Something to be Mad About

I had a bad week last week. I still haven't fully recovered from it. The two worst things happened Wednesday and Thursday and I've been mad since when I think of them. Yesterday, in an effort to get my mind off these things, I watched a Bulls game and was getting pretty mad at them for a lack of effort and sloppy play. I went to get a drink at halftime and it struck me that I wasn't really angry with them. Disappointed, yes, perhaps even a little frustrated because this was a big game, but not angry. I don't really get angry at sports teams unless they play dirty. No, I was still mad about these two situations and looking for something to take it out on.

I try to not get too political during these posts, but I'm afraid my time in Virginia has irreparably corrupted me in that regard. I pay attention to politics now and it shows from time to time. In the past year, voter outrage seems to be at an all-time high. There was the debt ceiling crisis, California's gay marriage bill being passed then overturned (and that last decision is now being appealed), other states allowing gay marriage, the score of Republican Presidential nomination debates (I wish I was exaggerating on that number), the Occupy Wall Street movement, Greece and Italy near financial collapse, our market teetering between recovery and downturn, and a number of things I'm sure I'm forgetting. The latest one is whether employers or the government (read: taxpayers) should be required to provide contraception to women. Whether you're for or against it isn't the point; it's just another issue that not only seems to divide people into two basic camps, but inflames their anger to disproportionate levels.

I'm sure there are people who believe that certain of these issues really are of monumental importance. For example, for people who have lost their retirement savings because they invested in companies that went belly up because of their executives' criminal actions and then watch as these executives get only 2-5 years in prison, I totally understand the outrage. For most people, though, it seems that each controversy isn't so much a big deal on its own, but just something for people to get riled up about.

I go to CNN.com daily and regularly post comments on articles. I try to be logical and even-tempered, knowing that very few people on there respond well to, "The Bible says..." Yet every article that even mentions God or a religious person has a swarm of people saying everything from, "Religion should be banned; it is the cause of all evil in the world," to the relatively tame, "You have no right to tell me what you believe. Believe it all you want, but keep it to yourself." On ESPN, every article mentioning a known Christian athlete, such as Tim Tebow, gets the same treatment.

There's so much anger in the world. I'm sure not everyone is just waiting to explode, but there are so many people who can be easily riled up over things that don't even affect them personally. Or who get so furious over issues that they can't discuss them without resorting to name-calling and insults, let alone rationally and logically.

I've written before (at least on fb) that if our beliefs were stronger, it wouldn't matter whether someone disagrees with us. To quote from the Matrix: Reloaded,
"Not everyone believes what you believe."
"My beliefs do not require them to."
No anger from Morpheus in his reply, no shaking of his faith, no demand that his commander believe the same thing. No insults. No name-calling. No judgment for not sharing his faith.

It makes me wonder how much faith we've lost, how scared we as a society have gotten that things won't work out for us. How insecure many people, both Christian and non-Christian, must feel deep down if they can get so upset so easily.

There are things that it is right to be upset about. If you're one of the people that gets angry easily, is upset over things that don't personally affect you, or gets too upset over them, though, try to figure out what's really going on in your life. What are you really mad at? Is that anger based in fear of something either happening or never happening? Are you even positive your position is right (and if you are, why are you angry with others for disagreeing with you)? Why do you feel superior to those who disagree with you? Since a need to feel superior comes from a fear of inferiority, who do you feel inferior to? If you are willing to answer all these questions, you just might find what you're really so mad about.