Everything happens for a reason

I've heard this said. Often when the proverbial has hit the fan. But such a short, flippant statement has significant implications: destiny or some kind creator/overseer; lack of free will. So I don't buy it.

What is a useful alternative? Slightly more verbose, but how about:

You cannot know the counterfactual of any outcome, therefore it is impossible to form a firm judgement of whether the outcome is good or bad.