At the fall of the Garden of Eden man was given free will.

God's ability to create irony is impeccable.

perhaps because those who have all those bad habits need longer to change.

If He wiped out all the people who have ever done a bad thing, how many people do you think would be left?

Because they are truly the ones suffering.

Hop this Helps??? John DOCTRINE OF CARRYING YOUR SORROWS A. 1 Thes 4:13. 1. "But we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope." "Asleep" refers to Christian death with emphasis on resurrection in awakening. "The rest" refers to unbelievers. 2. Most people carry great sorrow in their soul for friends and loved ones who have died. But you should not impose this sorrow on others. To do so is function under the demand syndrome. Nor should you permit sorrow to turn into bitterness. 3. This sorrow should give you tenderness and compassion for those who have lost their loved ones in death. This sorrow should also remind you of the grace of God, who has provided an interim life after death before resurrection. 4. Life must go on. God has a purpose for you being alive after the death of a loved one. This does not mean that you should forget loved ones who have died. But your grief and sorrow should be tempered with the absolute assurance of their perfect happiness in heaven. a. They are absent from the body and face-to-face with the Lord, 2 Cor 5:8. b. They are in a place of no more sorrow, no more tears, no more pain, no more death, the old things have passed away, Rev 21:4. 5. Principles. a. We cannot stop normal living because whom we love have died and gone to heaven. b. We cannot resent others who seem to be having a good time while we are in a state of sorrow and grief. c. We cannot demand from our circle of friends that they remain with us in a state of grief or remorse. 6. After an elapse of time, others seem not to care while the one who has lost a loved one is still in grief. Is this fair? Emphatically yes. a. Inevitability, your comfort in time of sorrow must come from the Lord. You cannot be people dependent any more in the case of a loved one than in any other status, including marriage. b. From the inventory of Bible doctrine in your soul comes the realization, the application of the Word of God. Your loved ones are in a status of perfect happiness whether they were winners or losers in the execution of the protocol plan of God. 7. In your sorrow, you must release your friends from the obligation to share the deep sorrow you personally carrying and will carry for the rest of your life. You cannot expect to create a pall of gloom around yourself and have all of your friends enter into the periphery of that pall of gloom. That is not the way God ever intended for anyone to face the death of a loved one. 8. In your grief, you must apply pertinent doctrine. Therefore, remember that, as believers in Christ, your departed loved ones are in a state of perfect happiness in heaven. 9. With your sorrow you will carry the fragrance of memories. And with that fragrance you will never resent the happiness of others who go on with their lives. This is what Bible doctrine will do for you, unless you enter into the arrogance of the demand syndrome. B. Eccl 3:4. 1. "There is a time to weep, and a time to laugh. There is a time to mourn, and a time to dance." The trouble with many believers is that their timing is off. 2. You are not betraying the trust of loved ones if you continue to live. Even when you heart is broken and you are around others who are laughing and enjoying life, there are three things you must remember. a. Do not resent them. b. Do not hate them. c. Do not impose the heavy burden of your sorrow and grief on them. 3. Your sorrow is a private matter between you and the Lord. Your loneliness belongs to you, and is the tribute to the one you love who is now in the presence of the Lord. 4. Christian virtue does weep with those who weep, and rejoices with those who rejoice. Rom 12:15. 5. But there comes a time when those who weep should be as those who did not weep. 1 Cor 7:30. 6. It is not honoring to the dead in Christ to perpetuate grief into abnormality, to enter into the demand syndrome that everyone around you must join you in your grief. Instead you must come to the point of rejoicing in the fact that your loved ones in heaven are in a state of perfect happiness no matter what their status was as a Christian on earth. Also you must remember that one day you will join them. 7. We bear one another's burdens through our sympathy, compassion, generosity, thoughtfulness, and tenderness. But we do not impose on others the arrogance of the demand syndrome: that all of our friends should stop living because we carry the heavy burden of grief and sorrow. C. Communion is the example. 1. Lk 22:19, "Keep on doing this in remembrance of Me." We celebrate the communion table and remember our Lord, but we do not have abnormal grief. 2. 1 Cor 11:24, "When He had given thanks, He broke it [the bread] and said, `This is My body which is given as a substitute for you. Keep on doing this in memory of Me. This cup is the new testament of My blood. Whenever you drink it, do this for the purpose of remembering My [death].'" We remember Him who died for us. 3. You can remember loved ones without being arrogant. You can remember loved ones and carry the burden of sorrow without entering into the demand syndrome. We all carry sorrow, but we do not wear our sorrow as a badge of legalism. 4. Your loved ones in heaven are enjoying perfect happiness. Do they want you to have anything less on earth? 5. You can remember the death of a loved one with sorrow that is now changed into joy. This is expected of Christians. "We sorrow not as those who have no hope." 6. There should never be any bitterness with regard to the death of a loved one who is now in heaven. Jesus Christ has made death a victory; God's victory, which has been given to us. Never are we mandated to have one second of bitterness. 7. We have to carry on in life under logistical grace. Logistical grace mandates that we carry on in life. We are still supported in life that we will carry on. 8. For the mature believer, life goes on with occupation with Christ. Occupation with Christ never has one second of bitterness or regret. In occupation with Christ we sometimes laugh and sometimes cry; sometimes our hearts are filled with sorrow, and sometimes with joy. Occupation with Christ demands that we go on living. Our loved ones in heaven would have it so. 9. This can also be illustrated by the love we have for pets we have had and lost. 10. The death of a loved one makes one tender. We have the fragrance of memories; they have the best of everything face-to-face with the Lord. 11. As our Lord said to Thomas, "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself that where I am, there you may be also." 12. When you remember that those of your loved ones who have believed in Christ are now in the place of perfect happiness, it tempers your sorrow. You only have that sorrow as long as you live. But none of us ever have the right to take that sorrow and make it a guideline for anyone else. It is our private sorrow, our fragrance of memory; it belongs to us personally. 13. But the tragedy is that, in the loss of a loved one, we seek to superimpose our personality, feelings, and ideas on others. 

Because there is no God.

the ones who believe usually sweep these realities under the carpet.

Perhaps because the world isn't all black and white?? - Perhaps because there aren't just good people and bad people??? Where do you get off condemning others? What do you know about self destructive habits or "drugging"? Who are these "horrible people" ? Is it fair that I die before you because I have "self-destructive habits" ?? (I smoke) Is that whats "right" in your eyes? Who are you to judge people and their faults when you obviously don't understand? And dont tell me you do! ... because you really don't if you can just automatically ASSUME that somebody who has a "horrible habit" or a "drugging" problem isn't just an another INDIVIDUAL---- --- Who's probably had a really messed up existance so far and can't think clearly enough to make good choices for him/herself anymore, or is just going through a hard time, or ran out of chances or whatever... We all have issues and we all have to fight at one time or another to keep our heads above water, if we're lucky enough to be doing what we feel is right for ourselves at last...why should we turn around and spit on those who are still struggling? We find out what works through trial and error in life. Everyone has to have bad times, bad habits...its neccesary - Why demonise it? Of course, people can go overboard and end up treating themselves and others terribly - but we have to try to understand and empathise with them to help - we're all equal. We all have our own individual potential and we have to respect that. You cant rank yourself above others like that. It's bordering on serious dogma.

I wrote the question because I wanted to see if anyone came up with what I believe the LORD showed me. I was not condemning anyone or critizing anyone. Altreadia you to me got it right....moosemose when I have about 2 free hours I will sit and read your answer....(joke)way too long but I can see you are a wise one..I like that!!! Schismthecat it was a question that I had in my head for a long long time after my mom died and I couldn't understand why I had seen alot of great people who had been good people who took care of others and took care of themselves and were giving and just good people...and boom all of a sudden they get cancer..a car crash or something else takes them out of our presence. Then I see a man who over and over has sexually assaulted me and molested so many little children and boozes it up and smokes like a freight train yet here he is for 76 years and still going strong....I got real mad at GOD about that!!! I asked HIM why...the answer HE gave me is, "Regina I am merciful and I desire that noone should perish." I understood it to be that HE just gives them time and more time to come to HIM and to get it right!!!! I am not judging anyone. I am truly trying to understand some questions that I just don't understand. I got my answer from the LORD and I asked it from answerbag people to see what they think. I have issues and you have and everyone does. I never try to be the person that you seem to think that I am. I feel attacked by you and that you are angry for the question....??? Or do you think that I am judging people..good ..bad??? It's reality..it's just how it is. I'm not ranking myself above anyone. I did some things that I am not proud of but accepting the LORD into my life is what changed me. I just try to figure out things at times and am inquisitive. Maybe I just used the wrong words..for Schismthecat I will be more careful next time!!!

put it this way - if you were God - which would you want by your side?

Because then we wouldn't have free will. i'm gonna say this again, ive said it so many times, we are responsible for ourselves, God only creat us, he didn;t create what we will become. that is up to us. he has no control of when someone dies. when it happens, it happens. btw if only the god die young then why is the pope so old?

Stop seeking rationality in fairy tales. There is no god.

Your misunderstanding is that God 'takes' anyone! He does not "take" anyone! There are old 'good' people as well as old scum. The bible is clear that bad stuff can happen to anyone at anytime. [Ecc 9:11] These rotten happenings in the world are a result of Adam and Eve rejecting the Creators 'one' simple law. In doing this they not only rejected God...but 'His' Government... which was void of war, crime, illness, and death! The actions of this first pair also boasted that we humans didn't need God...that we could Govern ourselves. God has allowed this challenge to take place, allowing this charge to be answered. We today are living in this framework which is at its closing. Simply put...although some time has been needed, this Q has been answered with a huge "Man cannot do this"! God has promised to return the earth to paradise conditions soon...and to also remove all crime, illness, and human death...restoring everlasting life for man on a paradise earth. [Ps 37:9-11; Isa. 11:6-9; Rev. 21:3,4] Does this help?

God in his mercy appears to allow the evil people more time to repent - hence they live longer. Some of the most caring people indeed appear to be taken away from us early - Maybe they have reached such a state of grace and perfection that the Lord says to come home now - before they have time to be badly influenced! Generally - we are all free agents. We choose good or evil. We cannot always expect God to intervene on behalf of the good against the bad else we would all be his slaves. He prefers our choice to choose him and all that is good - given freely.

Nowhere in any religion's scripture does it say that life is fair.

I don't think anyone except God knows the answer to that one. That's just what happens.

People who have bad habits live longer so that they can truly suffer the consequences of what they had done not only to themselves, but to other people as well.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

[42] "Consider not that Allah (God) is unaware of that which the Zalimun (polytheists, wrong-doers) do, but He gives them respite up to a Day (Day of Judgement) when the eyes will stare in horror. [43] (They will be) hastening forward with necks outstretched, their heads raised up (towards the sky), their gaze returning not towards them and their hearts empty (from thinking because of extreme fear)." [The Noble Quran 14:42-43] "And let not the disbelievers think that Our postponing of their punishment is good for them. We (Allah) postpone the punishment only so that they may increase in sinfulness. And for them is a disgracing torment." [The Noble Quran 3:178] "[55] Do they think that in wealth and children with which We (Allah) enlarge them [56] We hasten unto them with good things. Nay, (it is a Fitnah (trial) in this worldly life so that they will have no share of good things in the Hereafter) but they perceive not." [The Noble Quran 23:55-56]

After reading your question, it's more obvious that God doesn't exist.

Because God loved us show much he wanted us to choose to love him so he give us Free Will. Good people died early because God wants them home in heven.