Years ago, during a conversation with my parents, my mother asked a question that has stayed with me ever since: “Why do good things happen to bad people?”

It is obviously the reverse of the more familiar question “Why do bad things happen to good people?”—a question that is typically posed in conjunction with a theodicy of sorts. It is usually treated as a personal form of the problem of evil; that is, if God is good, holy, and just, why do innocent or morally upright people suffer?

But the inversion of this standard theological question also matters, especially when evil has become so vividly real and brought to the fore in recent years. All one has to do is think of the Covid debacle; the targeting of innocent children with the trans ideology; the insidiousness of the medical assistance in dying (MAiD) program, which Canada is a world leader in per capita; and the information contained in the Epstein files, to name a few. Now, reflecting further, if God is just, why do so many dishonest, cruel, selfish, or corrupt people often enjoy wealth, health, influence, pleasure, and success?

But before continuing this reflection, we should notice a hidden presumption within both questions. The person asking may assume that he/she belongs among the “good” and that God has not shown him/her enough favor, while others, who are less deserving according to them, seem to receive more. I believe such reasoning is a spiritual and theological misstep. St. Paul reminds us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Christianity does not segregate humanity neatly into two categories between those who deserve blessings and wicked people who deserve only punishment. We all depend upon God’s mercy and grace. We also do not fully understand God’s designs; for, as Isaiah reminds us, “my ways [are] higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Jesus also makes a similar point in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. The Pharisee praises and thanks God for not being like other sinners, while the tax collector readily recognizes his need for God’s mercy. For Jesus, it is the humble tax collector who is justified before God (Luke 18:9-14). This is why we should approach this question with care and trepidation, despite all of our indignation toward the world. Although it is prudent to question why evil appears to prosper, it is dangerous to assume that we ourselves are entitled to greater worldly blessings.

One personal example comes to mind. Close to twenty years ago, I met a woman through mutual high school friends who had undergone an abortion. Shortly thereafter she married and, from outward appearances, built a happy and successful family life. Now in this case, someone might be tempted to ask why someone who participated in such a grave wrong subsequently received these apparent blessings. But I think such a judgment is too presumptuous. As an outsider, I do not know the circumstances surrounding her tragic decision, what kind of suffering she may have endured, whether she ever repented, or how God’s grace may have worked within her life. Nevertheless, her story functions as a strong reminder that outward appearances say very little about the condition of another person’s soul.

I think the question itself brings to the surface a real theological tension. As finite creatures, we rationalize that good people should prosper and bad people should suffer. However, everyday experience does not show that life unfolds so neatly. The reality is that very decent people, even highly devout Christians, suffer greatly, while some deeply immoral people appear to flourish. Sometimes God crushes those closest to Him—Jesus, a blameless man, is the pinnacle of injustice taken up for our own sake.

In Psalm 73, the psalmist does not hide his own perplexity with “the prosperity of the wicked.” The wicked were healthy, confident, wealthy, and free of the burdens of so many others. One can think of our contemporary elite class, including many politicians and people of extreme wealth who rule much of the world. It is only later that the psalmist understands that prosperity is temporary. He chose to judge their lives by immediate external appearances rather than how they end.

In the Book of Job, we see a similar concern arise: “Why do the wicked live on, reach old age, and grow mighty in power?” (Job 21:7). Psalm 37 offers a response of sorts by suggesting that we need not become angry or envious of the success of evildoers since their success will not last forever.  

Jesus makes clear that God offers natural blessings to everyone: “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45). And as such, God’s abundant generosity is not limited to only morally upright people. Gifts such as life itself, health, intelligence, family, talent, opportunity, stability, food, and shelter can be received by all.

At this point, we may ask what does the inquisitor mean by “good things”?

We can consider things like money, comfort, health, popularity, stability, and pleasure as goods in and of themselves—but in a limited sense. In many instances, it can make life easier and be used to good ends, depending on the choices we make. And yes, none of these things guarantees whether someone is “good,” happy, or spiritually awake and alive. Wealthy people may be miserable. Powerful people may live in constant fear. A successful person may be enslaved by pride, lust, greed, or resentment, or be consumed by the constant need of others’ approval. These types of successes should not be mistaken for genuine human flourishing.

One must also be vigilant of falling into the serious danger of being spiritually dead while flourishing in the temporal world. There are many people who are spiritually dead who live without a care in the world, unaware of the condition of their soul. They may enjoy many of the successes and comforts already discussed while ignoring God, eternity, judgment, and the true meaning and purpose of life.

For example, prosperity carries a spiritual danger. A person may become so comfortable that they confuse possessing more things with possessing more intrinsic value as a person. Or even worse, they may assume that escaping earthly consequences means being immune to divine judgment. Jesus’ parable of the rich fool makes this explicitly clear. The man stores up his wealth preparing for the temporal world but not for eternity (Luke 12:20).

It is also important to realize that blessings produce a moral responsibility that is higher for those with them than for those without them. Things like intelligence, wealth, health, influence, and authority in God’s eyes are meant to be used wisely, for “from everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48).

Within the Church, over the years, there have been no shortage of unfortunate examples. Theodore McCarrick, who became Archbishop of Washington and one of the most powerful U.S cardinals, comes to mind. His rise occurred despite serious allegations. McCarrick enjoyed many goods, including prestige, powerful connections, and considerable ecclesiastical influence before the Church eventually found him guilty of grave crimes. This case serves as a stark example that outward success should never be confused with holiness or divine approval. His position, reputation, and institutional protection, which served to conceal the truth for a period of time, could not prevent it from eventually becoming known.

Grave sins such as these occur in high frequency outside of the Church. The Epstein scandal is a perfect illustration of how wealth, status, and connections may protect grave wrongdoing for only borrowed time. Some celebrities speak—seriously or jokingly—that they have “sold their souls” to the devil in exchange for fame and wealth. While we are not privy to a person’s interior life, nonetheless, such claims point to an inescapable danger: trading truth, conscience, and integrity solely for worldly gain. Temporary protection does not translate into innocence, and delayed justice does not mean justice will never arrive. God’s patience allows time for repentance, even if we may stumble very often, but it should never be mistaken for approval (Romans 2:4).

We should also exhibit caution when utilizing the term “bad people.” All of us are sinners. The great danger lies with those who repeatedly choose grave evil, profit from it, harm others, and become resistant to repentance so much so that their will is hardened against it.

So why do good things happen to bad people? Put simply, because God is generous, earthly life is not the final judgment, and material goods and temporal successes are not the highest goods.

The more profound question to ask is what those blessings produce. Is it gratitude and love or pride and spiritual death? Prosperity within the temporal world may be a gift, a test, a temptation, or just a temporary condition.

What we mustn’t forget is that in the end what matters most is not what a person possessed but what they became and whether they were ultimately prepared for eternity.