{"id":1607,"date":"2012-07-20T11:08:32","date_gmt":"2012-07-20T15:08:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/phoenixandolivebranch.wordpress.com\/?p=1607"},"modified":"2014-07-03T11:25:33","modified_gmt":"2014-07-03T15:25:33","slug":"slacktivist-when-a-lack-of-anger-reveals-a-lack-of-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/phoenixandolivebranch\/2012\/07\/slacktivist-when-a-lack-of-anger-reveals-a-lack-of-love\/","title":{"rendered":"Slacktivist: When a lack of anger reveals a lack of love"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Fred Clark recently posted one of the most powerful endorsements of anger at injustice I have ever seen. It\u2019s especially relevant to ex-fundamentalist bloggers, since we are regularly accused of anger and bitterness<\/a>, as though having emotions invalidates everything we say.<\/p>\n

Imagine a big muscle-bound biker walks up, knocks you over and steps on your head with his giant steel-toed boot. You respond, \u201cHey, get off! What do you think you\u2019re doing?!\u201d He laughs down at you and says, \u201cWhy should I?\u201d You answer, \u201cBecause you\u2019re hurting me!\u201d And he says, \u201cYou can\u2019t possibly argue with me while you\u2019re this emotional. I\u2019m going to stand on your head until you calm down enough to present a rational argument.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because that makes just as much sense as telling women to be less emotional about patriarchy.<\/p>\n

Slacktivist<\/span>: When a lack of anger reveals a lack of love<\/a><\/p>\n

Most anger is a response to and a response\u00a0against\u00a0something less abstract and more tangible, actual and factual: Injustice, oppression, harm, cruelty, pain, deprivation, suffering, want, intimidation, bullying, tyranny, evil.<\/em><\/p>\n

In response to and response against such harms, anger is not irrational, it is obligatory<\/strong>. It is precisely \u201cwhat the evidence warrants.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

When confronted with injustice, cruelty and harm, a\u00a0lack\u00a0of anger \u201cis a sign that you are subconsciously\u201d failing to love those who are suffering from that injustice, cruelty and harm<\/strong>. If you love them, then you ought to be angry \u2014 and that anger ought to compel you to act on their behalf.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

See also:<\/span><\/p>\n

Free Believers Network: The Bitterness Phenomenon<\/a><\/p>\n

Amazingly, our teachings have so programed our minds that if the very thought that a person might be bitter enters our brains, we instantly shut down like a computer firewall protecting itself against a virus. I think for the most part, we can\u2019t even help ourselves anymore. It\u2019s become an involuntary knee-jerk reaction that just snaps the moment the \u201cB\u201d word is spoken. Our ears instantly become deaf, our attention span goes blank, and the walls of self protection shoot up.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fred Clark recently posted one of the most powerful endorsements of anger at injustice I have ever seen. It\u2019s especially relevant to ex-fundamentalist bloggers, since we are regularly accused of anger and bitterness, as though having emotions invalidates everything we say. Imagine a big muscle-bound biker walks up, knocks you over and steps on your […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1147,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,31,29],"tags":[513],"class_list":["post-1607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-patriarchy","category-submission","category-women","tag-religion"],"yoast_head":"\nSlacktivist: When a lack of anger reveals a lack of love<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Fred Clark recently posted one of the most powerful endorsements of anger at injustice I have ever seen. 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