How do I distinguish truth from legalism?

[YehoiakhinEx232]

I’m having issues “black and white” thinking, before my reversion I lived horrible life of meaninglessness and truth and it was really painful and I really hated it and don’t ever want to go back to it. I really delight in Christ’s words that the Truth will set one free, and I abhor all anti-truth philosophies be they, relativism or existentialism (which is probably the worst of the bunch) or what have you. However, I’ve recently realized that I’m not really living in the liberty of truth, but rather bogging myself down in legalism. I realize now that, while the truth is “rigid” and unchanging, it is also organic and alive, actually, it’s the Living God Himself. But I’m having a hard time telling when I’m living in truth and when I’m living in “black and white” legalism, how do I tell the difference? And how do I distinguish this non-legalistic living truth from what the so-called “liberal catholics” will claim to be the non-legalistic living truth? (Because I know that so-called “liberal catholics” will try to claim the same thing and appear to be in conformity with Church teaching, when in reality, they are just pushing their relativistic agenda.)

 

[TheOldColonel]

Focusing on a virtuous life will always lead you to truth in ways the law alone cannot. Indeed, the virtues person fulfills the law often without even knowing.

 

[redbetta]

I don’t have a good answer, but, from what I’ve seen, legalism and scrupulousity tends to lead to despair while truth gives one purpose and acts as a springboard for good actions.

Also, when doing something, it might be good to examine motives behind doing it, like whether it is done out of sincere desire to do the right thing or to make oneself look good.

Honestly, I hate the words legalism and legalistic. Some people will use it on anyone who tries to live by some kind of principle. And others are accused of being black and white for simply having convictions. What a world!

 

[blackforest]

We were just discussing this tonight in my adult ed class, sort of paraphrasing you. If love for God comes very first, His laws aren’t at all difficult to follow; on the contrary, they come quite naturally!

My own take is that legalism, in its most pejorative form, stems from rigidly going through the motion of the Rules without any love or joy in our hearts. Our pursuit of and obsession with these Rules becomes, in and of itself, a form of idolatry. This approach lies at the heart of what Christ criticized in the Pharisees.

Don’t stress about the labels, (“liberal,” “conservative,” etc.) If the focus is instead on loving God and taking joy in your faith, adhering to the rules will be easy and actually make sense to you. You’ll look forward to confession, derive special meaning from fasting on Good Friday, etc.

 

[Vico]

…

Three teachings may help with this, from the Catechism, 1) charity must be maintained, 2) not to assume “a mistaken notion of autonomy of conscience” and 3) that " imperfect contrition … disposes one to obtain forgiveness in the sacrament of Penance":

1874 To choose deliberately - that is, both knowing it and willing it - something gravely contrary to the divine law and to the ultimate end of man is to commit a mortal sin. This destroys in us the charity without which eternal beatitude is impossible. Unrepented, it brings eternal death.

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.

1453 The contrition called “imperfect” (or “attrition”) is also a gift of God, a prompting of the Holy Spirit. It is born of the consideration of sin’s ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner (contrition of fear). Such a stirring of conscience can initiate an interior process which, under the prompting of grace, will be brought to completion by sacramental absolution. By itself however, imperfect contrition cannot obtain the forgiveness of grave sins, but it disposes one to obtain forgiveness in the sacrament of Penance.52