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Yes.

I think a LOT of anger arises out of pain.

That’s one reason I mention ATTACHMENT DISORDER so often.

I know from first hand experience as well as my training and professional work . . . tons of relationship stuff comes out of the ATTACHMENT DISORDERED CHILDHOODS that so many have.

As another FREEPER shrink was discussing with me on one of the murder threads . . .

I’d noted that the profession claims that only 20% of citizens in the general populace suffer from ATTACHMENT DISORDER . . . while my student population and other populations—e.g. church . . . convince me that

MAYBE ONLY 20% MIGHT be relatively free of ATTACHMENT DISORDER.

He seemed to end up essentilly agreeing . . . noting that the less intense levels of ATTACHMENT DISORDER result in ANXIETY DISORDERS and the like.

All that certainly results in low self-worth . . . etc. which tends to usually result in many with seemingly over-inflated self-worth as a compensation.

Also, there’s a ton of emotional insecurity; low “emotional IQ” and the like that also contributes to conflicted, tortured relationships.

I’d wager that not a single one of the most rabid, most hostile posters hereon has persistently smooth relationships in their home lives.

If they do, then there’s a huge degree of Jeckyl/Hyde stuff going on.

Such pain filled ‘scratching the eyes out’ of

—all perceived to be a threat;
—all perceived to be markedly different [witness the tirade about petty things like posting colors and the like]
—all perceived to be philosophically/religiously different;
etc. etc. etc.

is a very common result of the collection of painful, angry stuff under ATTACHMENT DISORDER.

However,

SCRIPTURE INSISTS WE ARE TO

be angry AND SIN NOT.

Let not the sun go down on our wrath.

. . . and that, at a certain point, anger = murder . . . when carried far enough.

Certainly I’ve felt the vicious angry clawed hands around my neck through the wires on this thread! LOL.

We MUST, if we seek to truly follow Christ, learn to submit our anger TO HIM.

And, to learn to ask His help in putting ourselves in the other person’s skin sufficiently to get a pretty good understanding of what it’s like to walk around in their lives, skin, minds.

Compassion ought to flow from such empathy as we seek to become like Christ.

However, Compassion is not always warm and fuzzy.

I believe Christ was MOST COMPASSIONATE with the Pharisees when He rebuked them so forcefully and called them sons of satan, vipers, white washed tombs.

That vividly stated stark and brutal TRUTH was their best chance to face the truth about themselves and be redeemed.

Most of us pretend we are not that desperately in need of redemption so as to be willing to face that much truth about ourselves.

Only in the pig pen did the Prodigal Son face himself.

Clawing, stabbing, blaming, scratching eyes out . . . anger and pain symptoms, for sure.

And, they are far from fruits of The Spirit.

I’ve not found folks to give them up very willingly unless and until they come utterly to the end of themselves . . . until the vividly EXPERIENCE God rubbing their worst features painfully into their faces to their bone marrow.

That’s no fun. I know from very vivid experiences a number of times—being a slow learner on such scores.

However, it’s kind of a last chance thing. If we will NOT HEAR when we are brought to the end of ourselves, I don’t know what hope there is.

I think most of the angry self-righteous folks hereon are far from the ends of themselves. However, in 24 hours things chould change for anyone. Certainly, things will change some day for the folks hereon. A number of them will be brought to the ends of themselves because God Loves them THAT MUCH.

THAT WILL BE HIS GRACE AND MERCY TO THEM.

When they are there, they will remember such threads as these . . . they will remember their stabbing and clawing . . . and it will deepen their loathesomeness toward their own sinful nature and state.

Blaming will fall away as hideous.

Accusation will fall away as perverse.

Self-righteousness will fall away as horrific idolatry.

All will be seen as terminally stupid; terminally ignorant, terminally self-destructive.

Prayerfully, they will accept Christ’s redemption at new levels then.

And others, regardless of how DIFFERENT will be seen as also made in God’s image and worthy of caring and respect.