To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

Susan Griffith : Jan 5, 2011  Case Western Reserve University

"Even people who deeply love and respect God can become angry. Just as people become upset or angry with others, including loved ones, they can also become angry with God."

The notion of being angry with God goes back to ancient days. Such personal struggles are not new, but Case Western Reserve University psychologist Julie Exline began looking at "anger at God" in a new way.

"Many people experience anger toward God," Exline explains. "Even people who deeply love and respect God can become angry. Just as people become upset or angry with others, including loved ones, they can also become angry with God."

Exline, an associate professor in Case Western Reserve's College of Arts and Sciences, has researched anger toward God over the past decade, conducting studies with hundreds of people, including college students, cancer survivors and grief-stricken family members.

She and her colleagues report their results in the article, "Anger toward God: Social-Cognitive Predictors, Prevalence, and Links with Adjustment to Bereavement and Cancer" in the new issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. (Photo by: Rene Asmussen)

Anger toward God often coincides with deaths, illnesses, accidents or natural disasters. Yet anger is not limited to traumatic situations. It can also surface when people experience personal disappointments, failures, or interpersonal hurts. Some people see God as ultimately responsible for such events, and they become angry when they see God's intentions as cruel or uncaring. They might think that God abandoned, betrayed, or mistreated them, Exline says.

Exline notes that it can be difficult for people to acknowledge their anger toward God. Many people are ashamed and don't want to admit their feelings, she says. In particular, people who are highly religious may believe that they should focus only on the positive side of religious life.

"But religion and spirituality are like other domains of life, such as work and relationships," Exline says. "They bring important benefits, but they can bring difficulties as well. Anger with God is one of those struggles," she adds.

According to Exline's findings, Protestants, African Americans, and older people tend to report less anger at God; people who do not believe in God may still harbor anger; and anger toward God is most distressing when it is frequent, intense, or chronic.

Overcoming anger at God, she says, may require some of the same steps needed to resolve other anger issues.

"People may benefit from reflecting more closely on the situation and how they see God's role in it," Exline suggests. "For example, they may become less angry if they decide that God was not actually responsible for the upsetting event, or if they can see how God has brought some meaning or benefit from a painful situation."

People who feel angry toward God also need to be reassured that they are not alone. Many individuals experience such struggles, she adds. She suggests that people try to be open and honest with God about their anger, rather than pulling away or trying to cover up their negative feelings.

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

'Darkness Doesn't Stand a Chance': A Great Multitude Takes Part in 2024 National Day of Prayer

City of Muenster in Texas Becomes 69th 'Safe Haven' City for the Unborn in the US

Clues: US Anti-Israel Protests Fueled by Major Foreign Funding; Backed by Iran, Hamas

Top Biden DOJ Official Busted for Lying About Past Arrest

Victory for Election Integrity: Court Blocks Undated Ballots

Trump Visits FDNY Station after Court, Buys Them Pizza. Their Response: 'Save Us, Please!'

EDUCATE Act Would Ban DEI Indoctrination in Medical Schools

DeSantis Declares Florida 'Will Not Comply' With Biden Rule Forcing 'Gender Identity' On Schools

House Bill, 'Passed With Overwhelming Support,' Would Criminalize Parts of the Bible, and Violate the Constitution

'We're Going to Light Up This World': National Day of Prayer to Lift God's Word to Combat Darkness

Trump's TIME Interview: Leftist Media is Triggered, But 'Liberty-Minded Americans' Give a Thumbs-Up

While Israel Awaits Hamas' Response to Ceasefire Deal, Bibi Says 'We Will Act' as Needed to Overcome

Parents' Rights Group Calls Out SC Librarians for Sneaking Ideologically-Charged Books into Schools

Another Boeing Whistleblower Dies; Josh Dean, 45, Succumbs to 'Sudden Illness'

CDC Concealed Evidence Linking Deaths to Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines, Internal Documents Reveal

AstraZeneca Finally Admits Their COVID-19 Vaccine Causes Thrombosis With Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS)

Amid Anti-Israel Protests, These Fraternity Brothers Prove Patriotism Endures at US Colleges

Jailed Pro-Lifer Who Was Held in Prolonged Solitary Confinement Suffers Stroke

'The Chosen' Finds a New Home on Streaming Platform: 'A Tremendous Win for Disney's Image'

The Homeschooling Miracle in the Pacific Northwest: 'Nothing Is Impossible for God'

Steve Shultz, Managing Editor
Founder and Owner

Aimee Herd, Editor