Expressing anger is always a sin?

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Rozellelily

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Some Catholic articles or people seem to suggest that expressing anger is always sinful but I’m not sure I agree this is always the case?

For example, my sister went recently to a “government service” type place (for license enquiry) where she was directed to take a ticket and then sat down to wait for close to an hour and then when her number was finally called only to be told that her query would take too long and “come back tomorrow” as they wanted to go home.
My sister told the desk woman that she has wasted a lot of time waiting for nothing and should have been advised this would be the case by the door staff prior to waiting as official closing time was 6 pm and she arrived at 5.15 pm.

I consider this a form of anger but obviously not “extreme anger”.
Why would this be considered a sin as isn’t it necessary to sometimes express yourself in this way with justified anger especially in public service type places where there’s a lot of incompetencies?

Personally,if anything,I tend towards being too nice and I tolerate things that others might not tolerate such as a person jumping in front of me at a line but the few times that I have needed to get angry in public hospitals or other public servant places was the only way that made anything change.
Reasoning with them nicely didn’t woek,smiling at them warmly didn’t work,trying to get them to have empathy for others etc didn’t work…
 
CCC 2302 By recalling the commandment, "You shall not kill,"94 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."95 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.”
 
@thistle

When I think of vengeance I think more of like wars or a person who kills another persons brother to get revenge for him killing his own brother but most of us arn’t at this level of anger so what about the “little angers” that we have in everyday life about service incompetencies or anger at seeing a disabled people or elders not being helped enough financially etc?
 
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I got angry at my dog for drinking contaminated water out of the bottom of a leaky washer. I’m full of sins. Forgot to give the dogs water, didn’t get mom and dad a new washer yet, but I love that dog and never wants anything to happen to him so I kicked him to show him it was bad.
 
The dog was thristy. It drank the only water accessible to it. So you punished it, when it was your fault it didn’t have clean water to drink. It is not going to associate drinking the water with being contaminated water and therefore should not be drunk. It may associate you with drinking water and cause issues with it drinking when you are around. It will learn to fear you.

CCC #2416 " Animals are God’s creatures. He surrounds them with his providential care. By their mere existence they bless him and give him glory.197 Thus men owe them kindness. We should recall the gentleness with which saints like St. Francis of Assisi or St. Philip Neri treated animals."
 
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It was an act of passion and I don’t want my dog to be afraid of me. All life is a signature of God’s word. I’m sorry.

I repent of this work.
 
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I’m going to ask my priest if he will see me. Please have mercy on me for the time being. Yes I will confess this. I need to examine my conscience but my memory is so poor. I’m going to Hell if I don’t keep with repentance.

Do you have anything more to say? Please reply.
 
Just be kind to your dog. Make an act of Contrition and don’t kick the dog again. Could you set an alarm to remind you to freshen your dog’s water? Perhaps just call him away or gently push him away if it should happen again.

I’ll offer a decade of my rosary for you. God
bless. We’re all trying to do better.
 
I too have memory issues. God knows you do too and that you are trying. Just do your best to love God, keep His Commandments and love others. Repent when you slip up. Keep receiving the Sacraments - confession and holy communion. And pray.
 
Anger is an emotion, and therefore neutral. What your sister expressed was a concern. Her time has value. Her time, and the time of others who also waited was also wasted.
She did not know that she would spend an hour waiting, after taking her number.
The person who finally told her to “come back tomorrow” may have been the innocence reception of her anger as the mere messenger. She may be the daily messenger of much abuse from others who express anger in more heated forms.
The form the anger takes can determine whether or not a sin has actually taken place. The employee who was rightfully performing the duty of saying, “Come back tomorrow” was not struck or otherwise physically hurt. The anger at waiting, when other things could have been done was rightfully expressed and not suppressed.
The suppression of anger can lead to bitterness and resentment. As St. Paul writes, “Be angry but do not sin. Do not let the sun set on your anger.” [last part paraphrased]
Perhaps, in the future a sign may be placed where a numbers are taken reminding those in line of the closing time. It is possible that due to long lines, you may be asked to return. Or a different policy implemented, including scheduled appointments due to legitimate complaints registered.
If nothing is mentioned, who would know there is a problem?
 
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Anger, an irascible appetite, has a proper object – evil.

In the presence of evil, anger moves us to eliminate the presence of that evil. Recall Jesus in the temple with the money changers. Sometimes this type of anger is called righteous anger.

Anger as an emotion when not in the presence of evil, if not dismissed, may move us to think or do evil. If we allow the emotion to move us so then the anger itself is evil.
 
Anger is a passion which is morally neutral. It is intended to motivate us to oppose evil.

We seem to find many other uses for it.
 
Anger is an emotion. It is not a sin.

Scripture tells us very clearly “be angry and sin not”.

When we are emotional, it may be easier to sin, those who have not mastered their emotions might just let the emotion of anger (or other emotion) give way into sinful actions.

Jesus got angry. Jesus never sinned.

Become the master of your emotions.
 
At which point would it become sin?

Would it be a certain action or even a certain thought?

For example people expressing about services incompetencies might be the only method by which some people/places change.

I think personally I have too much control over my emotions to the point that I don’t like conflict but I don’t like this either because then I occasionally put up with somethings i shouldn’t.
 
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Pretty sure there’s no sin in reacting with anger to injustice, oppression, and abuse, of oneself and especially others. Anger comes from the sense of violation, when some perceived sacred boundary is crossed. There are no natural instincts or emotions that are in and of themselves bad or sinful. Sin is only possible in the will: that space in us where we choose how to move forward. Sin does not exist in our animal emotions and instinctual drives.
 
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For me, slapping the judgment of “incompetency” because I was inconvenienced would be the sin of pride. I would call the action you described “unprofessional” and I would likely make a call to the supervisor to question why the office does not lock the doors or stop giving out numbers at 5 PM. We do not know that the manager did not call at 5:15 telling the staffers to begin winding up at 5:15 in order to avoid overtime pay.

Take into consideration the other person, assume the best about people, that is my motto.
 
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