Did I commit a mortal sin

[backtocatholic]

Hi Guys,

I just need to check something out.

I was watching TV tonight and a programme was on about near death experiences.
I tried to work out if it was ok to watch such a programme.

I had read on the forum that the church has no views on private revelations and that many of them are not to be taken seriously as they present an over optimistic view of judgement and they don’t fit in with catholic teaching, but my understanding was that it’s ok to watch this type of programme.

Then I wondered if it would be an occasion of sin for me to watch this type of programme as it might give me doubts about my catholic faith, but I reasoned that while it might give me doubts, my faith was strong enough to withstand this, and also I’d read most of the book anyhow, and there was nothing new in it. My reasoning was along the lines that the temptation would not be serious enough to be a near occasion of sin for me.

However, while curiosity got the better of me I decided to start watching it and to leave the room if I felt it was affecting my faith etc. However, as I was watching it I was deciding that I should mention it to the priest just in case. A thought went through my mind that I could be offending God by watching it but I continued to watch it and justify it in my mind.

Did I commit a mortal sin?

 

[truetofaith]

You said you read a book on the subject and also your faith was strong enough to withstand it, so what’s your problem?
I’ve read several books & seen shows about near death experiences & it hasn’t shaken my faith…maybe re-enforced it.

What bothered me was reading “Chariots of the gods.” This was many years ago, about the miracles in the Bible being the work of Aliens. It’s pure B.S.

 

[OurLadysServant]

Not a sin.

Sure Pope Gregory the Great back in the 3rd century used to collect testimonies of people who had near death experiences and record them in a book! A guy who briefly experienced heaven said he saw people building houses in the lower part of Heaven for the souls who would end up in Heaven!

Sure people would have flocked to Lazarus after Jesus brought him back from the dead -to hear his testimony.

Does St. Paul not write in the bible: ‘I know a man who 3 years ago was taken up to the third height of Heaven and saw things unspeakable.’
St Paul spread this man’s testimony.

The saints had visions or experiences of heaven and it’s okay to read these too.

I have a book ‘I want to go to Heaven the Moment I die’ written by fr Thady Doyle (a collection of near death experience testimonies)

All these catholic books are excellent sources of testimonies on nde;
Available as ebook download from amazon.com to be read on your phone, tablet, or computer (or paperback book purchase)
Gloria Polo’s nde book on amazon ‘standing before God : the judgement’ (brilliant and catholic)
‘What you take to heaven’ by Michael h brown
‘The other side’ by Michael h brown
‘After life’ by Michael h brown

If you google Howard Shore’s near death experience, or Marino Restrepo

However if the near death experiences started saying things that were not catholic (then did their experience come from God or satan?) if they are new age, or promote sin, or things contrary to catholic faith then they come not from God

Hi Guys,

I just need to check something out.

I was watching TV tonight and a programme was on about near death experiences.
I tried to work out if it was ok to watch such a programme.

I had read on the forum that the church has no views on private revelations and that many of them are not to be taken seriously as they present an over optimistic view of judgement and they don’t fit in with catholic teaching, but my understanding was that it’s ok to watch this type of programme.

Then I wondered if it would be an occasion of sin for me to watch this type of programme as it might give me doubts about my catholic faith, but I reasoned that while it might give me doubts, my faith was strong enough to withstand this, and also I’d read most of the book anyhow, and there was nothing new in it. My reasoning was along the lines that the temptation would not be serious enough to be a near occasion of sin for me.

However, while curiosity got the better of me I decided to start watching it and to leave the room if I felt it was affecting my faith etc. However, as I was watching it I was deciding that I should mention it to the priest just in case. A thought went through my mind that I could be offending God by watching it but I continued to watch it and justify it in my mind.

Did I commit a mortal sin?

 

[backtocatholic]

Thanks for coming back to me. I was worried that I was putting myself in an occasion of sin that might tempt me into having doubt about my faith. My reasoning was along the lines that it may be more of a remote occasion of sin which we don’t have to avoid. The worry is that I know that if u think something may be a mortal sin and do it anyhow that u have committed a mortal sin. In this case as I was watching it I was thinking I should mention it to a priest just to be sure. It also crossed my mind that I could be offending God but I continued to do it anyhow. I intend to bring this to confession but I just wanted to check. I suffer from scruplese

 

[oneofmany]

Nope, not at all. I think it’s good to find out what some of these things are about even if the church does not agree with it. It arms us to resist it when something like it comes into our life. The occult, magic, and centering prayer, all the New Age things but we need to understand what it is before we can resist it.