Occam's Razor

Occam's Razor

I'm not taking a side in what follows; I'm just looking at the issue from both sides.

Today, in a senseless, fiery crash, seven foster children died when their car was hit by a semi driven by a man who "just wasn't paying attention." The youngest child was 21 months old. Children in the school bus also sustained injuries. When the deceased children's grandfather heard of the calamity, he dropped dead from a heart attack on the spot.

Which leads me to ask, given the principle of Occam's Razor, which explanation of the above events is simpler, more reasonable, and thus, more believable? Either:

1. The universe is a cold, indifferent place, where random events occur without regard to human suffering.


2. The universe is ruled by a single, almighty, omniscient Being, who personally cares for every inhabitant who's ever lived, and manipulates events according to an all-good, yet inscrutable plan that often appears evil to us.

It would seem that the only religion with an answer for this sort of dilemma is Buddhism, under the tenets of which "stuff (just) happens." Or there is the possibility of the ancient gods--the Elder Gods--from Baal to Zeus, who ruled capriciously and lustfully. Anger those gods, and they smash you to a pulp. Placate them, and they just might let you live another day. With those gods, there was no straining the brain trying to interpret every event as participating in some greater good, despite its outward appearance of evil.