D
Dranu
Guest
Okay, I wanted to discuss the topic of anger: when it is a good and when it is an evil.
As for a little background on my own thoughts, I was beginning to think that all speaking of anger might have always been wrong, and that God never wills the judgment of damnation of any being directly, and that it is ONLY the will of the being that creates that judgment (Think specifically Mark 5:12-13 where God lets the demons do as they will but it potentially results in their own destruction and 1 Tim 2:3-4 where God wills “everyone to be saved”). However, I have been thinking lately that perhaps God’s Wrath is more direct than I originally thought. I do not, however, think God wills the damnation of any who can still potentially be saved, but this requires cooperation with His free gift of mercy. Thus, on final impenitence (that is departure from this current life in the state of mortal sin), God does not show mercy. This would mean anger can be a good thing (depending on the object and so forth), but that it can never be directed at another human being insofar as they are still living (only the sin). This may mean, however, that we ought to hate (in some way) the damned, for to do otherwise (will their eternal salvation) is plainly contrary to God’s will. I have been thinking this for three primary reasons:
1.) God acts in the mode of eternity, thus many things that seem indirect are in fact direct. A demon’s damnation cannot be sufficiently understood by their will alone but rather with the impact of that will and the direct effect of the reality of their own nature which comes from God. Thus, to think of God’s Wrath as indirectly effecting them seems like a sort of denial of God’s direct control over all things (like all of reality/nature) other than will, and if He has direct control over it, then the directly effect of the reality of their own nature is directly controlled by God. Thus, God directly wills the damnation of the damned and the demons (NOTE: no one is bound to be damned in this life, and God wills none of us to be damned unless we die in mortal sin)
2.) God gave us a faculty of fury as a passion. Insofar as something is a passion it is neither good nor bad in itself, but can be used for good or ill. Therefore, fury can be good at times insofar as it motivates us to right anger of the reason. Consequently the lack of anger can be a sin if reason demands anger and it is possible for it to do so (Like St. Aquinas says in STh II-II 158 Article 8)
3.) Christ Himself was supposedly ‘angry’; explicitly in Mark 3:5 and then more implicitly in Matt 21:12-13 and John 2:14-17. Christ did not sin while He was on this Earth, therefore anger is not always a sin (though it may be argued that since He was God He had such a right we do not, but my thought is if our anger is through God/Truth or perhaps justice itself, then perhaps our anger is good whereas if it comes through pride and selfishness, then it is not.)
So anyhow, my questions for discussion would be the following:
Q1.) Since we all agree that anger can be horribly wrong at some times, do you agree that we ought to get angry at certain things?
**Q2.) **If no for Q1 why? If Yes for Q1 why and for when and what?
Q3.) If yes for Q1 do you think society promotes the vice of unrighteous anger, unrighteous lack of anger, or both?
As for a little background on my own thoughts, I was beginning to think that all speaking of anger might have always been wrong, and that God never wills the judgment of damnation of any being directly, and that it is ONLY the will of the being that creates that judgment (Think specifically Mark 5:12-13 where God lets the demons do as they will but it potentially results in their own destruction and 1 Tim 2:3-4 where God wills “everyone to be saved”). However, I have been thinking lately that perhaps God’s Wrath is more direct than I originally thought. I do not, however, think God wills the damnation of any who can still potentially be saved, but this requires cooperation with His free gift of mercy. Thus, on final impenitence (that is departure from this current life in the state of mortal sin), God does not show mercy. This would mean anger can be a good thing (depending on the object and so forth), but that it can never be directed at another human being insofar as they are still living (only the sin). This may mean, however, that we ought to hate (in some way) the damned, for to do otherwise (will their eternal salvation) is plainly contrary to God’s will. I have been thinking this for three primary reasons:
1.) God acts in the mode of eternity, thus many things that seem indirect are in fact direct. A demon’s damnation cannot be sufficiently understood by their will alone but rather with the impact of that will and the direct effect of the reality of their own nature which comes from God. Thus, to think of God’s Wrath as indirectly effecting them seems like a sort of denial of God’s direct control over all things (like all of reality/nature) other than will, and if He has direct control over it, then the directly effect of the reality of their own nature is directly controlled by God. Thus, God directly wills the damnation of the damned and the demons (NOTE: no one is bound to be damned in this life, and God wills none of us to be damned unless we die in mortal sin)
2.) God gave us a faculty of fury as a passion. Insofar as something is a passion it is neither good nor bad in itself, but can be used for good or ill. Therefore, fury can be good at times insofar as it motivates us to right anger of the reason. Consequently the lack of anger can be a sin if reason demands anger and it is possible for it to do so (Like St. Aquinas says in STh II-II 158 Article 8)
3.) Christ Himself was supposedly ‘angry’; explicitly in Mark 3:5 and then more implicitly in Matt 21:12-13 and John 2:14-17. Christ did not sin while He was on this Earth, therefore anger is not always a sin (though it may be argued that since He was God He had such a right we do not, but my thought is if our anger is through God/Truth or perhaps justice itself, then perhaps our anger is good whereas if it comes through pride and selfishness, then it is not.)
So anyhow, my questions for discussion would be the following:
Q1.) Since we all agree that anger can be horribly wrong at some times, do you agree that we ought to get angry at certain things?
**Q2.) **If no for Q1 why? If Yes for Q1 why and for when and what?
Q3.) If yes for Q1 do you think society promotes the vice of unrighteous anger, unrighteous lack of anger, or both?
