When does getting angry become a grave sin?

[Holly3278]

Hi everyone. When does getting angry become a grave sin? It is not a grave sin to be a little bit angry is it? Note: I am not speaking of becoming angry with God but I am speaking of becoming angry with something like another person or your pet or something like that.

 

[nancy347]

Being a victim of domestic violence growing up and in my 25 year marriage, any anger that isnt justified anger, for a just reason, without yelling, throwing things, hitting people and animals, etc., to me is a sin. To what degree it is a grave sin depends on the person, if the person is mentally ill, bipolar, etc., or grew up in an abusive home and has not yet learned that anger isnt a good answer to anything, the level of sin is different for each case. Ask an apologist on here to be sure, or check out the catholic cathecism. Good luck, peace, nancy

 

[ruslan]

Hi everyone. When does getting angry become a grave sin? It is not a grave sin to be a little bit angry is it? Note: I am not speaking of becoming angry with God but I am speaking of becoming angry with something like another person or your pet or something like that.

I never get angry with an animal - I don’t even relate to that. There are times when certain people get on my last nerve, but I try not to tell them they do.

Why don’t you talk to your priest about this? I am sure he would have some answers for you.

 

[Sapphire_Dragon]

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church

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.”

2303 Deliberate hatred is contrary to charity. Hatred of the neighbor is a sin when one deliberately wishes him evil. Hatred of the neighbor is a grave sin when one deliberately desires him grave harm. “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.”

Source: vatican.va/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a5.htm
(Note: I wrote paragraphs of small text in normal-sized text, to make reading easier. Also removed numbers that pointed to sources at bottom of page…Not sure how to put those here. Check link if interested in those.)

Catholic Answers’ Father Vincent Serpa answered a question about anger in this forum which might help:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=231501&highlight=anger

 

[Newbie2]

The anger is never a sin…anger is an emotion, and emotions are not sinful. However, how one directs that anger may or may not be sinful. That can be a very fine line. If I get angry that my kid did something stupid, in all liklihood he’ll get a dressing down. And the level of that will depend on whether or not I get a chance to cool down or not before I address the issue.

If I raise my voice to make a point (parents of teenage boys will know what I’m talking about ), it’s not sinful. But if I were to go on yelling and screaming to the point of demeaning him…that could be sinful. But it’s not the anger that’s sinful.

Christ himself got angry, very angry as Scripture suggests, at the money changers at the Temple. Not sinful.

 

[Brendan]

The anger is never a sin…anger is an emotion, and emotions are not sinful. However, how one directs that anger may or may not be sinful…

Exactly. Aquinas defined anger as “energy directed at percieved injustice”

As such, it is neither good nor bad. What really counts is two things.

1. In the injustice true injustice, or is it based on our own selfishness.
2. Is the energy being directed at overcoming the injustice in a moral way, or is it being used improperly (immoral means, or simply ‘seething’)

 

[EvelynEVF]

I really struggle with this myself, coming out of an abusive marriage, and not being very good at “doing anger” anyway.

One thing i have come away with is that the expression of anger needs to not hurt anybody, including me, and it cannot be threatening or intimidating. Ie my dh used to punch walls and kick things; he never hit me, but his anger was sinful because he did frighten and intimidate me. I can sense pretty clearly when I am venting to a friend, if I cross the line between venting and sinning. I also watch out, because sometimes when I want to call him names, even in private, it harms me, to be that kind of person.

I’m also learning that forgiveness might take most of forever, but I can focus on being a forgiving person, until I get to that point.

 

[Palm_Tree]

Nice post above from somebody who quoted the Cathechims on when anger becomes a grave sin. Also, remember Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, where he said:

*You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.
*
The note on that verse says:
Anger is the motive behind murder, as the insulting epithets are steps that may lead to it. They, as well as the deed, are all forbidden. Raqa: an Aramaic word reqa’ or reqa probably meaning “imbecile,” “blockhead,” a term of abuse. The ascending order of punishment, judgment (by a local council?), trial before the Sanhedrin, condemnation to Gehenna, points to a higher degree of seriousness in each of the offenses. Sanhedrin: the highest judicial body of Judaism. Gehenna: in Hebrew ge-hinnom, “Valley of Hinnom,” or ge ben-hinnom, “Valley of the son of Hinnom,” southwest of Jerusalem, the center of an idolatrous cult during the monarchy in which children were offered in sacrifice (see 2 Kings 23:10; Jeremiah 7:31). In Joshua 18:16 (Septuagint, Codex Vaticanus) the Hebrew is transliterated into Greek as gaienna, which appears in the New Testament as geenna. The concept of punishment of sinners by fire either after death or after the final judgment is found in Jewish apocalyptic literature (e.g., Enoch 90:26) but the name geenna is first given to the place of punishment in the New Testament.

usccb.org/nab/bible/matthew/matthew5.htm

 

[deedward]

… If I get angry that my kid did something stupid, in all liklihood he’ll get a dressing down. And the level of that will depend on whether or not I get a chance to cool down or not before I address the issue…But if I were to go on yelling and screaming to the point of demeaning him…that could be sinful. But it’s not the anger that’s is.

I used to think that too … You are in for a world of trouble in relationships with the beleifs you mention here

I recommend two CD resources of Lighthouse Catholic Media …

Jeff Cavins CD " The Hidden Power of Forgieness"
Deacon Dr. Bob McDonald’s “Anger and Forgieness”

May God bless each of us with His grace of commitment each second of the day, to conversion through the discipline of our thoughts, words and deeds. Amen +++

 

[iamcatholic100]

I can share my personal experiences of anger and you guys can probably figure out if whther or not they are sinful.

I have struggled with anger every once in a while throughout most of my life. It was worse when I was a kid but now it comes and goes. There were many moments in my life where I got angry over something that could be viewed as sinful. For example, getting angry when being intimidated or teased by family members, and then responding by shouting out an expletive or hitting something, someone or yourself, and occasional nreaking something. Another example would be getting angry when something does not go myway, especially when it coems to games. A final example is acting out on our anger in an impulsive manner, not really thinking ahead. These types of anger could be viewed as being sinful.

On the other hand, there are examples when my anger was justified and not necessarilly sinful. For example, getting angry over a condom commercial during primetime television, and getting angry over a crude joke concerning Jesus or the church.

So, in conclusion, we seriously need to draw a line in the sand. Otherwise, we will end up destroying ourselves and our relationship with others.

 

[Bookcat]

The anger is never a sin…

Such is not the way to put it.

There is just anger - yes. (like Jesus in the temple).

And there is an emotion of anger that can happen that we do not say consent to etc.

But yes there is anger that is a sin. (and one of the “capital sins”)

 

[Bookcat]

Hi everyone. When does getting angry become a grave sin?

Ways anger can be a grave sin (again assuming full knowledge and deliberate consent is present) are such as when it leads to serious injustice or to internal consent to such or to blasphemy (ie hatred of God) grave scandal; or it seriously offends charity…etc

 

[Bookcat]

Oh oh --this is an old thread.

Let us let it rest.