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Holly3278
Guest
Hey everyone. Does one commit a mortal sin by willfully entertaining doubts about God?
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StevenFrancis
Guest
I doubt it. See Psalms 1 - 150
Blessings,
Steven
Blessings,
Steven
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EmeraldWings
Guest
well, i was doing a little research on that, and i have pretty much found that it is only a venial sin,
to suggest or encourage those doubts in the minds of others would fall under mortal sin, but just thinking those kinds of thoughts doesn’t seem to fall under mortal,
of course it can become serious, and i’m sure you are trying not to have those kinds of thoughts, but a couple things you can do to help overcome it are - reading good catholic books or magazines or articles that will further enlighten you in your faith, and also praying every day for a stronger faith.
it would also help very much to mention it in confession, because by confessing even our venial sins we obtain the grace to have strength over them.
ok, hope this helps, take care :]
to suggest or encourage those doubts in the minds of others would fall under mortal sin, but just thinking those kinds of thoughts doesn’t seem to fall under mortal,
of course it can become serious, and i’m sure you are trying not to have those kinds of thoughts, but a couple things you can do to help overcome it are - reading good catholic books or magazines or articles that will further enlighten you in your faith, and also praying every day for a stronger faith.
it would also help very much to mention it in confession, because by confessing even our venial sins we obtain the grace to have strength over them.
ok, hope this helps, take care :]
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StevenFrancis
Guest
I’m not sure if I understand the concept of willful doubt. Can you walk me through a process of what you would refer to as willing doubt?
Some of the most profound and beloved saints have experienced doubt, or felt separation, dryness, or abandonment. The Psalms, as one example are packed with the full range of these emotions, but they are emotions which arise of their own, and are not sought. They are also resolved, usually within the space of that one Psalm.
Blessings,
Steven
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edward_george
Guest
I’m not sure it is sinful at all to entertain “willful doubt.” Otherwise, how would we ever engage in philosophical inquiry about the existence and nature of God? How would we formulate arguments for or against his existence? Sometimes it’s helpful to examine reasons for doubting the existence of God in order to answer them. Worry not.
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Apollos
Guest
If so, then I sinned mortally all summer long because I taught a high school religion and apologetics course. I thought about what if God didn’t exist, what if he was not all-powerful, all-good, all-knowing, what if Jesus was just a man or didn’t exist, what if the Bible is a hoax, and so on
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Bluegoat
Guest
If the doubt is genuine, I don’t think it is a sin at all. Our response to it could be, but looking at it clearly and considering it is not.
What would it mean not to entertain doubts that occur to us? A dangerous thing to do IMO.
You might try watching the movie Doubt. It won’t answer the question, but it might give you some more interesting questions.
What would it mean not to entertain doubts that occur to us? A dangerous thing to do IMO.
You might try watching the movie Doubt. It won’t answer the question, but it might give you some more interesting questions.
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DexUK
Guest
Everyone doubts from time to time. It isn’t sinful.
Faith is the antidote.
Remember that the Church talks a lot about ‘mysteries’ (things which contain deeper truths and yet are beyond the wit of man to fully explain or understand). It is faith that allows us to assent to these mysteries.
Don’t worry about it.
Faith is the antidote.
Remember that the Church talks a lot about ‘mysteries’ (things which contain deeper truths and yet are beyond the wit of man to fully explain or understand). It is faith that allows us to assent to these mysteries.
Don’t worry about it.
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m134e5
Guest
Willfully entertaining doubts about the existence of God is a mortal sin. Expressing doubts you have, and talking through them with a good spiritual director or even just a good philosopher or theologian (emphasis on good) is certainly better than simply dismissing those thoughts, but entertaining doubts on your own endangers your faith. Intentionally putting your faith in serious danger is a mortal sin.
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JohnDamian
Guest
Wilfully entertaining doubts about God’s power or existence is essential for apologetic work. Thus; it is not a per se sin of any kind.
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Pug
Guest
Perhaps Holly 3278 is asking for elaboration about the ways of sinning listed in the Catechism. Red added so you know why I said “ways of sinning”:
**2088 **The first commandment requires us to nourish and protect our faith with prudence and vigilance, and to reject everything that is opposed to it. There are various ways of sinning against faith: Voluntary doubt about the faith disregards or refuses to hold as true what God has revealed and the Church proposes for belief. Involuntary doubt refers to hesitation in believing, difficulty in overcoming objections connected with the faith, or also anxiety aroused by its obscurity. If deliberately cultivated doubt can lead to spiritual blindness.
Remember, some things are temptations, not sins. Say you are there at the elevation and it floats into your mind, “it is not real”, but you set that aside and try to continue praying. This is a temptation, not a sin. Perhaps it was the devil that slid that thought into your mind. It is not a reflection on you that it came to your mind. Just set it aside as best you can during such moments. Be gentle with yourself.
Perhaps you ought to ask your priest about the specific thing that is bothering you? He could be the most reassuring, I think, of anyone you could ask.
**2088 **The first commandment requires us to nourish and protect our faith with prudence and vigilance, and to reject everything that is opposed to it. There are various ways of sinning against faith: Voluntary doubt about the faith disregards or refuses to hold as true what God has revealed and the Church proposes for belief. Involuntary doubt refers to hesitation in believing, difficulty in overcoming objections connected with the faith, or also anxiety aroused by its obscurity. If deliberately cultivated doubt can lead to spiritual blindness.
Remember, some things are temptations, not sins. Say you are there at the elevation and it floats into your mind, “it is not real”, but you set that aside and try to continue praying. This is a temptation, not a sin. Perhaps it was the devil that slid that thought into your mind. It is not a reflection on you that it came to your mind. Just set it aside as best you can during such moments. Be gentle with yourself.
Perhaps you ought to ask your priest about the specific thing that is bothering you? He could be the most reassuring, I think, of anyone you could ask.
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TheQuestioner
Guest
Though you may have been imprudent by not looking for arguments for the existence of God as a counter balance, or countering the atheist arguments, it all really depends on one question.
Did you look at the Atheist arguments out of curiosity, because of your doubt, or in order to critic them or did you look them up because you were looking for a reason or excuse not to believe?
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Holly3278
Guest
I think that basically I looked at them out of curiosity but possibly also I was looking for a reason or excuse not to believe.
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Apollos
Guest
Every healthy teenager at one point breaks the fourth commandment, usually with a slammed door or an eyeroll. How many of them end up executed by their parents for insubordination?
But in the end, think like God thinks. If you were God, would you damn a young person to eternal hellfire for reading a stupid book about atheism and momentarily wrestling with its false arguments? Be smart.
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Holly3278
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But what if it’s not momentarily? What if the false arguments have you convinced that there is no God for several hours, days, weeks, or even years?
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TheQuestioner
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Do you still disbelieve in God? Have you gone to confession since. If that is true you are already absolved. Did the arguments work (and I mean for longer than 5 minutes)? Then it may not be mortal, but venial (an possibly stupidI think that basically I looked at them out of curiosity but possibly also I was looking for a reason or excuse not to believe.
). Talk to your priest though.
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Apollos
Guest
Think like God thinks. If you were God, how many minutes of doubt would you tolerate in the creatures you died for, before you hurl them into the outer darkness?
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Holly3278
Guest
Yes, I do still believe in God. I have not yet gone back to Confession. The arguments did cause pretty serious doubt in me for longer than 5 minutes. I am honestly not completely sure if I completely quit believing in God or not though.Do you still disbelieve in God? Have you gone to confession since. If that is true you are already absolved. Did the arguments work (and I mean for longer than 5 minutes)? Then it may not be mortal, but venial (an possibly stupid
Well, see, that’s the thing. I know that obstinate doubt can be a mortal sin but as for involuntary doubt that only lasts a few seconds or whatever, I don’t think that is a sin at all but a temptation.
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DexUK
Guest
If I were God (which I’m most definitely not!) I would lovingly and patiently wait for that creature’s doubt to be resolved and then welcome that soul back to me with open arms, because as a loving God, there would be nothing else that I could be capable of.
God is infinitely tolerant of our weaknesses. Provided we’re doing our best to make our way towards him and that that is what we want as the final result of our lives, then we should trust in His infinite mercy.
I don’t know where people get the idea from that God is some sort of hard task master, always watching us, waiting for us to fall, keeping count of our sins, waiting to trip us up and judge us.
An elderly lady once said to Cardinal Basil Hume, of blessed memory, that God isn’t always watching us in that way, rather than he loves us so much that he can’t keep his eyes off us. Cardinal Hume, a saintly man if ever there was one and whom I met twice when I was a child, loved that description so much that he incorporated it into one of his books.
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