Anger like any other emotion is a biological state brought on by an event or stimuli. A response of our nervous system. If we call our responses sinful, we learn to hide them or repress them causing not only separation from self, but also a sense of danger that doesn’t exist.

1/ https://twitter.com/erlsmagirls/status/1350505032240791557

Because we are telling our brain we cannot show our emotions openly and in a healthy way. And that they are sinful or bad. Our brain feels in danger every time our nervous system fires these valid response, and learns to protect us from them. That’s psychological trauma.

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Over time, psychological trauma changes our personality, our brain, and our chemical responses. We learn to cope with it as we find ourselves in perpetual cycles of trauma (because emotions never go away). And we remain distanced from our true self.

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Church and toxic spirituality can be such a coping mechanism. So asserting that people’s anger is sin maintains people’s dependency on church or church leaders. A belief that only really benefits churches that don’t want people’s healing but their labor and money instead.

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Emotions are like compases, they are meant to inform us of what’s happening within and lead us toward safety and wholeness. They are meant to be explored. Consciousness and self awareness are the practices of exploring not only our environment but the world inside of us.

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Instead of “anger is sinful” we can ask “what is this anger trying to tell me.” One approach distances us from the self, the other brings us closer and toward healing. Healthy spirituality should lead us toward being the most aware, conscious beings. Not the most disembodied.