Is it a sin to not stop at a stop sign?

[parshalb]

My question is: Is it a sin not to follow a law that is not contradictory to the teaching of the church such as not stopping at a stop sign. Then my follow up question is can something be a sin in one city and not another? An example would be if I knew that talking on a cell phone was illegal in city A, but not city B. Would it qualify as a sin in city A, but not B?

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

There are some things were are inherently wrong, and there are other things that are wrong because of circumstances.

Not stopping at a stop sign is very dangerous. The mere act of not obeying a sign is not necessarily sinful but rather the disregard for the safety of others would be sinful.

In terms of cell phone usage while driving, in one state it is legal and in the other state it is not. Disregard for civil law can be sinful because we owe respect for civil authorities and civil law:

Catechism of the Catholic Church

2238 Those subject to authority should regard those in authority as representatives of God, who has made them stewards of his gifts: “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution. . . . Live as free men, yet without using your freedom as a pretext for evil; but live as servants of God.”

2239 It is the duty of citizens to contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom. The love and service of one’s country follow from the duty of gratitude and belong to the order of charity. Submission to legitimate authorities and service of the common good require citizens to fulfill their roles in the life of the political community.

For more reading on the Church’s views of Christian driving:

Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of the Road

Vatican issues ‘Ten Commandments’ for drivers