How does every mortal sin inherently lead to hell?

[neophyte]

…Please help me see the intrinsic connection between freely committing any grave act with separating oneself from God, or going to hell.

To freely commit a mortal sin is to separate oneself from God. Your question is like wondering how cutting off one’s hand is intrinsically connected with not having a hand anymore.

 

[e_c]

You simply wrote that mortal sins are “by definition sins serious enough that they separate you from God, and don’t require consent.” (my emphasis)

Catholic teaching is very clear that if you committed a mortal sin, then you somehow consented to it. You don’t stumble into mortal sin by accident!
Look, I agree with your reply to me – I suspect it was just poor word choice in your first post, if you don’t mind me saying so

I was extremely careful in picking my words. I made some important distinctions. Maybe read my post again…

“Consent” is a pliable word in common language. That’s why I just made the distinctions and was done with it. (“Consent” and “assent” differ in their strict usage in moral theology…) The important point here, for the OP’s question, is that the intellect is sufficiently involved to reorder the whole person away from one end (God) toward another end. We could call that here “consent.”

 

[surritter]

I was extremely careful in picking my words. I made some important distinctions. Maybe read my post again…

“Consent” is a pliable word in common language. That’s why I just made the distinctions and was done with it. (“Consent” and “assent” differ in their strict usage in moral theology…) The important point here, for the OP’s question, is that the intellect is sufficiently involved to reorder the whole person away from one end (God) toward another end. We could call that here “consent.”

We seem to be really parsing words. But it’s as simple as this: Just about anyone who speaks English would understand “consent” to mean “an act of the will.” Thus, consent is required for a sin to be mortal.

Now of course there can be a discussion about what degree of consent is required, and that’s where you delved into “deliberation.” I’ll leave it at that.

 

[steve_b]

Hell is separation from God. It would seem that a free choice to live forever without God would result in hell. But how is it that breaking God’s “rules” leads to hell as well? Catholic doctrine is that, whenever someone freely and with sufficient knowledge commits a grave act, that person **commits a mortal sin **and deserving of hell. Grave acts include such things as fornication or misusing sex, adultery, murder, etc. Grave acts also include not going to Sunday mass or refusing to abstain from meat on the Fridays of Lent.

Please help me see the intrinsic connection between freely committing any grave act with separating oneself from God, or going to hell.

Mortal sin separates us, not from God’s love but from God. If we die in Mortal sin we will be eternally separated from Him

From the Catechism

**1497 **Individual and integral confession of grave sins followed by absolution remains the only ordinary means of reconciliation with God and with the Church.

**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.

Examples of Mortal sin in scripture. #15

We know a sin is mortal because of the consequences mentioned for that sin if we die in that sin

This is why Jesus didn’t just say ask for forgiveness, He gave us the sacrament of reconciliation. John20:22-23