Blasphemous thoughts (warning: do not view if will cause thoughts)

[JohnCatholic25]

How do I know if I consented to blasphemous thoughts? Are all blasphemous thoughts that enter our mind sinful? I don’t know whether I am deliberately having these thoughts. I have recently had many bad thoughts Please help. Any advice?

 

[Cor_ad_Cor]

Your question is not likely to be satisfactorily answered on an Internet forum. Please seek the counsel of a spiritual director or priest.

 

[SecretCatholic]

Thoughts are thoughts. They are not automatically sinful. When you have “bad” thoughts, stop focusing on them and ask God or one of his saints to help you. And then go on about your day. Do not be a slave to passing thoughts. Do not let invasive thoughts control you or make you scrupulous. Don’t dwell on it. Confess them all as one thing next time if you want to, but don’t focus on them or become anguished by them. If you don’t want them there they are not mortal sin.

You have to understand that the mind is a kind of system, like the rest of the body, and you are not responsible for involuntary actions. For example, if you become sexually excited as a response to stimuli, you’re not responsible for that, unless that’s what you intended, or if you act incorrectly upon that response.

 

[1ke]

How do I know if I consented to blasphemous thoughts? Are all blasphemous thoughts that enter our mind sinful? I don’t know whether I am deliberately having these thoughts. I have recently had many bad thoughts Please help. Any advice?

You need professional help. I cannot emphasize this in strong enough terms. You have been coming here with OCD/anxiety-laden, intrusive , and scrupulous thoughts and questions.

You need to be under the care of a spiritual director and a mental health professional. Please talk to your pastor without delay.

 

[Bookcat]

Are all blasphemous thoughts that enter our mind sinful?

No.

(I will re-post a post I posted before - general remarks about “unwanted thoughts”)

UNWANTED THOUGHTS

All sorts of thoughts can happen to us out of the blue…(not sought etc)

The fact that a Blasphemous thought happened to one- does not mean per se there was *any sin.
*
And for mortal sin one needs not only grave matter, full knowledge and deliberate *(complete) *consent…

Just cause a thought happened to you does not mean there was any sin. Let alone mortal sin.

Just calmly turn to something good…

Even if the thoughts return and return…or are intensely happening that does not mean there was any sin per se.

The fact that one is does not want them that they are go against what you want can rather be a sign one is well does not want them (does not consent fully). Talk with your Priest in confession about this …get some personal guidance.

---

Now…

For the next few moments --try real hard NOT to think of an Apple.

then scroll down.

What did you think of?

An apple.

Even though your will was against it (you did not want to think of an apple!)

Now back to unwanted thoughts…

The more you fear and try hard not to have them…the more they will likely come and bother you.

The best thing to do with such thoughts is not to fight them directly --not fear that they will come—simply do not consent and simply and *calmly *turn to something else…(or it may be best to keep doing the good thing one is doing…like they come out of the blue when your at work …keep working…keep praying …etc…calmly ignoring them…turning to something good…)

Ignore such unwanted thoughts like one would ignore a hissing goose or a barking dog. One does not stop to argue with a hissing goose or a barking dog does one? No. One keeps on walking…

(image there comes from a Carthusian Monk from centuries ago…)

Ignore such unwanted thoughts and do not fear them…just calmly turn to something good.

---

(And if this is more of an OCD matter which- I have heard CA staff mention catholictherapists.com/ as a resource)

And as others have noted - seek out a Priest as a regular confessor to assist you.

 

[sugarmouse]

How do I know if I consented to blasphemous thoughts? Are all blasphemous thoughts that enter our mind sinful? I don’t know whether I am deliberately having these thoughts. I have recently had many bad thoughts Please help. Any advice?

You’ve already posted this same question in a different thread, and you’ve been told what to do - get help from a spiritual director/priest. Looking through your other posts, you’ve done the exact same thing - posted a question, been given answers, and then went on to post the same question again in a different thread.

Please listen to what we’re saying - you need to talk to a priest about your scrupulosity. It is obviously a very serious problem for you, and we can’t help you with it. *You need professional help.
*
Please listen to what we’re all telling you, what we’ve told you many times now. You can post these questions as many times as you like, and you will get the same response every time - go and talk to a priest.

 

[SecretCatholic]

Ignore such unwanted thoughts like one would ignore a hissing goose or a barking dog. One does not stop to argue with a hissing goose or a barking dog does one? No. One keeps on walking…

(image there comes from a Carthusian Monk from centuries ago…)

What a great comparison.

OP, I echo the comments here. Go find a solid orthodox priest to help you with your scrupulosity issues.

 

[AnneElizabeth]

How do I know if I consented to blasphemous thoughts? Are all blasphemous thoughts that enter our mind sinful? I don’t know whether I am deliberately having these thoughts. I have recently had many bad thoughts Please help. Any advice?

You are ok.. its ok to ask this.  

What you are talking about is something called intrusive thoughts.. its both spoken about in psychology and in religious terms. (Some saints have written about it. sorry I do not remember which ones and in what book) .     It happens.  It can be a tough thing to battle as it is disturbing.    When it happens just keep praying.   "Resist the devil and he will flee"...     In doing this you will learn that we must come to rely on God and not ourselves.    It can be troubling, but its not anything that has not disturbed any person along their walk in faith.   It often happens too when someone has made deliberate strides to get closer to God and do his will... often in the beginning.   Its a barrage of gnats trying to distract you.   Just keep focused on God.

Bookcat’s post here was excellent! Exactly, well put.

Be at peace dear one… continue to seek God. And it would be good to bring this up in confession… for guidance sake.