B
Ben_Sinner
Guest
If God is perfectly content with himself, then why does he get angry/sad? Doesn’t that show that he is relying on something to make him feel complete?
If God is perfectly content with himself, then why does he get angry/sad?
- Status
R
RPRPsych
Guest
Dear Ben,
Because God cannot be ultimately grasped by the human mind, the inspired writers of Sacred Scripture often have to use human terms to describe Him in an approximate way. Terms such as God being “angry”, “sad” or “repenting” (in the Old Testament) are merely anthropomorphisms to refer to His Justice (“anger” / “wrath”) and His Mercy (“sadness”, “repenting”, “relenting”).
Of course, this line of reasoning should not extend to those passages in the New Testament which talk about Our Saviour expressing anger (towards the money-changers or Pharisees, for example) or weeping (over Jerusalem). As He has a human nature, he could also express Himself in human ways.
Because God cannot be ultimately grasped by the human mind, the inspired writers of Sacred Scripture often have to use human terms to describe Him in an approximate way. Terms such as God being “angry”, “sad” or “repenting” (in the Old Testament) are merely anthropomorphisms to refer to His Justice (“anger” / “wrath”) and His Mercy (“sadness”, “repenting”, “relenting”).
Of course, this line of reasoning should not extend to those passages in the New Testament which talk about Our Saviour expressing anger (towards the money-changers or Pharisees, for example) or weeping (over Jerusalem). As He has a human nature, he could also express Himself in human ways.
A
adamhovey1988
Guest
Bishop Barron has already discussed this, I think you may want to watch some of his videos
D
dshix
Guest
Short answer: God doesn’t actually have emotions in the way that we do. He doesn’t get “angry” or “sad” at particular times, especially since He is outside of time.
In the bible it speaks of God’s wrath, though, right? It speaks of God’s actions in terms of emotions. This, however, according to Catholic theology, is not a literal representation of God’s person. These words are used in the bible, for good reason, but they do not literally mean that God has emotions.
See Fr. Barron’s resources as mentioned by the previous poster for more explanation.
L
Latinitas
Guest
As the other posters have said, these are anthropomorphisms. Some things are attributed to God properly (e.g. justice, goodness, oneness), others metaphorically (e.g. anger, wrath etc.). This is an important part of theology proper.
Benedicat Deus,
Latinitas
B
Ben_Sinner
Guest
Ok. I understand God having these anthropomorphisms.
But what about Jesus? How can he be fully content in himself? As someone stated earlier. He did feel the literal emotions.
S
Stylteralmaldo
Guest
Your question implies that being angry or sad is a sign of being imperfect. One can be content yet also experience joy, sadness, and anger.
B
BobCatholic
Guest
Me.
That’s why.
Sorry about that.
That’s why.
Sorry about that.
L
Latinitas
Guest
This is a difficult question, one that’s been discussed quite extensively by theologians in the past. But, I must warn you, the language is difficult to understand due to its technicality.
In His human nature Jesus had true emotions as we have. That’s not the difficulty. The difficulty is that, since Christ possessed from the very moment of His conception the Beatific Vision (this is proximate to faith), how did He experience sorrow and pain in His soul. The general answer is that by a special provision from God, the Beatific Vision did not overflow into the lower parts of the soul that feel pain or sorrow.
These Christological questions are admittedly very difficult. A similar question is how Christ merited, given that He possessed the immediate vision of God, which is the goal of merit.
Benedicat Deus,
Latinitas
S
Sacred_Heart_1
Guest
God is at rest with himself and the world. To say that God is angry/sad is just a way of showing the direction God’s creative power is managing the situation. He relates to man in this way.
A
Aloysium
Guest
God does not have anthropomorphism; we project aspects of what we know, aspects of ourselves onto Him in order to make Him understandable.
Recall how Jesus cried upon hearing of Lazarus’ death, was angry with the money changers, He was sorrowful and in agony praying in the garden of Gethsemane, and endured all the suffering that befalls mankind. It is within the Sacred Heart of Jesus that we find strength, peace and consolation. He is with us always.
R
RPRPsych
Guest
Very Chestertonian.
B
BobCatholic
Guest
Precisely where I got it fromVery Chestertonian.
- Status