When is anger not a sin?

[agangbern]

It is said that it is sin to be angry. Was Jesus not angry when he turned the tables of the money-changers in the temple?

 

[Malcolm_McLean]

It is said that it is sin to be angry. Was Jesus not angry when he turned the tables of the money-changers in the temple?

When the underlying motive is love of the person to whom the anger is directed, it is not sin. When it is love of others rather than self it is unlikely to be sinful. When it is love of self it is probably sinful, though simulated anger in defence of legitimate rights - for instance a teacher who tells off a boy who cheeks him - is licit.

 

[Tim_Kirchoff]

Anger is not a sin. Wrath is a sin. For example, if someone plays a practical joke on you, you stab them in the arm. Wrath is unjustified and excessive anger toward a person or thing.

 

[Daniel_Marsh]

when you are mad about injustice. Someone, using God’s name in vain. someone disrespecting the image of God in man, including yourself. anger at disobedence without acting out in violence towards that disobedence.

 

[Pat_the_Cat]

Anger is an emotion, not a choice. If you use your emotion to drive you to do good or fight for justice then there is nothing wrong with being angry. If I allow my anger to ***control ***my actions then this is a dis-order. The proper order of things is that our reason and intellect control our actions, even although our emotions may be a driving force. Sometime our emotions are un-reasonable. at these times we need to practice temperance, and not allow our emotions to drive our actions.

I may be angered that there are so many children being aborted in the womb. This is Just anger. It can drive me to fight for the rights of the children, and the souls of those involved; but LOVE must be my aim and my means. On the other hand I could try and justify being un-loving toward those in the abortion industry, because I have allowed my anger to take control of my actions. This is sinful.

Another way to discern it is by asking yourself - am I angry at the person, or the action (sin)? We’ve all heard it said “love the sinner, not the sin” or “Hate the sin, not the sinner”.

 

[Nino]

Anger is an emotion, not a choice.
…several years ago…back in 1977 a state senator asked me to write to the legislature re: for support of a bill to outlaw child porn…I did and in a week he called me back…my letter to the paper generated other support and it was passed…so in a small way my states anti-child porn law I helped get on the books…I hate and despise anyone who is a child abuser…exploiter etc…Jesus Himself had a novel use of the millstone for such evil creatures…I hated bullies in school who picked on smaller kids in the bathroom ,playground or halls…I hated some of the boys who told off color jokes with girls in the class and punished them for it…hatred in a natural response in we humans…Jesus whupped the money changers outta that temple…he was hardly smiling as He did it…whip and all

 

[Pat_the_Cat]

I hate and despise anyone who is a child abuser…exploiter etc…Jesus Himself had a novel use of the millstone for such evil creatures…I hated bullies in school who picked on smaller kids in the bathroom ,playground or halls…I hated some of the boys who told off color jokes with girls in the class and punished them for it…hatred in a natural response in we humans…Jesus whupped the money changers outta that temple…he was hardly smiling as He did it…whip and all

Sorry to burst your bubble, but anger is NOT the same thing as HATE. In fact scripture is very clear on that. If you have issues with hatred, you need to go to confession.

This is what ANGER is.

this is what HATRED is.

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 1John 2:9

But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him. 1John 2:11

"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who speaks to his brother with contempt is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. Mt 5: 21-22

As I said, Christ wants us to love everyone. Not the sins, but the people. “love the sinner, not the sin”

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 1 cor 13: 1-3

 

[BigRedpg51]

There are three conditions necessary for something to be sinful.

1. The action or thought must be a sinful one.
2. The person must realize that it is a sinful one.
3. The action or thought must have been done with sufficient consent of the will…sufficient forethought.

Sometimes, a person might come upon a highly flammable situation whereas he/she may react “instantly” with anger. Suppose you find someone about to harm a child or a homeless person with a knife or acid or a gun? You react quickly, and your anger toward that situation propels you to try and prevent that action from taking place. Is that anger ‘sinful’? Would your reaction not actually be one of love?..with the anger being an expression of that love?

Or, suppose someone starts whispering into your ear some ugly gossip against another, and you become instantly inflamed with anger that the gossiper is trying to perpetrate an injustice through slander or detraction. Is that anger ‘sinful’?

When Our Lord Jesus became angry at the money changers and shop keepers clogging up the temple with their greedy enterprises, was He not acting out of love for His Father when He drove them out with a whip of knotted cord?

In these and similar circumstances we have the obligation to use the “3 conditions examination” to determine if a sin has actually occurred because of your anger.

Condition #1: Was the anger a sinful act? MAYBE YES…MAYBE NO. It depends upon the situation.

Condition #2: Did I know that anger was a sinful act at the time that I was angry? MAYBE YES…MAYBE NO. Sometimes we just ‘react’ without any rational thought taking place.

Condition #3: Did I consciously decide to become angry…did I think about it sufficiently enough where I could honestly say to myself “I will react with anger.” or “I will react without anger.” Once again…MAYBE YES…MAYBE NO.

Only the person, themselves, and God, know the answers to these three conditions. If all three conditions answer “YES”, then you have committed a sin through anger. If even one of these three conditions answers a definite “NO”, then your culpability of committing a sin is not there.

It is very important to try and look at the anger expressed in an objective manner afterward. Try to sweep all emotionalism aside, and try – as honest as you can – to check your angry situation against these three conditions for sinfulness.

 

[Stella_Matutina]

It is said that it is sin to be angry. Was Jesus not angry when he turned the tables of the money-changers in the temple?

Whoever said it is a sin to be angry is just plain wrong. St. Paul said:

“Be angry but do not sin.”- Ephesians 4:26

Emotions are neither good nor bad. They are neutral.
Acts of the will… now that’s a different story.

 

[agangbern]

Whoever said it is a sin to be angry is just plain wrong. St. Paul said:

“Be angry but do not sin.”- Ephesians 4:26

Emotions are neither good nor bad. They are neutral.
Acts of the will… now that’s a different story.

How then shall we reconcile Ephesians 4:26 with Mathew 5:22 that says, “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment;” ?

 

[Tim_Kirchoff]

How then shall we reconcile Ephesians 4:26 with Mathew 5:22 that says, “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment;” ?

That is referring to a grudge, not to anger in general.

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but anger is NOT the same thing as HATE. In fact scripture is very clear on that. If you have issues with hatred, you need to go to confession.

This is what ANGER is.

this is what HATRED is.

As I said, Christ wants us to love everyone. Not the sins, but the people. “love the sinner, not the sin”

Then why did Jesus say you must hate your life? this is one part of Scripture that confuses me

 

[Tim_Kirchoff]

Then why did Jesus say you must hate your life? this is one part of Scripture that confuses me

“Hate” in that context (I think I know what passages you are referring to preference. You must prefer following Jesus, even to your own life. You must preer Jesus over your family and all your friends. Our love for them must be as nothing compared to our love for Jesus.

 

[agangbern]

“Hate” in that context (I think I know what passages you are referring to preference. You must prefer following Jesus, even to your own life. You must preer Jesus over your family and all your friends. Our love for them must be as nothing compared to our love for Jesus.

So, hate too, like anger, has various meanings depending on the context?

 

[Stella_Matutina]

So, hate too, like anger, has various meanings depending on the context?

I think the more correct way to say it would be that there are many forms of “hate” rather than “hate has various meanings depending on the context.”

The New Advent article about HATRED, (the link is above), gives good defenitions of the different forms of hatred and how hatred can be good. For example, the article says:

The first-named species of hatred, in so far as it implies the reprobation of what is actually evil, is not a sin and may even represent a virtuous temper of soul.

So there are ways to hate that are virtuous and ways to hate that are always sinful such as:

involving a very direct and absolute violation of the precept of charity, is always sinful and may be grievously so.

All emotions: hate, fear, anger, sadness, joy, love, desire, are neither good nor bad. They are morally neutral. Feeling the emotions hate, anger, or fear can help you. They are God given and with the guidance of reason help us make decisions with our Will. When hate or anger helps us choose the good, we are in the right.

For example, my hatred for a friend’s sin, may help me decide how best to help my friend. Or another example, my anger at someone mistreating me will give me the energy to fight for justice. These emotions are helping me choose the good.

When hate and anger lead me to choosing evil, that is when I have sinned. If I become so angry at someone that I abuse them, I have sinned. But it wasn’t the anger that was the sin, it was the abuse. If I hate something about someone so much that it leads me to hate the person himself, I have sinned. I have chosen to hate something that is ultimately good (the human person.)

I hope I made this clear… let me know.

 

[Tim_Kirchoff]

So, hate too, like anger, has various meanings depending on the context?

I’m not sure- one priest who was a my parish some time back said that was a mistranslation… I think it means, that, compared to how much you love Jesus, you hate your own family, and even your own life. Jesus is much more precious.

 

[agangbern]

I think the more correct way to say it would be that there are many forms of “hate” rather than “hate has various meanings depending on the context.”

The New Advent article about HATRED, (the link is above), gives good defenitions of the different forms of hatred and how hatred can be good. For example, the article says:

So there are ways to hate that are virtuous and ways to hate that are always sinful such as:

All emotions: hate, fear, anger, sadness, joy, love, desire, are neither good nor bad. They are morally neutral. Feeling the emotions hate, anger, or fear can help you. They are God given and with the guidance of reason help us make decisions with our Will. When hate or anger helps us choose the good, we are in the right.

For example, my hatred for a friend’s sin, may help me decide how best to help my friend. Or another example, my anger at someone mistreating me will give me the energy to fight for justice. These emotions are helping me choose the good.

When hate and anger lead me to choosing evil, that is when I have sinned. If I become so angry at someone that I abuse them, I have sinned. But it wasn’t the anger that was the sin, it was the abuse. If I hate something about someone so much that it leads me to hate the person himself, I have sinned. I have chosen to hate something that is ultimately good (the human person.)

I hope I made this clear… let me know.

Yes, you made it very clear! Thank you.