What's the Point?

From every angle, we are basically being told that our emotions are at best invalid, and at worst, influences that lead us astray. From the rational intellectual world, we are taught that our feelings are just fleeting, fickle, flights that have no more value to us than the wind blowing. From the traditional religious world we learn that our emotions are not only fleeting, fickle and invalid, but also could lead us into temptation. From the New Age/New Thought world we are currently being told that our emotions are only useful if we can plug them into "positive" thinking, which allows us to manifest our dreams. So, here's what I want to know: What is the purpose of our emotions? Are they unnecessary appendages blowing in the wind like the hair on our heads—yet with greater impact? Or are they gifts given to us as a part of the Divine image from which we were created? And if it is the latter, shouldn't we be figuring out how to use them instead of dismissing them? Tune in and find out!