Having Difficulty Avoiding 2 Very Serious Sins

[JWH123]

I am at a complete loss as to how to avoid 2 very serious sins in my life. Any advice would be appreciated.

Sin 1: Monetary support for murder of the unborn, as I pay taxes to the government and the government gives that money to Planned Parenthood, and Planned Parenthood carries out the murder of the unborn.
Sin 2: Disobeying God’s first commandment in the book of Genesis (be fruitful and multiply) due to unchosen virginity; basically I am not good enough to deserve a spouse. I know Jesus talked about eunuchs (some are born eunuchs, some are made eunuchs by men and some are eunuchs for the Kingdom), but since I wasn’t born infertile, I wasn’t castrated, and I am not a priest, these words of Jesus probably don’t apply to me.

And no, committing the crime of tax evasion and paying a hooker are not options.

 

[ClaireS]

Paying taxes is not a sin. I’m sure Caesar used tax monies for some immoral purposes but Jesus said to pay the tax.

God was not speaking to you when He told Adam to be fruitful. If you are convinced that your vocation is marriage you will have to deal with why you feel that you are unworthy. Try to develop trust in God’s love for you personally (which is a fact), Trust that He is on your side
And can turn all things to good for you…eventually.

I hope you don’t really believe that you are guilty of sin in these situations. I think others may say some things that will be of help.

 

[Mr_Friscus]

I am at a complete loss as to how to avoid 2 very serious sins in my life. Any advice would be appreciated.

Sin 1: Monetary support for murder of the unborn, as I pay taxes to the government and the government gives that money to Planned Parenthood, and Planned Parenthood carries out the murder of the unborn.

You are obligated to obey your government, as the Lord Commands. Meanwhile, your intent in obediance here is not to support murder. You’re jumping from A to C. The “sin” is of those in government who take your money and actively support Planned Parenthood, with intent of promoting it. It’s not on you. You gave your money, as you should.

I sometimes give money to pan-handlers and people who are begging. I know darned well they could be scamming me, or asking for drug money. However, that’s on them. A person asked me for money who said they were in need, and I complied.

 

[Vico]

I am at a complete loss as to how to avoid 2 very serious sins in my life. Any advice would be appreciated.

Sin 1: Monetary support for murder of the unborn, as I pay taxes to the government and the government gives that money to Planned Parenthood, and Planned Parenthood carries out the murder of the unborn.
Sin 2: Disobeying God’s first commandment in the book of Genesis (be fruitful and multiply) due to unchosen virginity; basically I am not good enough to deserve a spouse. I know Jesus talked about eunuchs (some are born eunuchs, some are made eunuchs by men and some are eunuchs for the Kingdom), but since I wasn’t born infertile, I wasn’t castrated, and I am not a priest, these words of Jesus probably don’t apply to me.

And no, committing the crime of tax evasion and paying a hooker are not options.

Epistle of St. Paul 1 Corinthians 7, he says “Art thou loosed from a wife ? seek not a wife.” 25 Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord; but I give counsel, as having obtained mercy of the Lord, to be faithful. **26 **I think therefore that this is good for the present necessity, that it is good for a man so to be. 27 Art thou bound to a wife ? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife ? seek not a wife. 28 But if thou take a wife, thou hast not sinned. And if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned: nevertheless, such shall have tribulation of the flesh. But I spare you. **29 **This therefore I say, brethren; the time is short; it remaineth, that they also who have wives, be as if they had none; 30 And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as if they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; 31 And they that use this world, as if they used it not: for the fashion of this world passeth away.

32 But I would have you to be without solicitude. He that is without a wife, is solicitous for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please God. 33 But he that is with a wife, is solicitous for the things of the world, how he may please his wife: and he is divided. 34 And the unmarried woman and the virgin thinketh on the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she that is married thinketh on the things of the world, how she may please her husband. 35 And this I speak for your profit: not to cast a snare upon you; but for that which is decent, and which may give you power to attend upon the Lord, without impediment.

Gospel of Matthew 1910 His disciples say unto him: If the case of a man with his wife be so, it is not expedient to marry. 11 Who said to them: All men take not this word, but they to whom it is given. 12 For there are eunuchs, who were born so from their mother’s womb: and there are eunuchs, who were made so by men: and there are eunuchs, who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven. He that can take, let him take it.

 

[Tomdstone]

I am at a complete loss as to how to avoid 2 very serious sins in my life. Any advice would be appreciated.

Sin 1: Monetary support for murder of the unborn, as I pay taxes to the government and the government gives that money to Planned Parenthood, and Planned Parenthood carries out the murder of the unborn.
Sin 2: Disobeying God’s first commandment in the book of Genesis (be fruitful and multiply) due to unchosen virginity; basically I am not good enough to deserve a spouse. …

1. I also wondered about that - being required to pay taxes to a government which is involved in all kinds of activities I would consider immoral. Abortion is one, but there are others such as development and storage of a nuclear arsenal which can kill everyone on earth ten times over and that is not counting the damage that can be done with chemical weapons. And these American wars just go on and on with more an more innocent children being killed. When are these wars ever going to end? I suppose that I should not pay taxes for this, but the alternative is jail. They say that many inmates become mentally ill, if not insane, after being put in solitary confinement.
2. My understanding is that the commandment to be fruitful and multiply is one which does not apply individually to each person, but rather generally. Since the world population has been increasing rather rapidly, it seems that the general public has done more than enough to satisfy this commandment. If, OTOH, the population of the world were to fall drastically then yes, you would be obligated to be fruitful and multiply. But as of now, it is not required. Also, I am not sure why you might think that you are not good enough to have a spouse. Certainly, everyone has their faults. Marriage is not going to be between two perfect people, but two people who are working in harmonious cooperation to make the marriage a successful one.

 

[TK421]

“Go forth and multiply”, while having a literal meaning to Adam and Eve in their vocation of marriage, has an expanded meaning in the New Covenant, that we “go forth and multiply” as the Body of Christ. The Great Commission in the Gospel is a superlative of the original command in Genesis to “go forth and multiply”. This is still achieved conventionally through marriage, that “foundational vocation” as St Augustine describes it, where the family unit exists and where children are raised with the truths of the faith, but it is also achieved - and often even more efficaciously - through the vocations of generous singleness or of priesthood, which also participates in the vocation of “going forth and multiplying” the Body of Christ.

 

[GLam8833]

“Go forth and multiply”, while having a literal meaning to Adam and Eve in their vocation of marriage, has an expanded meaning in the New Covenant, that we “go forth and multiply” as the Body of Christ. The Great Commission in the Gospel is a superlative of the original command in Genesis to “go forth and multiply”. This is still achieved conventionally through marriage, that “foundational vocation” as St Augustine describes it, where the family unit exists and where children are raised with the truths of the faith, but it is also achieved - and often even more efficaciously - through the vocations of generous singleness or of priesthood, which also participates in the vocation of “going forth and multiplying” the Body of Christ.

We may not be called to be actual fathers/mothers, but spiritual
ones, Christ has given us the privilege to BE a family, THE
CHURCH, we are told to “go forth and make disciples” Matt.
28:19 as opposed to “go forth and multiply” Gen. 1:28!!!

 

[mikekle]

Paying taxes is not a sin. I’m sure Caesar used tax monies for some immoral purposes but Jesus said to pay the tax.
.

Yeah, Im not sure about that, Jesus didnt actually say it was OK to pay taxes, he said “give to Caesar what is Caesars and to God what is Gods” This could be interpreted in a few different ways. I also find it a bit too convenient for secular society that Jesus/God feels this way. Seems to me, if Govts were using the money for immoral, unGodly things, Jesus would most certainly not instruct people to continue giving, Id think instead, he would tell us to take that money and give it to the poor.

If you think about it, the bible as a whole, is a book that millions of people look to for advice on how to live their lives, what type of person they should try to be, things they should and should not do…It is a bit odd this book would be instructing people to obey almost anything and everything a secular authority tells them to do, Ive always had a problem with that, it almost seems like it was written with the intent of keeping large groups of people under control and obedient.

 

[JWH123]

I just saw a post on another forum where somebody stated emphatically "if you are not married in the Catholic Church, you are not to receive communion."

Does this mean that I have been sinning my entire life by taking communion, because I have never been married in the Catholic Church (or in any other church, or in a civil courtroom, or before a j.p. or anywhere)?

 

[Tomdstone]

I just saw a post on another forum where somebody stated emphatically "if you are not married in the Catholic Church, you are not to receive communion."

Does this mean that I have been sinning my entire life by taking communion, because I have never been married in the Catholic Church (or in any other church, or in a civil courtroom, or before a j.p. or anywhere)?

You can’t always believe what you read here. In the case of a wedding between a Roman Catholic and an Eastern Orthodox, the wedding is allowed to take place in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

 

[Vico]

I just saw a post on another forum where somebody stated emphatically "if you are not married in the Catholic Church, you are not to receive communion."

Does this mean that I have been sinning my entire life by taking communion, because I have never been married in the Catholic Church (or in any other church, or in a civil courtroom, or before a j.p. or anywhere)?

This applies to a man and woman living together as husband and wife where at least one is a Catholic. Them living together as husband and wife without marriage is scandal, and may also be fornication or adultery, depending on the situation of sexual relations or temptations.

If marriage occurs after you are a Catholic, that means after you are either received into the Catholic Church or you are baptized into the Catholic Church, then it must be with approval of the Catholic Church for validity. The canon law covers all cases which includes that of no Catholic minister for more than a month, permission to marry a non-Catholic Christian (including Orthodox), and dispensation to marry a non-Christian.

It would be a grave sin for a Catholic to marry without approval of the Catholic Church. Therefore, if that has happened, then there should be a convalidation, as soon as possible, to allow participation in the sacraments.

 

[Usagi]

Seems to me, if Govts were using the money for immoral, unGodly things, Jesus would most certainly not instruct people to continue giving, Id think instead, he would tell us to take that money and give it to the poor.

I somehow doubt that pagan Rome, the government about which Jesus was actually speaking, was engaged solely in moral and godly tax expenditures.

Usagi

 

[AnnieHall]

As others have said, neither staying single nor paying taxes are sins.

Some people are called towards marriage and parenthood, some are called towards a religious vocation, some are called to live their lives as single people… none of these are better or worse than the other, just different callings for different people. There is also no guarantee that you will remain single forever - perhaps the time for you to enter into marriage just hasn’t come yet. But whether or not it does happen, that’s not sin, and the church doesn’t look down on any one option over another. There are plenty of ways to live a good and meaningful and holy life no matter which road is taken to get there.

As far as PP goes, it is actually illegal for them to use any tax money towards abortions - it all goes towards preventative care. From their website -

Second, the idea that tax dollars fund abortion is not true. For more than 30 years, federal tax dollars have not funded abortions in the United States except in the rarest of cases, and Planned Parenthood is subject to routine audits to ensure that public and charitable funds are being used in compliance with the law.
Every dollar from the federal government that Planned Parenthood receives pays for lifesaving cancer screenings, birth control, family planning visits, annual exams, testing for HIV and other STIs, and other kinds of basic care.

plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-gulf-coast/who-we-are/faq

I’m not trying to defend PP, or ask for people to explain why it’s good or bad - I’m just speaking on a personal level, it makes me feel more comfortable to know that my tax dollars are going towards things like exams and treatments for diseases. Of course, birth control is still listed in there, and not everyone approves of that, but I personally know more than one person who have used bc for medical reasons, and have visited PP in the past to get it at a price that they could afford.

Again, this is just me personally, but I think that a tiny amount of the money I give in taxes going towards preventative care and treatments is probably not a sin, and even if it were, I certainly have bigger (and more deliberate) sins to focus on first.

Best wishes towards you and your peace of mind moving forward!

 

[Usagi]

I just saw a post on another forum where somebody stated emphatically "if you are not married in the Catholic Church, you are not to receive communion."

Does this mean that I have been sinning my entire life by taking communion, because I have never been married in the Catholic Church (or in any other church, or in a civil courtroom, or before a j.p. or anywhere)?

That is talking about people who are invalidly married (because they are Catholics who did not follow the Catholic form of marriage and did not receive a dispensation from that rule), not to single people. The Catholic Church has no requirement that only married people receive the Eucharist. Seven-year-old children are given Holy Communion, and they are obviously unmarried. I believe you are worrying needlessly.

The other issues are as others have told you. Paying taxes that are then used for evil purposes that you do not condone is not a sin on your part. Nor is failing to populate the Earth if you have no spouse (nor even if you do, so long as you do not deliberately frustrate your fertility).

I would urge you to talk to your confessor about these comcerns. It sounds as though you may be suffering from what’s called scruples or scrupulosity, an excessive concern with the sinfulness of your most innocuous behaviors. Relying on the guidance of another person’s moral sense for awhile, rather than your own distorted one, is the usual prescription in such cases.

Usagi