More On Anger

 On another blog the question of "what is the opposite of sin" was raised. I couldn't help but think of "Be angry but sin not." That would really show what the opposite of sin would be, when you are angry but wouldn't sin How hard is that?

I am reading a book by Gary Chapman, "The Other Side of Love", which is about anger, how to control it and why we have it. God gets angry, Jesus got angry and they did not sin/ From the beginning we had the capacity for anger, but we perverted it's purpose after the fall.

Anger was intended to spur us to action to right a wrong. This would work if we were truly theotitical instead of egotistical, again the work of man's sinful depravity.

So as Followers of Christ we should do lilke him, get angry for the rigth reasons, but don't sin.

*posted by Lyle @4:58 PM, Saturday, May 22, 2004

A difference in cultures

 I couldn't help notice the difference in America, how we view the Iraqi prisoner situation, with how the Muslim nations viewed the Berg situation.

We were appalled at how the Iraqis were treated and are looking to punish the perpetrators. In the Islamic World the executioners of this young American are viewed as heroes, in fact beheading someone is no big deal over there.

This has to do with the influence Christianity has on our worldview in Western culture. In non christian societies life is de-valued.

This difference is brought to light by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount when he says calling your neighbor a fool is equivalent to murder. In most societies when your neighbor hits you, yoiu are expected to retaliate, Christk expects us to turn the other cheek.

While I am not always proud of the things going on in American society, at least we are still appalled at some thing and by feeling this way we show otherss how we value life. Treating all people with compassion is still a goal alive, (yet on life support) in our Western Society.

* This is Lyle's first post on his blog dated Saturday, May 15, 2004

Anger

Reading "The Divine Conspiracy" chapter 5, Dallas Willard had 2 great quotes, "There is nothing that can be done with anger that cannot be done better without it." This is so true. We let our anger affect everything we do some days.

Also, "To cut the root of anger, is to wither the tree of human evil." Think about how many societal problmnes are caused by anger. In America there are 25,000 murders annually.

Think about how our lives would be different if we didn't get angry.

The Bible says, "be angry, but do not sin". So we will all get angry, it is just how long we let it stew or how quickly we can diffuse it in a non violent way.

Are there different types of anger"

*This is Lyle's second  blog post from Wednesday, May 19, 2004 posted at 6:02 AM
** Lyle's older posts are being reproduced as they were. The project may take some time, but good things do. We all find it hard that Lyle met the Divine Conspirator in person 20 years ago.