Angry at our society

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st_felicity

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Usually when I get angry, it’s about something specific and personal, like the anger one feels when someone treats me unfairly or is disrespectful to me in some way. Usually I recognize the sinfulness in myself and try to reconcile with whomever I am angry with. This is different-- I am just so angry about the brokenness in our society. It’s not specifically personal, but I am feeling interior rage and distress in the same way I might feel when it is personal.

It began in ernest with the media’s treatment of the Covington teens at the Lincoln Memorial
…then I became angry at the Native American demonstrator for abusing the truth of what happened at that event to make himself look like some kind of hero
…then I’m angry about the justifications and the arguments in defense of attacking children that are logically twisted, and as vicious or worse than the initial attacks–worse, because there is proof the kids were wronged…and they’re KIDS!
…then I’m angry because it occurred after the Right to Life March and the way Pro-Life protesters are ignored or vilified
…then I’m angry about the horror of abortion and how casual so many in our society are about killing
…then I’m angry about how rabidly anti-life so many are, and how unrepentantly outspoken many people I know are
…then I’m angry about the affront to life that was just passed in New York
…then I’m angry about all the political discord, the divisions, the demand for various reparations and recompense, the justifications and hypocrisy
…and it just goes on and on and on–that list just scratches the surface of social abominations.

I’m angry–hot-faced-grinding-in-my-chest-want-to-scream–angry that the good is being crushed by all the proudly gleeful sin and hatred present in the world, and I have children who are inheriting this mess and enticed by the lure of worldliness and I can only keep trying and keep praying.

I’m angry that society is this way, that I work to be good and holy despite my failings and I knows others do too, but it seems so overwhelming and though I look for the good, it seems harder and harder to find. It feels like I’m drowning. I guess I’m angry, AND disheartened.

I know prayer is the best advice, but I’m even struggling with that in the face of this.
I suppose I’m looking for how others deal with this sort of undirected anger where I can’t seek reconciliation, because it is an unjust and unrepentant world. Any words of wisdom?
 
Words of wisdom? Your anger is justified. But in your anger do not sin (Eph 4:26). I think in this case the sin would be despair. So don’t despair because we’re on the winning team…it’s just that the other team sometimes seems to have the upper hand.

Also, I totally get it. I get the same feelings. It’s appalling out there. What helps me is to check a news app once in the morning and that’s it. I don’t even go on Facebook anymore because of the various political postings. I do just enough to stay informed and then I fill my day with better stuff.
 
We live in a lost world controlled by satan. God has delivered us from it through Christ Jesus. We are no longer part of it. Why expect “society” controlled by the devil to do what is right? All we can do is point lost souls to Jesus and rejoice because God has rescued us.
 
Thank you. Just validating my feelings is of help. And your advice is very good advice. Thanks again.
 
I allow myself to get angry from time to time, but I have a rule for myself. My rule is that for each time I get angry at something, I have to find joy in something else.

Angry about the way someone almost ran me off the road? Its OK. Stew for a few minutes but then focus on the beautiful sunset and feel joy as a result. Angry at someone from work being disrespectful? Certainly, OK, but then I focus on my wonderful leadership at work and how easy they make coming to work for me.

You see? It is about balance. Sometimes, you can really reflect on your values and what is important to you be recognizing the things that make you angry. That is a good thing to do. Use your anger as a tool to ultimately make your life a positive experience for you and the people you share it with.
 
If you want to do something about it, maybe you cannot do much good at the societal level, but you can try to make it better at the personal level beginning with those near to you, like family, friends, classmates, and neighbors. That’s how it starts.
 
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Beryllos said:
If you want to do something about it, maybe you cannot do much good at the societal level, but you can try to make it better at the personal level beginning with those near to you, like family, friends, classmates, and neighbors. That’s how it starts.
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This is pretty much what Matthew Kelly says in his book “The Biggest Lie…”, that rather than taking on some big task like changing society or saving the world, people should look for small things they can do to make the world better and more holy, every day. Something like helping your neighbor with a chore, or listening to someone who needs to talk, or making a small donation of your time or money to a cause.

OP, if you’re getting this angry and affected by stuff you see in the news, I agree that you should not only turn it off, but ask yourself why this is bothering you so much and whether it’s possibly just a “stand-in” allowing you to express some angry feelings towards something else in your life.

Many of the people I know who are wound up and angry about current events on a regular basis have situations or problems in their personal life that they can’t change, such as being stuck in a job they don’t like, or having some kind of physical or mental disability, or a relationship gone bad, and they get all worked up over the news partly as a way of blowing off steam.

Other people are angry all over social media because they live in some area where they feel they aren’t “allowed” to express their anger or their true feelings.

I think if something falls in the category where you didn’t Cause it, you can’t Cure it, and you can’t Control it, there’s not much practical point in being angry about it and it might be better to take a break from the whole subject and develop habits where you think about something else or channel your energy into a practical project that does good.
 
st_felicity said:
Any words of wisdom?
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First, take a media and social media break to get your own head back together (I do this when the media gets especially ugly)

Say a novena for God to pour blessings on the people you’re the most mad at.

Find things to be grateful for.

Humble your own self before God (like the prodigal sin and the tax collector who wouldn’t even raise his eyes in prayer)
 
This is called righteous anger. After all Jesus was angry in the Gospels, He flipped the tables in the Temple because He has moral right to do so.

Righteous anger isn’t a sin unless it causes you to be violent. I have confessed this multiple times and every priest says it’s not a sin I’ve been to.

That said, it’s not good to walk around angry, so try and bring your concerns to Jesus. After all, Jesus already won the war, these are just minor battles in the grand scheme of the eternal war 🙂
 
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st_felicity said:
know prayer is the best advice, but I’m even struggling with that in the face of this.
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If your anger is at the point where you can no longer pray then maybe even if righteous is not from God. God never sends His children away from Him. The Enemy has scruples too.
Ask someone else (nuns?) to pray for you while you can’t, to give you back the capacity to pray.
Uncontrollable anger can get easily targeted against God. Happened to me. Thought I was right. Others prayers helped me pray and now I can be back to just living and get sad when things happen.
The Natives also think they rightfully angry at the invaders. And this lead to them being manipulated by their pride and go twist things to get media attention (media who makes tones of $$$ just from people clicking on their news no matter if they are right or wrong). Running away from news did not do it for me. Maybe I am not old enough to cope with “glad to be rid of you all!” Or maybe it’s just not me. I want to read the news and still function as normal person.
I will of course be praying for you.
 
st_felicity said:
. Any words of wisdom?
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It might not help @st_felicity , but things are pretty much the same over here in the UK .

How do we deal with it without wasting all of our energy by getting overly angry ?

Hand it over to God .

God will be the final victor .

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When I get frustrated and angry like that, the only way I can calm down is make a phone call to one of my great-grandchildren.

And puppies. Puppies always work !

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Thank you for prayers and please continue. I am not unable to pray myself, I pray all the time, I’m frustrated with it because I say the same things over and over (like the persistent person in Luke knocking all night long) and I offer the grumblings and anger to God and little peace comes with it. I have always longed for justice, and injustices just tear at my heart so.

It’s probably more an issue with trust than faith–and that I’m bratty and want consolation. I know “we” win in the End, but it’s just all so sad. The other person who touch on suggesting I’m teetering on the sin of despair about this world has it right. I am not a vindictive person at all, but I’m almost hoping for a firestorm of destruction to wipe it all out like Sodom & Gamorrah–but I don’t really want mayhem, death, and destruction–I want conversion of hearts (Yes, I pray for that too)–but I’m afraid all that is understood is that harsh humbling and I fear it coming while at the same time say “bring it!”

Thank you all again for prayers and offerings of help. I will pray for this community too. <3
 
st_felicity said:
I’m almost hoping for a firestorm of destruction
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I don’t know about destruction, but I suspect that things (at the media-culture-society-economy-government level) will get worse before they get better.
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Dorothy : I don’t like this forest. It’s dark and creepy!
Scarecrow : Of course I don’t know, but I think it’ll get darker before it gets lighter.
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Here’s what you can do:
Beryllos said:
make it better at the personal level beginning with those near to you, like family, friends, classmates, and neighbors…
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… and start now. The world may burn itself down (figuratively speaking), but from the ashes, as after a forest fire, seeds and deep roots and sturdy trunks will sprout and renew the earth. This is the time to plant good seeds and cultivate strong roots and trunks.
 
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lol…If I only had a brain…

I am working the family angle. Friends right now are kinda disappointing/disheartening me also being more “of the world” than I am comfortable with, but I can work on that too.

As for “classmates”–I’m a public school teacher at the HS level, so…I bring in as much of Christ’s love as I can in that. Mostly, that’s just love and kindness to these poor teens bombarded by the same disheartening social realities and confused messages that hurt my soul–and they are even LESS equipped to navigate it than I am!

I’ll re-invest in being small so He can be Great. And then, avoid the stresses of social media and news as much as I can while still being aware/informed enough to be able to understand what my students, my own teen children, and my friends are faced with.

It’s very hard being in the world, not of it, and try to love with Christ’s love. Thank you.
 
I kind of like this thread because I am angry or at least frustrated also about a great many more issues. I think I will list them today in my journal. But one thing I will share now is related to health. Our culture is not healthy. Yes, there are groups that promote health and educate. And we even know that diet and exercise play an important role. But we are inundated with salt, sugar and saturated fat wherever we go. As a 64 year old man with heart disease and pre-diabetic, it seems like trying to rate healthy is swimming against the current.
 
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