Brief impure thoughts

[pinetree28]

Hey everyone,

I just wanted your opinion. Obviously, indulging in impure thoughts is a mortal sin, nothing about it. But is it still considered mortal if we slip up for like, two seconds? Sometimes an impure thought will linger in my head for just a moment (usually 2-3 seconds, or somewhere around there), and once I realize ‘oh hold up this isn’t right’ I meet it with automatic repentance and usually say a prayer. My home parish says that ‘brief impure thoughts’ are considered venial sin. I’ve always taken the Eucharist even after situations like that, but I still confess my venial sins.
Just wanted some thoughts- I’m really not trying to defile the body of Christ, I want to avoid that as much as I can.

I also know it’s bad to will venial sins as well, so I try to avoid all sin altogether. But ya know, broken human, so obviously no one is perfect and we all mess up sometimes. I know It’s not an excuse to not try to be as perfect as possible.
Thanks everyone!

 

[nightshade]

I run into this conundrum sometimes. Sometimes it’s hard to discern the difference between a really intense temptation that pops in your mind and willfully entertaining impure thoughts for a very short amount of time.

I think these type questions are best answered by your priest in person. I have a priest that I like to use regularly for confession that I can go and sit in his office and work these sort of things out.

 

[Lou2U]

You’ve indicated in previous posts that you struggle with scruples, so what you need to do is speak to your Priest and allow him to guide you. And listen to what he tells you.

 

[sebo3e]

Dear freind pinetree28 that s an good question because i my self have issues with this because of my ocd you know?

but also i want to let you know that you arent alone in this struggle because this is completly taken serius and undrerstanding this is why i appreciate for sharing that we can find solution to this how can we handle even if i have no solution my freind i did find an good link on this site about this issue

Are impure thoughts a mortal sin? Moral Theology

But often such can be unwanted temptation etc… (From previous posts of mine) Regarding thoughts while Jesus makes it clear that one can sin in ones thoughts…just cause some lustful thought happens does not mean that one sinned… (and one can have a sufficiently good reason to think about sexual matters…for instance studying moral theology…but care must be taken to avoid things that would be a problem…but that is another question) What should we do with* unwanted* sexual thoughts or other bad…

That s why i belive that this my freind can help you that we can understand it better because i my self have trouble here hope its helpfull

 

[QwertyGirl]

If you aren’t intentionally dwelling on the thought, or intentionally creating the thought, you aren’t committing any sin at all. You really need to speak to your priest about this.

 

[Wesrock]

These are what we call intrusive thoughts. You don’t sin by having intrusive thoughts. Just shut them down when you’re aware of them and focus on something else. Sometimes they can be hard to put out of mind even if you want them gone. That can be normal. You want them gone and that’s what’s right.

Beyond that, please speak to your confessor or spiritual director.

 

[Lou2U]

People are always so mean on here to people who may struggle with scruples. I think anyone who takes their faith seriously will struggle with it at least sometimes.
It’s always this like “shut up and talk to a priest about it”. It is a fair question what he asked. And how do so many people on here know what people have posted in the past? I couldn’t remember one thing someone posted from two days ago specifically let alone who posted it. I suppose it could be searched what someone posts, but why would anyone waste their time doing that?

I’m not intending to be mean, and I don’t think anyone ever intends to be mean when they advise a scrupulous poster to talk to their Priest instead of coming to CAF. This position is what the mods have asked us to take:

Why my priest ignores me? Catholic Living

We are sincerely sorry to hear of your struggles. However, the CA Forums are unfortunately not set up to provide intensive spiritual counseling, which can include psychiatric or psychological counseling. Our best advice is for you to seek out a good priest on the local level who knows you or can get to know you because he’ll be treating you in the most fruitful counseling environment: a three-dimensional one. In your case, one other than your pastor. And stick with that priest and the counsel h…

I know the OP struggles with scruples because they’ve said they do. They need to get help with this offline - proper guidance from a person placed to help them, rather than well-meaning strangers on the internet.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

It’s not a “waste of time” to check past posts if you think someone might have a mental condition like scruples and you don’t want to make it worse.

Scruples is a disorder, like OCD. Persons who have it need to talk to one priest on a schedule set by that priest. Getting responses on a forum can negatively affect someone’s mental health. The moderators of CAF have put a protocol in place to deal with scrupulous posters because this forum is a magnet for them.

There is also nothing “mean” about telling people to talk to a priest. People tend to use this forum for things that should be taken in person to a priest. They do it because this forum is easier. But this forum isn’t meant to take the place of a discussion in person with a priest.

 

[Nihilo]

Talk to your priest about how our culture has gone from, in a rapid time of under a century, socially discouraging and even outlawing public appeal to the prurient interest, to then decriminalizing publicly appealing to the prurient interest, to then no longer discouraging public appeal to the prurient interest, and to now even encouraging public appeal to the prurient interest, and how our culture has become thereby significantly more difficult to live in chastely, than it used to be.

Talk to your priest also about how our culture today is closer to the culture of the first century Church; predominantly pagan.

Talk to your priest about how, if the first Church could live chastely within their culture, then surely somehow the Church can live chastely in this culture as well.

Go with God.

 

[QwertyGirl]

I am not so quick to assume someone has scruples based on questions they ask here. I have to say, I went through many years of Catholic education. It was good and solid, but my goodness…the rules! So many rules. And not a whole lot of guidance with regards to making judgement calls. In fact, I would even argue that at times, we were discouraged from making our own judgement calls.

I think the best answer for people who have questions about whether something they are doing is wrong (or not) is to speak to their priest or spiritual advisor. Especially if the person is young (and by young, I mean any age under 35), they are right on track if they are still forming their conscience with regards to these things. But I don’t think we need to tell them they are scrupulous, or that they have a mental condition going on, or any of the other things we see here on a regular basis. It is just not necessarily so. They may just be someone who is still learning how to have good judgement.

 

[pinetree28]

Thank you for this!! I do admit I have asked a lot of questions regarding sin and moral dilemmas, but as a convert to the Catholic church (converted last April <3), I’m still learning how to best love Jesus. I have 100% talked to my priest, missionaries, and trusted friends, but sometimes I just like to ask a broader audience of people who may have more experience than my friends and missionaries, I enjoy having a variety of answers and seeing what people say. I want to use as many resources as I can to educate myself.

When I was in RCIA, sin took on a whole new meaning, as well as my relationship with God. Jesus truly stole my heart. And when I sin I know I’m hurting my relationship with Him, and I want to avoid hurting that at all costs. Being that He’s what fills my heart, and who I have grown to love most, I think it’s fair that I want to keep learning how to love Him as well as I can.
I use to be waay worse about freaking out over sin, and sometimes I do still struggle, but I want to use that occasional struggle as a chance to learn and grow closer to God.
And I think it’s fair to stay I’m still learning how to have good judgement, being that I’m hardly 20!

 

[sebo3e]

My dear freind thomas that s where we was warned about in the bible where explains the last days in timthony

2 Timothy 3:1-5 Revised Standard Version (RSV)​

3 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of stress. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, fierce, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding the form of religion but denying the power of it. Avoid such people.

(Saint paul taugh timthony about alot of matters even this and how he should live as priest etc)

In today time we forget to think about others but we think high of ourself because we want to be above everyone withoud showing humility that can happen to enyone even me my dear freind even so this could be out of topic i want to say that i today saw an bible

cartoon where Jesus teach about being humble for example about people whu wants to be above everyone but he actually teached them apostoles that we need to serve others not to be served that s same with us lets serve each other and help in each other s needs lets more appreciate each other and understand also i showed link about this issue with topic it s really helpfull