Habits/Addiction as a lessening of Moral Culpability

[Link0126]

The CCC states that’s these things among others may lessen, if not completely negate the moral culpability we have towards sin or certain sins.

If this is the case how come concupiscence or original sin isn’t also an excuse. Since addiction or acquired habits incline the person to sin wouldn’t original sin also be a valid excuse, since original sin gave us all the inclination to commit sins in the first place?

 

[Barbkw]

My opinion as well.

I think however, people can become so “strung out” on their drug of choice - that their drug of choice is talking for them.

There’s a reality program on television titled, “Intervention”. Deals with various drug addictions - mainly heroin and meth. It gives an eye opening view into the world that addicts live in.

 

[Nate13]

Here is the complete context for that idea.

IV. ERRONEOUS JUDGMENT

1790 A human being must always obey the certain judgment of his conscience. If he were deliberately to act against it, he would condemn himself. Yet it can happen that moral conscience remains in ignorance and makes erroneous judgments about acts to be performed or already committed.

1791 This ignorance can often be imputed to personal responsibility. This is the case when a man "takes little trouble to find out what is true and good, or when conscience is by degrees almost blinded through the habit of committing sin."59 In such cases, the person is culpable for the evil he commits.

1792 Ignorance of Christ and his Gospel, bad example given by others, enslavement to one’s passions, assertion of a mistaken notion of autonomy of conscience, rejection of the Church’s authority and her teaching, lack of conversion and of charity: these can be at the source of errors of judgment in moral conduct.

1793 If - on the contrary - the ignorance is invincible, or the moral subject is not responsible for his erroneous judgment, the evil committed by the person cannot be imputed to him. It remains no less an evil, a privation, a disorder. One must therefore work to correct the errors of moral conscience.

1794 A good and pure conscience is enlightened by true faith, for charity proceeds at the same time "from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith."60

Also, see this thread. There are some good answers. forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=620290

 

[septimine]

The CCC states that’s these things among others may lessen, if not completely negate the moral culpability we have towards sin or certain sins.

If this is the case how come concupiscence or original sin isn’t also an excuse. Since addiction or acquired habits incline the person to sin wouldn’t original sin also be a valid excuse, since original sin gave us all the inclination to commit sins in the first place?

I think it’s talking more about being in the throws of passion. If I’m drunk, it chemically reduces my inhibitions against some actions that I would normally find abhorent. Unless you’re willing to argue that original sin does the exact same thing, I’m not sure how that works. In our normal state, we all have original sin, so then at that point saying that with original sin I’d do X while without it I’d never think to do so is kinda like saying “If I didn’t breathe oxygen, I’d be a better person” – no one can check on that because you are always breathing oxygen. So it’s at least to me a specious argument, because one of the premises will always be true.

 

[edwest2]

The CCC states that’s these things among others may lessen, if not completely negate the moral culpability we have towards sin or certain sins.

If this is the case how come concupiscence or original sin isn’t also an excuse. Since addiction or acquired habits incline the person to sin wouldn’t original sin also be a valid excuse, since original sin gave us all the inclination to commit sins in the first place?

I recommend you ask a priest. Opinions don’t matter. Talk to a priest.

Yes, all of us are inclined to sin, including me, and I have certain bad habits as well.

God bless,
Ed