Ability to Sin

[SybilMolly]

Hypothetical question about sins—

Persons X and Y live in a country where homosexual acts, down to holding hands, are forbidden by law. Both of them are gay and both know this. Forgetting about person X for a while, person Y can’t afford to break the law—people are dependent on his salary, etc—so he does nothing with person X while knowing that, if it were permitted by law, he would attempt to have a romantic ‘relationship’. Another example is to go into a store intending to steal something but not stealing it when a sales clerk follows you around all day.

Is this sinning or not? When one intends to commit a sin and would if the penalties were lower?

 

[robert_chacon]

Is this sinning or not? When one intends to commit a sin and would if the penalties were lower?

Yes of course. It is our desires that lead us away from Christ or to Him. Jesus told us if we were simply to desire to commit adultery we have already committed it. On the other hand, good public policy helps curb our desires from being acted upon and thus committing further sin.

 

[SybilMolly]

So my wanting to punch my sister in the face and my punching my sister in the face are two different sins? (as an example, obviously)

 

[GEddie]

So my wanting to punch my sister in the face and my punching my sister in the face are two different sins? (as an example, obviously)

Yes, of course.

The first may not be a sin at all, if you are provoked. The second would in all likelihood be a mortal sin.

ICXC NIKA