Even god can be object of human anger

WASHINGTON - Even god can be the object of human anger for the right or wrong reasons.

“Even people who deeply love and respect god can become angry,” said Case Western Reserve University psychologist and associate professor Julie Exline in the US.

“Just as people become upset or angry with others, including loved ones, they can also become angry with god,” added Exline, reports the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Exline 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, according to a Case Western statement.

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 has abandoned, betrayed or mistreated them, Exline said.

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.”