Causing other people to sin

[Kathrin]

If I apologize for something I said, take it back to make it right because I feel I said something not nice (e.g. that the weather was ugly today. And then I take it back to say we shouldn’t say that because the weather comes from God too), and by that make somebody else make a comment that may not be right (e.g. the other person saying that it can still be ugly), we have somehow caused them to say this. But are we responsible for it?

Ok, and my main concern is maybe not even if I am responsible, but that the other person, whom I love, will be ok! I don’t want to take a sin away from me and then put it on another person.

Kathrin

 

[The_Fool]

Scandal is the causing of another to sin. Most sources seem to deal more with the responsibility of the one causing scandal, but you said you were more concerned with the other person. From what I understand, everyone has free will and the ability to resist outside influences. Please keep in mind that we are only held responsible for things that are within our power to affect. We cannot take full responsibility for another’s wrong doing, even if we are somehow part of the cause. Hmm, I don’t know quite how to answer your last question besides that. Hope the references help though.

Other references:
“Scandal” oce.catholic.com/index.php?title=Scandal
Catechism 2284-2287

 

[promethius]

If I apologize for something I said, take it back to make it right because I feel I said something not nice (e.g. that the weather was ugly today. And then I take it back to say we shouldn’t say that because the weather comes from God too), and by that make somebody else make a comment that may not be right (e.g. the other person saying that it can still be ugly), we have somehow caused them to say this. But are we responsible for it?

Ok, and my main concern is maybe not even if I am responsible, but that the other person, whom I love, will be ok! I don’t want to take a sin away from me and then put it on another person.

Kathrin

You are suffering a case of scrupilosity on behalf of your friend. the case example you gave is not a sin at all. The weather can be downright brutal. Limberger cheese is absolutely foul, even if God allows its creation. To say the weather is ugly is NOT the same as saying that God created something immoral, just saying that you don’t have preference for a certain type of weather.

OTOH, if you were to, say, wear some scandalously small items of clothing and cause someone else to enter a lustful state, yes, you would bear responsibility then. If you were to teach your children NOT to go to mass, knowing that you have sunday obligation, then yes, you would bear responsibility for that sin as well. It is important to note the difference here: causing sin via your sinful act vs. someone else simply sins in response to your non-sinful act. I’m pretty sure you’d have an almost impossibly hard time causing someone to sin via doing a non-sinful act.