The Solution to America's Anger Problem: 'Jesus Is Telling Us We Have to Forgive People'

 WASHINGTON – From the playground to the political arena, anger is the overriding emotion that seems to reflect society's dominant mood.

It's an emotion seen erupting on the road with rage directed at strangers. But it also hits closer to heart and home—with families torn apart over political, religious, and other sources of disagreement.

"Anger, as an emotion, actually has a lot of value," explained Michael Greenstein, an assistant professor of psychology at Framingham State University.

The Nature of Anger

Psychologists say anger is a natural human response designed to help us quickly process and solve problems. But excessive anger can cause emotional and physical harm like heart disease, lung damage, or shortened lifespans.

Brant Hansen tackled the issue of rampant anger in his book Unoffendable, published in 2015.

"It's terrible for your body. It's terrible for your psychology, but it's also something that ultimately we do have control over," said Hansen, who also hosts a nationally syndicated radio program.

The book was a response to lingering personal questions about anger in his own life – a quest that ultimately led him to resolve years of childhood bitterness after growing up in a broken home. The journey led him to the Bible, which he believes reveals the true antidote.

"The answer [kept] coming back: we're not supposed to stay angry at all. We're supposed to let it go," he explained. "We're supposed to forgive people."

A Model for Dealing with Anger

Hansen believes anger is a choice, and people can choose not to be offended – a radical idea based on the life and words of Jesus Christ.

"Jesus is telling us we have to forgive people. Paul's the one who said let go of your anger before the sun goes down. Get rid of all anger. James is the one that writes there's nothing righteous about human anger," Hansen said.

Forgiveness is a central tenet in Christianity, not only in profession but in practice. It's an act that can create and save healthy relationships.

"I, myself, am a sinner. So I have to decide am I going to let things go or not?" Hansen explained. "The Bible is not ambiguous about this. We're supposed to let go of offense  [and]  cover sin with our love. We're supposed to forgive so that we'll be forgiven."

Brian Edwards, a Christian counselor and a minister of marriage and family at a church in suburban Washington, DC, adds that it's also important to be humble and admit fallibility.

"'Search me, O God, and know my thoughts. See if there's any wicked way in me, and lead me into the way everlasting,'" said Edwards, quoting a verse from the book of Psalms.

"There's this idea—on a regular basis—of being introspective and asking God: 'Hey, check me, because I want to live a life that honors you. So I need to be checked.' So Jesus cleansed the temple, but God wants us to cleanse our temple."

According to Hansen, while it may seem unnatural, Christians should choose to forgive and be gracious even when it comes to the most hotly contentious issues, including polarized politics and conflicting worldviews. He noted many of the challenging present-day issues existed during Jesus's lifetime.

"Infanticide, racism, occupation, injustice: all of this. There's nothing new," he said. "And yet, look at his approach to humanity and the fact that he still wanted to save. He still loved us." 
 
"You can still advocate, give, donate, act, [and]  be an activist on whatever your issue is. But if you do it out of anger, that's not the right motivation. It actually clouds your judgment. It actually doesn't help you get things done. Ultimately, it will hurt you and take a toll on you," he continued. 
 
An Open Door to Misinformation

Another adverse effect of anger is how it makes people more prone to misinformation, while simultaneously raising confidence and reducing the memory's accuracy according to a study on anger.

"With fast-paced information gathering, it's really hard already to know what is the truth," explained Greenstein, who co-authored the study. "If you're experiencing anger about something, you might be more likely to go search for information that shows that you're right and then you believe that you're right and so it creates this cycle. I'm angry. I'm searching for information to show me that I'm right to make me more angry."

Hansen admits even though he has written a book about anger and advocates choosing not to take offense, it's still something with which he struggles.

However, he says being "undefendable" and letting go of anger has clear rewards.

"The weird thing is it actually makes life a lot better," Hansen said. "I actually think it helps us to see things more clearly, too. And the last thing is that it makes us very different from the rest of the world."

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