Impure thoughts always mortal?

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Giovanna

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If I thought something that involved nakedness and sexuality, purely for an illustrative, academic reason, but, then, it led to an intrusive, unwanted, semi-involuntary impure thought, have I committed a mortal sin?
 
Giovanna said:
If I thought something that involved nakedness and sexuality, purely for an illustrative, academic reason, but, then, it led to an intrusive, unwanted, semi-involuntary impure thought, have I committed a mortal sin?
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No. What you describe does not meet the conditions for mortal sin, imo. They are:
  1. Serious matter
  2. Knowledge or firm belief that the act is seriously wrong prior to committing the act;
  3. Full consent of the will.
I would say you are not giving full consent of the will to random thoughts that pop into your head.
 
The “intrusive, unwanted, semi-involuntary impure thought” sounds like just a temptation. There is no sin at all in getting a temptation. One only commits a sin if, when the thought - temptation - comes one makes a decision to think about it further and to take sinful pleasure in it. Then, depending on how long one entertained the though and how much sinful pleasure one took it may be venial (if it was brief) or mortal.

The best answer if you’re not sure is to simply take it to confession.
 
Trevelyan said:
The “intrusive, unwanted, semi-involuntary impure thought” sounds like just a temptation. There is no sin at all in getting a temptation. One only commits a sin if, when the thought - temptation - comes one makes a decision to think about it further and to take sinful pleasure in it. Then, depending on how long one entertained the though and how much sinful pleasure one took it may be venial (if it was brief) or mortal.

The best answer if you’re not sure is to simply take it to confession.
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I second this. If you didn’t consciously decide to think this impure thought, it wasn’t a mortal sin.
 
Remember, the sin is in the will not just the thought. IMHO, from you described, if there is a sin here, it’s venial…but I’m just a dude on the computer…far better to take the concern to a priest in the confessional.🙂
 
Giovanna,

If it is involuntary, it is not a sin at all. Controlling your thoughts takes practice and it sounds like you haven’t had much practice at it.
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