Internet browsing a sin?

[elysianverse]

For instance, I spend hours reading discussions on Christian forums, including CAF. Is this a sin because I am wasting time instead of doing something productive? Will this come under ‘sloth’, a deadly sin?

Also watching tv every day. Smoking and drinking on occasion.

Are these sins?

 

[bmullins]

They can be, but aren’t necessarily. If you neglect the things you are supposed to be doing, then it can indeed be sloth.

 

[rhiannonh]

in short, anything that takes us away from God is a sin.

Wasting time and not getting other things done is a sin, if you have to give a reason/excuse why something haven’t been achieved. But if its time that you really do have free. Then it is upto you how you use that time.

What is productive for one, is unproductive for another. You will be learning various debates etc where as another be reading of them in books. It only really becomes a sin in so much as if you have failed to do whatever it is in your life that you have, ie house/garden is becoming unkept, you forget to go to school/work. You avoid going out with friend because you want to stay online.

 

[Leegal]

For instance, I spend hours reading discussions on Christian forums, including CAF. Is this a sin because I am wasting time instead of doing something productive? Will this come under ‘sloth’, a deadly sin?

Also watching tv every day. Smoking and drinking on occasion.

Are these sins?

Only if you do it to the exclusion of something else that you should be doing, like work or some other chore. Intrinsically they are not sins. We are entitled to times of relaxation too.

 

[Anathama_Sit]

For instance, I spend hours reading discussions on Christian forums, including CAF. Is this a sin because I am wasting time instead of doing something productive? Will this come under ‘sloth’, a deadly sin?

Also watching tv every day. Smoking and drinking on occasion.

Are these sins?

Greetings Elysianverse,

Nice username by the way. I like it.

If you are neglecting your other obligations because of your time here on Catholic Answers Forum. Then yes it would be a sin. Whether it is deadly or not, there are factors that need to be taken into account. For example, if your are browsing the internet when you should be attending Mass on a Sunday is more serious than if you are browsing the internet and you should be doing your homework.

Again how much time is being spent watching TV? I watch at most maybe 5 hours a week if that much. [Of course not everyone is held to this standard]. What are you watching? Is there anything that you should be doing other than watching the TV?

With smoking, it does damage the body and all. But I as a prior smoker understand quite comepletely. Again more questions come up to mind. Am I paying all my bills? Should this money that I am spending on cigarettes be going to something else, like tithing or paying off a loan or savings.

With drinking. If you are not drinking to excess and getting drunk, I don’t see what’s wrong with one once in awhile. I drink on limited days of the year, mostly restricted to Holidays and that only a glass of wine.

I hope this helps.

God Bless.
Anathama Sit