Are angry thoughts a mortal sin?

[Kathrin]

I had some angry thoughts today. Prejudiced ones. I was already on edge, and a guy was standing next to me. I thought inside “why are you standing so close to me, you crackhead” or something like that, thinking he must be a crackhead. because he kind of looked like one and it was the right area. But how can I know?
I walked after him and actually said to him, “I apologize. Did I throw you a mean glance?” explaining I was asking myself why he stood next to me.
Did I commit a mortal sin by thinking these thoughts?
Jesus said even in our thoughts we can sin, right?
Can apologizing make up for it?

Kathrin

 

[Leopard]

We can sin in our thoughts, such as if we plan out a sinful act that we intend to do. But this is not what appears to have happened to you. What seems to have happened to you is not so much a thought as an emotion, at a time when you were “already on edge”. I don’t think this could reasonably be defined as a freely chosen act, so whatever sinfulness may have obtained would probably be venial at worst.

Additionally, you might consider this experience to be not so much a sin as a temptation. So you should think about how you responded to this temptation. Maybe you did give him a mean look, but you also apologized about it after realizing what you had done (or what you thought you had done). In other words, your freely chosen act was your apology more so than your feelings and thoughts. It seems to me that you successfully, or mostly successfully, resisted this temptation by freely choosing a loving act.

 

[Kathrin]

You are kind.

 

[BlaineTog]

Yeah, the verse in question seems to indicate that Jesus meant the planning of the act with the intention of committing it was just as sinful as the act itself, which makes sense since intent is largely what sin is about anyway. Any thoughts which run contrary to God are sinful in that they harm your relationship with God, but I would agree with Leopard that they are probably usually merely venial, and even just regretting them afterwards is probably enough to get rid of them.

 

[gallo]

Whether the sin is mortal or not, there is a “root” there that must be dug out. It would be good to bring this situation up in Confession to help receive the Graces necessary to overcome any future occurrences.

 

[Kathrin]

I did tell this to the priest in confession before mass that day.

 

[Maxply]

This is a great one for me. I have a ton of angry thoughts.

I’ve tried to explain this to priests in confession, but of course, it’s a tangled mess. Some of the anger seems natural and justified (and I think there can be righteous and justified anger), while some of it tends to come from frustrations at not having my way in important things I’d like to see happen.

In general, I can sense that anger is a bad thing since it FEELS bad.

But in our culture, you’re not supposed to feel angry or show anger. This said, I do think anger has a place as a morally useful emotion. At minimum, it’s a demonstration of how highly you value something.

 

[Scottgun]

This sounds like plain ol’ concupisence:

2515 Etymologically, “concupiscence” can refer to any intense form of human desire. Christian theology has given it a particular meaning: the movement of the sensitive appetite contrary to the operation of the human reason. The apostle St. Paul identifies it with the rebellion of the “flesh” against the "spirit."302 Concupiscence stems from the disobedience of the first sin. It unsettles man’s moral faculties and, without being in itself an offense, inclines man to commit sins.303

2516 Because man is a composite being, spirit and body, there already exists a certain tension in him; a certain struggle of tendencies between “spirit” and “flesh” develops. But in fact this struggle belongs to the heritage of sin. It is a consequence of sin and at the same time a confirmation of it. It is part of the daily experience of the spiritual battle:

As long as you are letting these thoughts pass without affirming them with your will or rejecting them with your will, you are ok, but you ought to develop habits of mind that gives others the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Maxply]

OH, I do give great benefit of doubt to others. In fact, in my family, I"m often the one who points out that there could be all kinds of other intervening variables that could have affected a situation, making a blamed person blameless.

I’m thinking of a situation I was once in, in which I’d invested a good deal of time and money on a civic project, to have a local bureaucrat work to undo it. He wasn’t going to spend much time exploring the situation, and I think a little expressed anger on my part, an angry gesture, gave him an appreciation of how strongly I felt.

Sometimes, I think, it might be important to get that across. Anger would be a useful emotion in that case, and I don’t think that it was morally wrong. In fact, one might make an argument that it’s morally right to express your passion for an issue rather than be perceived as being only somewhat concerned. Communication device.

 

[Scottgun]

OH, I do give great benefit of doubt to others. In fact, in my family, I"m often the one who points out that there could be all kinds of other intervening variables that could have affected a situation, making a blamed person blameless.

I’m thinking of a situation I was once in, in which I’d invested a good deal of time and money on a civic project, to have a local bureaucrat work to undo it. He wasn’t going to spend much time exploring the situation, and I think a little expressed anger on my part, an angry gesture, gave him an appreciation of how strongly I felt.

Sometimes, I think, it might be important to get that across. Anger would be a useful emotion in that case, and I don’t think that it was morally wrong. In fact, one might make an argument that it’s morally right to express your passion for an issue rather than be perceived as being only somewhat concerned. Communication device.

You are right. There is something that might call righteous anger which is a different kind than the sinful kind described by the CCC:

**

**2302 **

By recalling the commandment, “You shall not kill,” our Lord asked for peace of heart and denounced murderous anger and hatred as immoral.

*Anger *is a desire for revenge. “To desire vengeance in order to do evil to someone who should be punished is illicit,” but it is praiseworthy to impose restitution “to correct vices and maintain justice.”

If anger reaches the point of a deliberate desire to kill or seriously wound a neighbor, it is gravely against charity; it is a mortal sin. The Lord says, “Everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment.”

**

 

[Kathrin]

OH, I do give great benefit of doubt to others. In fact, in my family, I"m often the one who points out that there could be all kinds of other intervening variables that could have affected a situation, making a blamed person blameless.

Just kind of funny to obaserve, that I am that way too.

 

[lukec]

Hi all

Where does the consent in sinful thoughts take place?

If for example someone who has a tendency to have angry thoughts, who leaves themselves open to that thought (on lets say one occasion) - by this I mean allows the thought to initiate, but rejects lets say in a matter of 2 seconds. Has that person full consented at the initiation or at a latter point?

And is this venial or mortal if the person rejected and lamented over the sinful thought?

God Bless

 

[Bookcat]

One can certainly sin in ones thoughts. And they do not have to be something we plan to do. And yes that too is what Jesus meant. He was directly referring to internal sins not carried out in action.

For a mortal sin in thought (as in any kind of mortal sin)…one still need full knowledge and deliberate consent.

 

[Bookcat]

Hi all

Where does the consent in sinful thoughts take place?

If for example someone who has a tendency to have angry thoughts, who leaves themselves open to that thought (on lets say one occasion) - by this I mean allows the thought to initiate, but rejects lets say in a matter of 2 seconds. Has that person full consented at the initiation or at a latter point?

And is this venial or mortal if the person rejected and lamented over the sinful thought?

God Bless

When one is tempted…

Some signs that one lacked consent or gave only “partial consent”:

If even though there was some instinctive pleasure …we do not want it…we are unhappy or horrified about the evil…or struggle to not be overcome …we turn to God in Prayer --these are some signs of no consent (if of course we stay in this stage…and do not later consent)

(For example some thoughts come out of the blue just cause one happened to see an attractive person…and one does not want the thoughts but turns to God in Prayer or is horrified by them and turns to something else etc…no matter how much they come back…if one does not consent at all…there is no sin…but rather possibly growth in virtues…the same goes for angry thoughts)

If one hesitates for a moment but then does not want to sin and so rejects it and does not give full consent (thus a fault against prudence)

If one resists but the resistance is half hearted…one does resist but it is weak or slow…but in the end one rejects it…such would seem to be half consent and thus venial

(Based on A Tanquery… he bases things on S. Augustine…but much of this is simply repeated in various places…for it is the basics in judging such)

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as to angry thoughts being grave for venial…they would take their nature from what is thought basically…like if you really want someone dead…that can be mortal (things that are gravely against the virtues of justice or charity)(but remember one still needs all three aspects)…if your say just a little miffed at someone too much…such can be venial…

of course let us seek to avoid all sinful anger …and follow Our Lord who is meek and humble of heart

 

[Elizabeth502]

One can certainly sin in ones thoughts. And they do not have to be something we plan to do. And yes that too is what Jesus meant. He was directly referring to internal sins not carried out in action.

You’re mixing two things here. When Jesus referred specifically to anger (i.e., the OP’s question) he was comparing murder to acted upon anger which falls short of murder, but is violent in its verbiage. Thus, exploding at “one’s brother,” calling one’s brother “a fool,” etc. Those are actions. In that explication in The Sermon on the Mount, he did not address merely an angry thought. And anger by itself is not a sin, particularly if it’s justified anger, such as feeling angry if someone has really wronged you, etc. It’s the “striking out” – the acting upon that anger that is dangerous: insults, public displays of anger, humiliating the target of one’s anger, etc. Those are all (like murder) forms of violence.

In the same passage, Jesus mentioned lust in the heart as equivalent to adultery. Notice, though, that even there some “action” was involved, in the “looking at a woman lustfully.” The lustful glance was a sign of “I would if I could;” or “I desire her.” The Church has extended that to indicate that relished thoughts of lust are mortal sin because they rise to a level of entertained consent: deliberate acts of the will.

People often say that “anger is one letter short of danger.” We should always guard our angry thoughts and examine them, because they can lead directly to sin when we begin to act them out. They can also be paired with other sins, such as feeling angry that someone else has the lover you want, but in that case the underlying sin is covetousness, not anger. Or anger about an injustice can lead to calumny or detraction (out of vengeance), but in that case again, it’s the sins against charity that are the real evils.

Most sinful thoughts are of the venial category, particularly if nothing is done about them, and particularly if they are reactions to injuries of any kind. By itself, anger is not a sin, not even a venial sin. Several priests over the years have told me that. It would depend on what you did with the anger. If you were angry as a result of a verbal injury and then privately rashly judged the motivations of the person who did you injury, that would be still a venial sin, as long as you didn’t defame the person (bring those rash judgments out in public, which would be a mortal sin).

Thus, anger is one of the ‘cardinal sins’, or motivators. It is the root of many of our mortal sins, and by itself it is a potential pathway. A feeling or a thought of anger is not a sin unless unholy action results.

Here’s a good list of mortal vs. venial sins:

catholicparents.org/examination_of_conscience.html

(Click on the first link.)

 

[Bookcat]

You’re mixing two things here.

Actually I was responding to this in part:

“Jesus said even in our thoughts we can sin, right?”

And yes he did.

One can commit all sorts of sins via thought. Just internally (yes of course there would have to be consent). And they can be of various sorts…desires, hatred, lust etc

they can be mortal or venial…

for mortal they of course need the three qualities of mortal sin.

And of course all sorts of thoughts can “happen” to one another and anger can happen to one and there be absolutely no sin as well…

(and of course there can be justified anger as well)

 

[Bookcat]

This older post may be of help in regards to “unwanted thoughts”…since some asked about consent etc…and this brings up the problem of temptations etc …of thoughts that happen to us…​

Regarding thoughts

While Jesus makes it clear that one can sin in ones thoughts…just cause some lustful thought happens or some other such thoughts does not mean that one sinned…

(and one can have a sufficiently good reason to think about sexual matters…for instance studying moral theology…but care must be taken to avoid things that would be a problem…but that is another question)

What should we do with* unwanted* sexual thoughts or other bad thoughts…thoughts against God etc? Those pesky temptations that can come …even though we are not seeking them etc…

(there are of course some things we should avoid that cause them…and there can be sin if it is something one should reasonably avoid…but often they come uninvited)

First…Relax. Do not worry.

Now are they mortal sins?

For a mortal sin one needs a grave matter …full knowledge AND deliberate consent!!!

A. If you do not want the thought…it the thought displeases you: it can be a sign actually that you did not give consent or do not give full consent.

B. Even if you felt a temptation for the thought – and were drawn to it —but rejected it and maybe even turned to God : again a sign not full consent.

C. But what if one has a tempting thought --say of a sexual nature and even hesitated for a moment…but then rejected it for one did not want to sin? : it can be partial consent perhaps (and thus a venial sin)-- or it may be no sin at all but rather a strong temptation that drew you but then you saw what was happening and turned away.

D. A temptation can even be very strong or the thoughts very often – but this does NOT mean one has consented! so worry not…even it they go on for a long time…

remember --for it to be mortal there must be that deliberate consent!

What to do? on the spiritual side–relax first of all and remember the above.

Next – know that the more one fears the thoughts the more likely they are to come… or said another way --the more a person seeks to avoid the thoughts the more likely he will have a problem with them. (but do not worry about this either!)

for example: for the next 10 seconds try NOT to think of an apple.

tick tock …

tick tock…

Ok what did you think of? Most likely an apple.

So it is best to ignore them and just not consent and then turn your attention to some other good thing…for instance whatever you are doing. Simply do not consent and move on. and do not worry

another point – thoughts can just happen --they are the stuff with which we think…it is up to us to consent and take them further or not. and just because they are REAL VIVID and almost “think themselves” does not mean per se that one has given ANY consent.

they can be annoying…but need cause no actual harm …

(Now difficulties with thoughts can happen to anyone…and has for centuries…nothing new!..but I will note too that “some” have a condition known as OCD (I knew someone with this once…it was a painful experience)…and thus should seek further professional help to work at overcoming it and to live a more peaceful life)

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Another help…is the distinction between “first thoughts and emotions” (as Baur calls em) what they call the prima of the prima…“the first of the first” (as one of my Professors called em…he was a Dominican)…these are involuntary things that just come up…such are not sins per se. They can tempt one of course to sin…or one can then proceed to some sin…but they are the stuff of the mind and emotions which “happen to one” …and really the are opportunities for growing in virtue etc as well…

How to deal with these? First of relax…don’t scruple…don’t fear them…to try to swat them all as the come…just simply turn to other things…or the thing you are doing…or to God…(of course do not consent)…but if you are too defensive against them…they may get worse actually…and confuse you more…instead turn to God or again other good things…accept that hey…somethings wild thoughts will come to you…

(and these can happen to all of us by the way…)

There is a story from the desert of the early Centuries of the Church where a younger hermit when to an older one with the problems of thoughts happening to him all the time…the older hermit told him to go outside open his cloak and catch the wind.

The younger hermit said such is not possible…

the older hermit replied --neither is it possible to stop all the thoughts that can come to you…your choice is to say “yes” or “no”.

So relax about “unwanted thoughts”…sometimes they just come…you know like unwanted phone calls from politicitians and salepersons etc…but you can always say “no thank you” or just ignore the call and go about your business

 

[Elizabeth502]

Actually I was responding to this in part:

“Jesus said even in our thoughts we can sin, right?”

And yes he did.

The OP specifically asked if an angry thought is a mortal sin. Not in itself, no. Jesus indicated gravity (mortality) of serious, acted-upon anger, which he aligned with murder in the quality of its malice and even violence. It’s not necessary to add peripheral matters which confuse the simple issue the OP raised.

II walked after him and actually said to him, “I apologize. Did I throw you a mean glance?” explaining I was asking myself why he stood next to me.
Did I commit a mortal sin by thinking these thoughts?

Further, she indicated that she immediately began to reduce any harm caused by offering an apology for a thought that the person would not have been aware of, and a “glance” that the person may or may not have been aware of. IOW, she did not escalate her angry thought or assumption by aggravation – such as consenting to continuing any negative look, let alone speech.

At worst, a venial sin. Certainly a fault, a lapse, an imperfection, a failing – shared most likely universally. Not to the level Jesus was describing in Matthew.

 

[Bookcat]

The OP specifically asked if an angry thought is a mortal sin. Not in itself, no. Jesus indicated gravity (mortality) of serious, acted-upon anger, which he aligned with murder in the quality of its malice and even violence. It’s not necessary to add peripheral matters which confuse the simple issue the OP raised.

An angry thought can be a mortal sin…(without any external action) though as I noted it need not be…nor need not be any sin at all. And I was not referring to the sayings of Jesus where he spoke of anger per se.

No confusion added…just some good further comments in general for the other person is not the only person to read the thread.

 

[Bookcat]

An example of an internal mortal sin of anger is to “desire” to kill or seriously harm someone.

Such can take place purely internally in ones thoughts. But remembering that for a moral sin one needs not only grave matter…but full knowledge and deliberate consent…even for internal sins…and as I noted above…all sorts of thoughts can come to someone (without any sin)…and I will add there is that common phrase “I am going to kill him!”…such is not usually meant!..but only meant as an expression)

(we are speaking of unjust anger…there can be just anger which desires to seriously harm someone out of necessity to defend ones family when they being threatened by say a gunman)