Confessing about downloading without paying?

[polishdude]

since the beginning of the time i got my computer I’ve been downloading games, music, movies, software off the internet without paying. While I did it I didnt think it was a sin because it wasn’t something physical and it was just a copy of the original that the uploader put up. well anyways now Ive decided that I think it is a sin and it IS theft and ive stopped doing it. But now i need to go to confession.

Does this mean that all my previous confessions have been useless because I didnt say I was downloading? Also I don’t feel a lot of grief after doing it because for me it’s not like it was hurting anyone and it didn’t really make me feel bad about myself after downloading. But either way Ive stopped doing it and plan on going to confession tomorrow.

Now i understand and believe it is wrong to download and it is stealing and therefore a sin.
And I didnt know or think it was a sin while I downloaded. So like I said where my previous confessions wasted or untrue because I withheld saying that I downloaded?

 

[Catholic90]

Not everything that is free from the Internet is illegal. There are many freeware and shareware programs that are legal.

Many games and software titles fall under this category (think Open Office, for example).

 

[shondrea]

To sin, you have to have full knowledge that it’s wrong. If you didn’t realize what you were doing is wrong, it isn’t necessarily a sin, BUT you need to not do it anymore, unless, like said above, it’s legal. There are some artist, for example, who allow downloads of their early, out of print CD’s.

As for confessing, your previous confessions were all valid, because you did not know you were sinning. It’s just like with forgotten sins

 

[polishdude]

To sin, you have to have full knowledge that it’s wrong. If you didn’t realize what you were doing is wrong, it isn’t necessarily a sin, BUT you need to not do it anymore, unless, like said above, it’s legal. There are some artist, for example, who allow downloads of their early, out of print CD’s.

As for confessing, your previous confessions were all valid, because you did not know you were sinning. It’s just like with forgotten sins

well the thing is that I saw the forums discussion about downloading illegally and such and I still had my thoughts about it and believed That it wasnt technically stealing therefore a sin but many people on the forums said otherwise. So should I go to confess that I downloaded illegally? Cause after I confessed about other sins I felt better but then I didnt feel completely clean like there was something still in me and I’m thinking it was that felt I had the sin of theft from downloading illegally. But i still wasnt sure and I was a bit confused. So yeah my further question is should I go and confess even though I don’t feel that much grief or at all?

 

[polishdude]

Not everything that is free from the Internet is illegal. There are many freeware and shareware programs that are legal.

Many games and software titles fall under this category (think Open Office, for example).

thanks but I WAS downloading illegally games that other people payed for

 

[Panthalani]

The problem with illegal downloading is not just the breaking of a certain law. Think of the many people whose livelihood will be threathened by illegal downloading. I know of many good films that didn’t go well due to piracy and illegal downloading. Many people spend day and night working on these films and softwares. Do you think that Jesus will be happy with you when you spoil their dailly bread. Also taking away the livelihood of poor people is a sin which will cry against you before God, according to the Bible. So using illegal downloads is somewaht of that sort. Even if a software developer is an ordinary guy, he may turn poor ones he is laid off because of his company suffering from piracy.

Another point is that you won’t get much entertainment by using illegal downloads-- the same way as it is with all other evil enjoyments. At the end you will either feel depressed by the guilt or will walk further away from god after justyfying your misdeeds.

Yesterday, I asked a fellow whether downloading from a certain file sharing system is illegal. I didn’t knew much about file sharing. His answer was that “it is illegal, but ‘everybody’ does that”. Even if everybody does that, it is a sin.

Also keep in mind that the law enforcement agencies will catch you at any time. In most countries, using pirated digital content can either make you brankrupt or will send you to jail or sometimes both. Do you want to put yourself, your family and you friends to shame and hardships. Most people will say they are not going to be caught, since nobody was caught before. But we don’t know when the police will swing into action.

There is no problem with using free softwares and music. I too use them.