I don’t like hurting people
It’s good to detest sin insomuch as it hurts other people, but consider that the one hurt most by sin is Jesus Himself, every sin we commit adds to the sufferings he endured during His holy passion, and even though it is very difficult to avoid sin altogether, especially venial sins, however, it is the sins which we commit carelessly and knowingly that offend God the most, to fall through weakness does not offend God nearly as much as those sins committed on purpose.
But then you might ask, why does sin offend God so much? what’s the big deal?
well, for one, God hates sin because it hurts us too, sin effects our heart, mind, and soul, and likewise hurts those around us because it gives bad example and may temp others to sin as well, and if God is love, and loves us, how could He ever be ok with us hurting ourselves and others? but even more than that, God hates sin because it separates us from Him, He wants to be with us, more so than we can even comprehend, and there is so much we don’t understand when it comes to offending Him, though He has revealed to us more than enough to convince us not to want to offend Him…
i’m sure this brings up many more questions, but i just wanna move on to your main question regarding sins of the flesh.
the marital act was created by God, and belongs to Him, not us, we use it only as He has commanded, and He has commanded that it be used only in marriage, between and man and a woman, for the procreation and education of children, and the mutual love of husband and wife,
the sinfulness of taking the sexual pleasures outside of marriage consists in setting in motion the generative powers while preventing them from achieving their natural, divinely intended purpose, and it is seeking the pleasures of sex for yourself alone, which degrades it’s intended beauty and holiness which God intended it for,
sex without love is an enslavement, whether with someone else or by yourself, if you are doing it for selfish reasons then it will enslave you, which i’m sure you will have no trouble seeing and understanding as soon as you try to refrain yourself from any impure thought or action.
if you think you are “free” by being able to commit this sin, you are mistaken, because, as i said, to commit it is an enslavement, you are trapped by it, how is that freedom? true freedom is the ability to do what is right, not to do what you want.
we are weak to sin because of our fallen human nature, we are often slaves to our passions, but if, by the grace of God, we can get control of ourselves, then that is true freedom, our passions enslave us, because they prompt us to sin whether we want to or not, but being good is something we only do if we want to! that is freedom.
of course the world will tell you these sins are ok, they say it’s natural, it’s healthy, but that is coming from a society already *very *corrupt in *every *kind of sin there is, do you really think you can reasonably trust advice coming from such a self loving source which not only rejects Gods teachings, but encourages us to hate Him by our sins? you are Catholic, and you have the Church to guide you, Christ sent the Holy Spirit to teach and Guide the church, doesn’t that seem more trustworthy and worth following than a corrupt and sinful society?
God loves us enough to warn us about sin and it’s consequences, He gives us what we need, if we are open to it, to overcome sin and go to heaven to be with Him forever, happy and never to suffer again…but what does society offer us? the same as the devil, enjoy yourself now, this short moment in eternity, and don’t worry about where it will lead you…who is your true friend? those who say, i love you, lets go to hell together? or…i love you, i want to help you get to heaven…we must decide who we want to follow, and who we want to be, and if we consider what both sides have to offer, the decision is not a hard one, though following may be an ongoing struggle…
The church recommends that parents either send their children to a good Catholic school, or home school, for the very reason that it is easy for a young persons morals to be corrupt in a public school or even a Catholic school which is corrupt itself…and we see that today very clearly, we live in a time where innocence is scarce, and even looked down upon, and most children, even very young children, are taught the very opposite of what God teaches regarding holy purity…
and regarding how to make yourself love God? you need to pray, ask Him to help you love Him, and get a spiritual director(usually a priest) to help you and answer your questions and concerns,
also, meditate on the passion of Jesus, that alone can give you every reason you need to love God.
and i would recommend reading from good Catholic literature, such as a good catechism like “this is the faith”(one of my favorites), or any book that catches your interest on
www.tanbooks.com
or look up videos of shows of Fulton J. Sheen, very very good teacher of the faith.
i’m afraid i have to end it here, gotta get started on lunch, but i am happy to speak with you further on this if you wish.
take care
