You could be right!

That is standard response for religious fools, because that can't explain what happened. Or so blinded religious bs they can't think straight. I just blow it off and go among my business.

I usually just laugh then ask them why are they gullible enough to believe that garbage.

I just say Sure. They mean well and it doesn't offend me

Meant to be could just be a predermined outcome of a collapsed probability function for that specific event. Thank God doesn't bug be because an infinitesimally small percent of the population actually says that and means it

"Meant to be" is a different story.

There are Athiests who believe we do not have free Will because our DNA and brain chemistry creates the roadmap of all of our thoughts and decisions and we can only follow our preprogrammed path.

Do you pray?

If so, why do you oppose God's will? What makes you believe you know better than God? Kind of arrogant to assume you know better and to ask God to rearrange the universe to suit your will.

If that don't work, then remind them that Child Rapes and Stillbirths are also God's will.

How do you know?

Say it ain't so!!!!!!

There is no "meant to be", shit happens.

For something like that it is not worth the energy required to formulate a response. I ignore it unless it is pressed.

How do you know what was meant to be or even what god's plan is? I'm almost to a point of asking that question flat out because I'm tired of the nonsense.

"Yeah gods a right cunt aint he" usually brings an end to the conversation

Eye roll and walk away.

Nothen at all . I just let them believe whatever they want . But honestly god has some terrible wills thou at times lols

God doesn't have a will & "Your source?"

Thinking that's the excuse the religious fools use for a lot of things they can't explain. Do to there limited thinking about things. I'm glad that I'm enlightened and able to think for myself.

My response is: if it’s your belief that God made you, then let me say he gave you a brain which is capable of wonderful things, like formulating and putting into action concepts to I don’t know reduce criminal activity; treat if not cure illnesses; heal the Earth, etc, etc

"Praise God! I knew it was not me!"

Everything that ever happens was meant to be. It's not possible to have it any other way when something already happens. So technically they are right. Saying it was God's will is just another way of saying it, but it's them putting their own belief of a God into it. Those expressions are not mutually exclusive.

Was it always meant to be? Before it happened? That's another discussion.

I would just tell them I'm not on a Crusade. The battle cry of the Crusaders was "Deus Vult", or " Wills It" in Latin.

If you think so...
Really depends on how much I want to discuss\generate polemic.

Okay.

There is nothing wrong with what they say. You can be Atheist and deterministic at the same time. So just agree with them.

That it creates evil and is complicit with its believers immoral/unethical behavior.