Can matter be subjectively (gravely) sinful?

[DL82]

For example, say someone looking through a shoe catalogue who has a foot fetish? The shoe catalogue itself doesn’t contain sinful material, it’s not pornography, there’s nothing immodest about it, but for that particular person it has the effect of sin?

Would this matter be subjectively grave matter for this person, like another person looking at pornography, or does something have to be objectively grave to be grave matter?

 

[Gemmaologist]

For example, say someone looking through a shoe catalogue who has a foot fetish? The shoe catalogue itself doesn’t contain sinful material, it’s not pornography, there’s nothing immodest about it, but for that particular person it has the effect of sin?

Would this matter be subjectively grave matter for this person, like another person looking at pornography, or does something have to be objectively grave to be grave matter?

Sure it can be sinful if it has the effect of causing sin.

A bottle of liquor sitting on a counter in itself isn’t sinful, however, should an alcoholic consume that entire bottle of liquor and become drunk, then sin has occurred.

 

[StCsDavid]

I would tend to disagree that the shoe catalog is sinful in and of itself. It’s morally neutral; however, the person with the foot fetish has perverted it to be something that it is not. On the other hand pornography is sinful by its nature. Even if the pornographic images caused the viewer no sinful thoughts; that doesn’t change the fact that the material itself is evil.

 

[FRATER_PAVLVS]

For example, say someone looking through a shoe catalogue who has a foot fetish? The shoe catalogue itself doesn’t contain sinful material, it’s not pornography, there’s nothing immodest about it, but for that particular person it has the effect of sin?

Would this matter be subjectively grave matter for this person, like another person looking at pornography, or does something have to be objectively grave to be grave matter?

And what about weekends (in Motorsportive sense, starting Saturday) and other special days yet on which labour is OK but still you feel uneasy about working? If you know you can lawfully work but think you are breaking a law. Inventing a law and breaking it, is it sin? Many other cases in lives. Breaking a false law in one’s heart: what is the matter of sin then: inventing a false law or breaking what you feel is a law of reverence? Also, reverence vs other things…

 

[ConallCernach]

I’m pretty sure that matter can not be sinful, for the same reason that a plant can’t be sinful. Matter lacks free will and is unable to choose what happens to it. However, matter can be an occasion of sin, a pornographic magazine will often conjure the sin of lust. Though the magazine is not at fault the person is. Whether or not something is always going to lead people to sin is a harder question though.

-Conall Cernach

 

[FRATER_PAVLVS]

Yes, a thing can not be sinful. A mindset can be sinful. It can make sins out of everything.

 

[rwoehmke]

In the sense the OP is talking, the catalogue for the person with a fetish that results in him sinning is an occasion of sin for him and must be avoided. The catalog itself is not grave matter, but the use of it would be so for him.

If one believes that some action or omission is gravely sinful, even though it is actually not, and willfully carries through with it he commits a mortal sin. On the other hand an action or omission may be grave matter, but if a person truly does not know it, and willfully carries through with it, he is not culpable for a grave sin… If he has doubts, he is obliged to clear those doubts up before acting or omitting.