"Follow your conscience" - what?

[porthos11]

Yeah, I’m aware of that. This question has nothing to do regarding my scrupulosity.

No, but even you must realize that this question is a black hole that will lead you down that road.

You have been advised before to avoid things that could be triggers for your scrupulosity. This is exactly one of those questions.

You’re trying to be clever, but it doesn’t take much to see that you’re putting yourself into a position again that will send you down that downward spiral. So with all charity and kindness, I say: knock it off.

 

[Zynxensar]

I don’t see how posting issues that aren’t related to my area of scruples can be a trigger for my scrupulosity, except that posting on the forums may tempt me to post a thread about my area of scruples.

 

[edward_george1]

We’ve been through this several times.

Posting on here at all can become compulsive for you.

Posting things “not directly related” is something that you do to tell yourself that it’s not all bad, that it’s okay to use the forums. And then one day you won’t hold back, and you’ll post things that really are directly related to your scrupulosity. This is how compulsive behavior works. You tell yourself that it’s okay to participate if it’s not the bad kind of participation, when really any kind of participation keeps you involved and thus opens the door to the scruples.

This has been pointed out a number of times, by myself and by others. And still you continue to post here. Please, for your sake, get off of the forums and work out your issues with your priest and psychiatrist.

-Fr ACEGC

 

[porthos11]

I don’t see how posting issues that aren’t related to my area of scruples can be a trigger for my scrupulosity, except that posting on the forums may tempt me to post a thread about my area of scruples.

Like this one.

I assure you. This question is related to your scruples. It’s bound to attract the kind of answers that will trigger your scruples again. All it takes is just one wrongly-worded post.

And further, I know this is an issue for you because you yourself have posted questions about conscience. Not too long ago you were agonizing about mortal sin because you thought you did not follow your conscience despite your scrupulosity and despite being told again and again that you don’t have a functioning conscience, and therefore the principle does not apply.

And now here you are, asking about conscience again. How can we not see where this is headed?

 

[Zynxensar]

Fair enough, I guess that makes sense. Thanks, porthos11.

 

[Sonic]

I find most books tend to be very heavy on the biblical foundations for Confession and the merits of the sacrament, but light on the “What am I supposed to say?” Perhaps understandably, I think they are aimed at defending or promoting the sacrament for people who reject it, instead of those who are all “I think it’s a great thing, but I don’t know what I’m doing.”

I am afraid I’ve been in the same boat, as well. Most of the books, I’ve picked up, seem to be focused on presenting the sacrament from an apologetic slant. I have often found myself internally yelling, “I already believe in the sacrament! I need something to help me deepen my devotion to it!” That’ why I was so pleasantly surprised by Flynn’s book.

Now, if only someone could write a book on the sacrament that is targeted specifically towards persons who suffer from mental anguish like OCD. We have examinations of conscience for children and teenagers: why not have examinations that gently guide the scrupulous or someone coming from a background of abuse or addiction? So many texts are written from the perspective that either everyone reading is perfectly sane or completely catechized on Catholicism. Not everyone has access to a spiritual director or even knows how to go about finding one. I hope to someday put something like this together myself, but I have to first pass my Theology degree before I can even begin to dedicate time to it.

Anyways, enjoy and God bless you!

 

[Ender]

The Catholic faith offers a substantial answer to your question. Look up “Primacy of Conscience”. If someone feels a cup of coffee is sinful…“really” feels it is so…they go against their conscience and violate that conscience by drinking it. Note * This does NOT mean that their conscience is “informed”. It simply means it goes against what they truly believe and cannot be expected to violate their being. I believe the Primacy of Conscience is also spelled out well in the catechism.

I think most people don’t have any trouble with this concept; it is the reverse of this that causes the problems. That is, where the church says something is wrong but your conscience says it is OK, does the “primacy of conscience” permit you to do it? To me the answer is clearly no, but that is not uniformly agreed to by others.