A Principle in Moral Theology?

[Nate13]

Objectively, yes.
Morally, no.

So it matters…but your saying you don’t believe it changes a person’s culpability, increases the seriousness of the sin, or increases the responsibility someone has? If you believe none of those describe why it matters, do you have a suggestion for how it should be stated?

 

[Newbie2]

So it matters…but your saying you don’t believe it changes a person’s culpability, increases the seriousness of the sin, or increases the responsibility someone has? If you believe none of those describe why it matters, do you have a suggestion for how it should be stated?

Same question I had.

Seems like there is an objective morality that cannot be separated into “Objective” and “moral” components.

 

[awolbob]

Yeah I’m moving more and more in this direction as well. The doctor would commit two sins. One being doing the abortion, and two causing scandal.

I would think you would get 100 millstones tied around your neck, should you not repent. Culpability has a part in scandal, just as it does in all sins.

True.

Ah good point.

Thank you for explaining that.

I love this conversation,but how many times doe’s an unrepentant sinner die a second death

 

[awolbob]

Possibly but I don’t see the connection unless by culpability you mean to be talking about the punishment the sin would earn. This question really is a hard to pin down. It feels right, but I just can’t seem to put it into words to fully express it.

That would obviously be three different sins with three different actions. I’m talking about when one action I commit possibly causes multiple people to come under temptation. Is there a difference in seriousness, culpability, moral responsibility, ect… depending on how many people my one action leads into a temptation to sin? This has implications if so particularly for people with influence over others no matter what the quantity. I think most people already realize this in practice though. A father understands that he has a lot more responsibility once he has kids who are looking up to him.

Obviously these are additional sins. In that it only takes one mortal sin to put us in hell, yes every mortal sin after that does not matter in that respect. I would bet the punishment one can expect though fits the crime/crimes. That is how justice works.

I agree. I believe my priest has a advanced degree as a moral theologian, so maybe I will try and get his opinion on it.

I think that is more about being truthful and not so much about remembering the exact number. Obviously someone would remember how many abortions they had, but for instance someone who struggled with masturbation is probably not keeping a tally. They would probably very simply just say “I have masturbated a few times this week”. We should be as honest and specific as we can reasonably be though.

Are we starting the question of,
are some people going to suffer more in hell then others

 

[Nate13]

Are we starting the question of,
are some people going to suffer more in hell then others

No, it pertains to whether people in positions of authority or influence should be more wary of the responsibility their position entitles. I truly could care less what part of hell people are in. It would not bother me one bit if Hitler is suffering just as much as the guy who committed adultery. Both are separated from God for eternity and talking about degrees of separation is meaningless.

 

[Leegal]

I think that is more about being truthful and not so much about remembering the exact number. Obviously someone would remember how many abortions they had, but for instance someone who struggled with masturbation is probably not keeping a tally. They would probably very simply just say “I have masturbated a few times this week”. We should be as honest and specific as we can reasonably be though.

Actually, I think it speaks to the priest as to how much the person is immersed in the sin. I realize that masturbation aside, it’s pretty hard to count. it is why we say how long it has been since the last confession.

If I say, “I masturbate a few times a week” and it’s been 2 years since my last confession, the priest has a pretty good idea as to how much I have invested in this sin. If I come back week after week after week with having masturbated several times, I think we have an obligation to state it’s a repetitive problem. Othewise, I would be saying something like “I’ve masturbated 3 times this week” but had not masturbated for 5 years before this.

I think a close enough number and the amount of time over which the sin takes place gives the priest an idea as to where the person is with this mortal sin as to blame. Afterall, masturbating after being celibate for 5 years certainly speaks about someone who is trying to be celibate but lost the battle this week. The person who has not gone to confession and has been doing it regular for 5 years has more invested in his sin.

So, some sins can’t be “counted”, but we can give the priest a good idea of how much of it is disregard for the Church, habit, addiction or a sudden lapse after really trying to live according to the Church’s teachings.

 

[Leegal]

I still think the Church would have to have some teaching or understanding to convey as to one who commits a mortal sin, is unrepetent and dies vs. the person who commits the same mortal sin, over and over, is also unrepetent, and dies. I don’t know if there are levels of Hell; I doubt it.

But without some claification, I could miss Mass this week, in mortal sin, and say “well, I have this mortal sin so if I miss a few more Masses this month I will go to confession and get them reconciled.” The Church must have, somewhere, some doctrine or teaching that allows for this kind of thinking in order to not delay reconciliation, while accumulating sins.

Or is it only the fact that we don’t know when we will die and I could die tonight?

 

[Nate13]

But without some claification, I could miss Mass this week, in mortal sin, and say “well, I have this mortal sin so if I miss a few more Masses this month I will go to confession and get them reconciled.” The Church must have, somewhere, some doctrine or teaching that allows for this kind of thinking in order to not delay reconciliation, while accumulating sins.

Haha I have definitely heard someone talk about how this attitude is very very wrong and I bet this is in the Catechism somewhere.

 

[Leegal]

Haha I have definitely heard someone talk about how this attitude is very very wrong and I bet this is in the Catechism somewhere.

I’m not saying it’s not wrong; I’m saying it’s easy to fall into the trap.