Ruminations of an Irascible Hermit.: The danger of “outrage culture” and taking the saints out of context

Thursday, August 10, 2023

The danger of “outrage culture” and taking the saints out of context

I have seen this comment below from a priest online (screenshots below) and it highlights a growing concern I have with online Catholicism.

This is an excellent reminder about quotes and the importance of context.

All the saints teach of the danger of anger, self righteousness and bitterness. There is a phenomena among many Catholics online that I call “outrage culture” - everyone is constantly outraged and offended by scandals or sins of others, the hierarchy and the world. But why do we not have the same outrage over our own sinfulness? That’s what the Desert Fathers teach and emphasise - be humble, focus on your own sins, pray for others, live a life of repentance and focus on your relationship with God, love and serve your neighbour. Then leave it in God’s hands to make the changes in the world or the church or the hearts of others… but most of the time, it is our own heart that needs to be changed first.

People like to use this quote from St Thomas to justify their anger and bitterness over issues in the church, but without understanding it in the larger scheme of St Thomas’ doctrine. I’m so glad that this priest has noticed this too and is calling out this issue.

Anger, bitterness, resentment, offence - these are all poison in the spiritual life. They literally destroy us from within and kill charity in our soul. We need to be aware of this everyday and examine our heart. When we feel angry or upset about something that’s ok, but we need to also let it go, give it to God, and never let anything upset our peace or our ability to love and forgive. Once we lose this inner peace, it is so hard to get back, and then we lack love and the Holy Spirit too. This is why I have found that I regularly need to discern and examine my life according to the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Anger, bitterness, self righteous, frustration, criticism are all opposites of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. We must never allow ourselves to try and justify them in our life - they are poison to us and therefore deadly.

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Disclaimer

Please note. I am a Catholic layman, not a qualified theologian or philosopher. What I say and write here are my own personal thoughts and ideas, although I always try to conform my writings to the Magisterium of the Church.

I- with firm faith believe and profess everything that is contained in the symbol of faith: namely,

I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: By the power of the Holy Spirit, he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died and was buried. On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. I believe in the one holy catholic and apostolic church. I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

With firm faith I believe as well everything contained in God's word, written or handed down in tradition and proposed by the church--whether in solemn judgment or in the ordinary and universal Magisterium--as divinely revealed and called for faith.

I also firmly accept and hold each and every thing that is proposed by that same church definitively with regard to teaching concerning faith or morals.

What is more, I adhere with religious submission of will and intellect to the teachings which either the Roman pontiff or the college of bishops enunciate when they exercise the authentic Magisterium even if they proclaim those teachings in an act that is not definitive.