Psychology of religion: beliefs, practices, and mental health

¶ … problem of evil and suffering has been an issue since the beginning of time. Carl Jung has written passionately and eloquently about the possibility and impossibility of transcending this problem.

According to Jung's reasons for this problem was that God was a schmuck towards Job (and by extension to all innocents who suffer from 'acts of God') due to His not being fully conscious. A strange theory since, it would seem that by definition God is Omniscient.

However, God, in Jung's model, contains all opposites and paradoxes, which includes choosing not to consult his own self.

If he had done so, he could have seen that Job would have been faithful to the end and not needed to take Satan's "bet."

The devil is still able to waltz into heaven in the book of Job and complain about how rotten mankind is. So, it is clear according to Jung, that is it is true that God is good even though he lets evil in to show that his people do believe in him. Therefore, from Jung's point-of-view, God is good so it is understandable to put him first before humanity.

In Jung's book, there are many unconsciousness accounts why God allows evil, why He breaks His own covenant and commandments, and why throughout The Old Testament accounts in His dealings with Israel He often resembles a petulant child given to fits of rage towards his pet hamster. In short, why the Jews were right to "fear" Him, big time.

In the end of the story, God pulls out all the stops and counters Job's anguished pleadings for an answer to his misery with a 'might makes right' speech; while all poor Job can do is declare that he knows that his advocate lives and then shut up. By this occurring, it proves people are suppose to put God first before humanity because in the end he will help his people out of evil

However, according to William James, religion is what people believe of others or themselves.