This is an outright lie that tends to come from a few worldly sources.
Source #1 - Religious ideas or teachings that say that, when something challenging or tragic happens, it means God is passing judgment.

Example: A destructive hurricane means that God is judging that geographical region and the sins of its people.
Example: You suffer abuse and are told that it must be a direct result of something you did, thereby causing God to react in a harsh manner.
It’s not uncommon for those in authority to reference stories in the Old Testament as so-called proof of this idea.

Or, maybe when it comes to something you were personally experiencing, they turned to the New Testament, plucking a verse or two out of context.
Friend, it’s important to remember that the overarching story of the entire Bible is about God pursuing His chosen kids.
To the point where He sent Jesus–His one and only Son–to die for our sins on the cross, thereby giving us the ability to be seen as sinless in God’s holy sight and presence.
And because Jesus is part of the triune God (or trinity), He willingly took on God’s wrath and judgement for our sins–past, present, and future.
Friend, Jesus bore the holy wrath of God in our place so that we wouldn’t have to!
This alone directly counters the idea that God is orchestrating traumatic events and suffering to pass judgement on you or other people!
In addition, the Bible tells us that Jesus was not sent to condemn the world.
In John, we read about the women caught in adultery that the Phairasees wanted to stone.

In John 9:10-11 (NLT), it says: Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
Earlier in the book in John 3:16-17 (NLT) it says, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” [Emphasis mine.]

Again, God's goal is to pursue and save. Those of us who profess Jesus as our Lord and Savior experience what I referred to earlier. Those who don’t will face God’s judgement after this life is over for them.
In the meantime, the tragedy and suffering that we experience during this life comes from:

Living a broken world full of broken, sinful people.
Satan, our spiritual enemy, doing his best to “kill, steal, and destroy.” (John 10:10).
The consequences of our own brokenness, sin, and bad choices.

Note: I don’t say this is a condemning way. It’s simply a fact that, when we’re wounded or lost, or stuck in bad patterns, or simply without God’s wisdom and direction, we can struggle with making good choices.

In John 16:33 (NLT), Jesus says, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

God is not the cause of your suffering, friend. Nor is His focus to condemn and judge you.
Instead, He is the One who is bigger than anything you can face–and, as Jesus says in Matthew 28:20 (NLT), “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Anything that you hear that says otherwise is not biblical or true!

Source #2 - Satan’s strategic tactics to drive a wedge in-between you and God by convincing you that He’s not who He says He is.

This is a common strategy of Satan’s, and he uses it with new and seasoned Christians alike.
This has actually been a recent struggle for me. God has me in a place of closing one season and starting another, but I don’t know what the new season looks like yet. Meanwhile, Satan has been trying his best to convince me that the next season will be just as grueling at the previous one.
The previous season wasn’t a punishment or God treating me harshly, though. As I’ve been getting clues as to what this new season will look like, I’m starting to see the wisdom in God’s plan.
Satan is always looking for opportunities to convince us that God is a harsh, judgmental, and temperamental God.
Why? Because it makes us want to distance ourselves from God instead of leaning into God. And it’s not uncommon for this kind of attack to occur when God’s about to do something amazing in our lives–maybe even something that will make Satan’s work ineffective in other people’s lives as well.
Friend, this is why it’s so important to understand God’s true character and use that as a lens for everything else. That’s how we fight back and stay on track.
Otherwise, we’ll unknowingly allow Satan to disrupt our relationship with our Heavenly Father and derail us from the plans He has for us–maybe to the point of hating Him.

Source #3 - Other people who have been indoctrinated with unbiblical teaching or who simply misstep in trying to be helpful.

This is why having the right community is so important.
Now, that’s not to say that everyone in this category is intentionally trying to hurt you. Or that you need to start removing people from your life with a scalpel.
Sometimes people truly have the best intentions when it comes to trying to make you feel better–or providing what they see as helpful advice.
But that’s why it’s important to understand God’s true character, have a community that’s of the same understanding, and an application of wisdom when given feedback or advice.
Even if the feedback is coming from someone in authority–whether it’s a father-figure, pastor, or scholar. Because what matters isn’t that person’s role or title–it’s if that person has a genuine biblical foundation.
You don’t have to accept someone’s worldview or advice just because they give it.
We all need to operate from a place of wisdom. Anything someone tells us needs to be checked against the Bible. Does it align with the Bible? Or seem to contradict it?
And if you have a community around you that is also biblically-based, you can run it by them to get their take on it.
You can also pray and ask God for clarity.