Everything happens for a reason. Can you point me to any site that discusses this statement? Something smells in it bad, but what? Probably the main problem is mistaking cause for reason. mistaking "there is an explanation" for "there is a reason", etc... I would appreciate to have some nice starting points to think about it.

I can't point you to a Web site, but I can give you my thoughts on the subject.

The big problem with the statement is that it is vague. What does the speaker really mean? I can think of a number of possibilities.

1) As you said, they may be using "reason" as a synonym for "cause". This is a trivial statement (and may not be true from the perspective of quantum physics). But if, from there, they then say that "reason" is a synonym for "intention," an only a thinking being can have intention, then they are committing the logical fallacy of equivocation (confusing two different definitions of a word).

2) If they mean that God has a plan for everyone's life and everything is a part of that plan, then this is a statement of faith. It also can raise many questions about God's intentions.

3) If they are referring to fate, karma, or something like that, it's just another statement of faith.

4) If the statement is made in response to bad news, it may just be the equivalent of "Don't worry, it'll work out." (I must say that I find this a tad annoying, though.)

I hope that helps!