Feeling Born That Way Linked to Anger at God Study

Author: Case Western Reserve University
Published: 18 Feb 2015 - Updated: 17 Sep 2026
Publication Details: Peer-Reviewed | Research, Study, Analysis

Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - Overview - FAQs - Insights, Updates - Related Content

Synopsis

This research, published in a peer-reviewed journal and conducted by Case Western Reserve University, investigates how individuals' beliefs about being “born that way” can lead them to blame God for their own moral missteps. The study found that people who attribute their actions - such as breaking moral rules or struggling with certain behaviors - to innate characteristics like genetics or personality are more likely to feel anger or hostility toward God, especially if they were raised with strong religious beliefs that define certain behaviors as prohibited.

This information is authoritative and useful because it highlights a psychological pathway linking personal identity, religious upbringing, and spiritual conflict, which can have significant effects on mental health, including increased depression, suicidal ideation, and poor recovery from illness. The findings are particularly relevant for individuals with disabilities, seniors, or anyone facing challenges with identity and faith, as they offer insight into how feelings of being “set up to fail” by a higher power can complicate both spiritual and psychological well-being; for example, someone who feels their desires or tendencies are innate yet condemned by their faith tradition may experience a crisis of faith and emotional distress.*

At a Glance

• 1 - The project received a 1.4 million dollar grant from the John Templeton Foundation. It supported a three-year study of spiritual and religious struggles directed by Julie Exline.
• 2 - The work was published in the Journal of Psychology and Theology by doctoral student Joshua Grubbs and professor Julie Exline. Its title asks why God made a person a certain way.
• 3 - In the first experiment, participants imagined a character who broke a fictional God's rules due to a genetic condition. Those given that scenario more often described anger and hostility toward the God.
• 4 - In the second experiment, college students and adults recalled a personal moral wrong and rated its causes. Those who blamed personality or biology were more likely to feel angry and upset at God afterward.

Topic Definition

Anger at God

Anger at God refers to the feelings of hostility, disappointment, resentment, or mistrust that a person can direct toward a divine being, often in response to suffering, hardship, or a sense of being wronged. In the context of this research, it describes a specific pathway in which people who view their own moral failings as innate - rooted in genetics, personality, or the way they were made - come to feel that God set them up to fail and grow angry as a result. Psychologists study this reaction because ongoing conflict with God is associated with measurable outcomes, including depression, suicidal thinking, slower recovery from illness, and general discontent. It sits at the crossroads of personal identity, religious upbringing, and mental health, and it can be especially pronounced among those raised to believe that certain traits or desires they experience as inborn are also forbidden by their faith.

Overview

People Believing They Were Born that Way Inclined to Blame God for Bad Behavior

People are more likely to blame God for their bad moral behavior when they believe they were born to act that way, according to an ongoing Case Western Reserve University project on spirituality and religion.

A growing body of research demonstrates that feelings of anger, disappointment, or mistrust toward God can negatively impact mental and physical health. Over time, feeling in conflict with God predicts depression, likelihood of suicide, poor recovery from illness and general discontent.

"For this study, we are identifying another pathway to anger at and conflict with God," said Joshua Grubbs, a Case Western Reserve University doctoral student. "Our research empirically shows that feeling as if God set you up to fail leads to conflict with deity, which we know from other studies can predict a lot of negative outcomes."

Grubbs conducted the study with Julie Exline, professor of psychology at Case Western Reserve. Their findings were published in the Journal of Psychology and Theology article, "Why did you make me this way? Anger at God in the contexts of personal transgressions."

The findings contribute to a three-year project, supported by a $1.4 million John Templeton Foundation grant, to study spiritual and religious struggles. Exline is directing the project.

The study focused on evaluating how anger at God may be related to how people view the cause of their own moral transgressions. Researchers found that people view God as partly responsible if they attributed these transgressions to how God created them.

"I think this bears implications for people working through their own identities and the religious identities they were raised to believe," Grubbs said.

For example, someone raised in a religiously conservative background would likely believe that God made them and that God prohibits a wide range of sexual behaviors.

"If they find themselves wanting to engage in some of those behaviors or feel like they were born with desires that God prohibits, they might have a crisis of faith because they feel like God made them to fail," he said.

The Study Was Based On Two Psychological Studies

In the first one, participants were asked to consider an example of an imaginary character in an imaginary world with an imaginary God. Participants were told to imagine the character was constantly breaking rules the God had set. Half of the participants were told he broke the rules because of a genetic condition that made it impossible for him to follow the rules; the other half was given no explanation. When asked how they imagined the character felt toward the described God, participants given the genetic condition scenario were more likely to describe feelings of anger and hostility toward the God.

In the second experiment, a sample of college students and a sample of adults were asked to describe a time they had done something they thought was morally wrong. Participants were asked to what extent they felt the transgression was due to chance, genetics, personality, biology, circumstances, how they were born, their environment and other factors. Participants were then asked if they felt any emotions (guilt, anger, regret, etc.) toward God about their moral misstep.

"What we found," Grubbs said, "was that participants who were more likely to describe their transgression as the result of their personality or biology - as a result of who they felt they were as people - were also more likely to feel angry and upset at God in response to the transgression."

Frequently Asked Questions

NOTE: Researched FAQs by Disabled World (DW)

What is a moral transgression in psychology

A moral transgression is an act a person judges to be wrong according to their own values or the standards of their community or faith. Researchers study how people explain the causes of these acts and how those explanations shape their emotions.

Can anger at God affect physical health

Research links ongoing conflict with God to poorer recovery from illness alongside mental health effects. This suggests spiritual distress can carry consequences that reach beyond emotional well-being.

Is feeling angry at God considered normal

Many people experience anger or disappointment toward God at some point, particularly during hardship or loss. Psychologists generally view it as a common part of the human relationship with faith rather than a personal failing.

How can someone cope with a crisis of faith

Talking with a trusted faith leader, counselor, or supportive community can help a person work through spiritual doubt and conflict. Approaches that reduce shame and validate personal experience tend to be the most helpful.

What does born that way mean in this context

It refers to the belief that a trait, desire, or tendency is innate and fixed from birth rather than chosen. The study examined how holding this belief about a forbidden behavior can shift blame toward God.

Who was involved in conducting this study

The work was carried out by Joshua Grubbs, a doctoral student, and Julie Exline, a professor of psychology, both at Case Western Reserve University. Exline also directed the wider project on religious and spiritual struggles.

Why does religious upbringing matter to these findings

People raised with strict beliefs that label certain behaviors as prohibited may feel greater conflict when they experience those tendencies as inborn. This clash between identity and doctrine can intensify feelings of being set up to fail.

How can faith leaders and clinicians use these findings

They can foster more compassionate conversations that acknowledge the tension between identity and belief without judgment. Reducing stigma may ease the emotional distress tied to blame and spiritual conflict.

Hyperreligiosity: When Faith Becomes a Clinical Sign: Hyperreligiosity explained: how neurological disease, psychosis and rigid belief turn devotion into measurable harm, disability and preventable death.

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Editorial Note: This research opens an important conversation about the intersection of identity, spirituality, and mental health, especially for those navigating the complexities of disability or chronic conditions. By illuminating how perceptions of being “born that way” can shape spiritual struggles, the findings encourage more compassionate approaches in both religious and psychological support systems. Understanding these dynamics can help faith leaders, clinicians, and families foster healthier dialogues and reduce stigma for those wrestling with questions of blame, identity, and belief. By shedding light on these complex interactions, the study paves the way for more empathetic support systems that validate individual experiences and promote holistic healing.*

Attribution/Source(s): This peer reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by Case Western Reserve University and published on 18 Feb 2015, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.

* Editorial additions by Ian C. Langtree.