Also for your friend about the parent thing again tell him god might be sending him a test (hes passed most of it i believe exscept for the faith) Anyhow i cant think of any real life things except for triple X which the government test the criminal like 3 to 4 times to make sure he was a good agent and wouldnt double cross them (Such as the part when he was locked in the cuban drug lord building) But I dont think of them as tests now that i think about it if you think it thoroughly its more like a faith builder if you pass it your faith goes up if u fail less faith etc.