“Mortal sin” is batted around these forums like a tennis ball at Wimbledon.
There is also a “communal” sense of what defines a pious, faithful Catholic – and oftentimes that definition is more traditional than modern. None of us want our brothers and sisters to stumble and fall, but it seems to me that traditionalism imposes a strenuousness that those of us who struggle with scrupulosity are not ready to meet. For instance, many regular devotions (such as the daily rosary, or First Fridays) are advocated and communicated so strongly on this forum that if we miss a day we’re prone to think we’ve fallen into grave sin.
Some of our more “advanced” members, those who aren’t scrupulous and can spend long periods of time in meditative prayer, sometimes do post “benchmarks” which, while helpful and enlightening, can also cause the scrupulous person to realize how short they’ve fallen. It can also breed contempt for those who are considered “advanced.”
Finally, our own pride teems with the necessity for the absolute, meaning that whatever we say must be the truth, and many of us hope to be “the great hope” of others, praying that our words will make the most difference and serve as the final resolution to a person problem. Someone suffering scrupulosity is bound to approach these suggestions with confidence and walk away confused.
I can empathize with people’s concerns, especially for the need to go somewhere in order to “vent,” to be heard, to receive assurance, etc. because I do it myself, but these forums were created primarily for the purpose of apologetics and “straight answers,” not Dear Abbey sentiments. Scrupulosity entails quite a bit of pride and self-love: the ego will not go down without a fight; so it makes sense that we who are scrupulous want to talk about our anxieties. More than talking, though, we want answers. I think if we recognize our scrupulosity for what it is, and reocgnize these forums for what they are, then we shouldn’t stumble as much as we could.
