Is it always wrong to take pleasure in someone's demise?

[Gift_from_God]

I’m starting my second semester at University. Last semester, one of my roommates REALLY hated Catholicism and Catholics. I never preached religion to his face, but he would always just yell at me for being Catholic. Out of nowhere, he would yell at me for having African blood on my hands. He would also just start saying “you’re God doesn’t exist!” Of course, he thought I was trying to impose my views on him and thought I support theocracy (anyone see the irony here?). He would also go on about Queen Elizabeth II, saying he no longer respects her because she met with the Pope. He would openly call me and other Catholics on my floor a bunch of profane words and actually said that there is no such thing as an intelligent Catholic. When I told him about the scientific achievements of priests that were also scientists such as Copernicus, Gregor Mandel, and Georges Lemaitre, he actually tried to discredit them by saying that their discoveries were simply inevitable. He also actually said that my opinion on everything doesn’t matter because I’m Catholic and that he’s smarter simply because he’s an Atheist

However, one night he started calling me a pedophile and wanted to know how many times I’ve been molested by priests. This time I blew up and went into a fiery rage. I started yelling at him and I think I scared him because he sure shut up after that.

A few days later, I found out he was dropping out because he was flunking all of his classes (ironically, I got 3 A’s, even though I’m just some “unintelligent Catholic”) and when I found out, I started dancing in my bedroom. I was really happy and I’ve been wondering since then; was it still wrong to take pleasure in his demise, or was it alright because the anti-Catholic bully was leaving?

 

[Bubba_Switzler]

A few days later, I found out he was dropping out because he was flunking all of his classes (ironically, I got 3 A’s, even though I’m just some “unintelligent Catholic”) and when I found out, I started dancing in my bedroom. I was really happy and I’ve been wondering since then; was it still wrong to take pleasure in his demise, or was it alright because the anti-Catholic bully was leaving?

My two cents:

One can certainly take pleasure when an anti-Catholic, or a sinner generally, has a come-to-Jesus moment in his life even if this involves great suffering on his part. Presumably such situations entail his learning from his mistake.

That doesn’t sound like the case in your example, however. It sounds like he just failed and that there was no apparent redemption in the process though one can always hope.

I would thus describe your reaction as a guity pleasure.

Imagine, though, how things might have turned out if you had been the one to help him through it or if you had at least been the one who had offered to do so?

 

[promethius]

A few days later, I found out he was dropping out because he was flunking all of his classes (ironically, I got 3 A’s, even though I’m just some “unintelligent Catholic”) and when I found out, I started dancing in my bedroom. I was really happy and I’ve been wondering since then; was it still wrong to take pleasure in his demise, or was it alright because the anti-Catholic bully was leaving?

I’m sorry for your situation. That’s a rough one to be in. When he brought up the pedophilia remark, I’d have probably blown up at him too.

But yes, we are never called to celebrate peoples’ failures (unless their failure is at accomplishing something immoral). Who knows what was happening in his life to make him fail, or to make him so violently anti-catholic. Is it possible that he was a victim of molestation as a child, and so he takes the recent scandal personally and without the free will to understand and accept the reality of the situation?

Maybe this is God’s lesson for you in true forgiveness. It is easy to forgive the ones we love and care about when they occasionally do wrong against us… after all, we love them and want them in our lives! But it is difficult to forgive the one who loathes us and makes us miserable… so we are called to do this too, because being catholic is about more than doing the simple things that make us human… it is about exorcising a love which is beyond what human beings are naturally capable of. Forgive and pray for your roommate, and if you see him, express true sorrow to him that he didn’t pass his classes.

Pax et Amor Christi tecum

 

[Spirithound]

We should never take pleasure in someone’s failures, but instead pray for their ultimate success in Heaven.

 

[Gift_from_God]

Imagine, though, how things might have turned out if you had been the one to help him through it or if you had at least been the one who had offered to do so?

I’m sorry, I don’t think I understand. Do you mean academically? He was in the scientific field, stuff I know nothing about

Do you mean spiritually? If so, he sure wasn’t interested.

 

[Bubba_Switzler]

I’m sorry, I don’t think I understand. Do you mean academically? He was in the scientific field, stuff I know nothing about

Do you mean spiritually? If so, he sure wasn’t interested.

I meant both but mainly the former. But it was purely hypothetical to make a point. My guess is that he was simply attacking you and Catholicism to salve his own personal frustrations and failures.

 

[Gift_from_God]

I meant both but mainly the former. But it was purely hypothetical to make a point. My guess is that he was simply attacking you and Catholicism to salve his own personal frustrations and failures.

I think I should expand;

He never went to class. In University, you’re likely to fail if you never go to the lectures. You don’t lose marks, you just don’t benefit. That was his problem. Of course, he left screaming that it was the fault of his professors because he believed they didn’t know anything. I actually said, “how would you know? You never go to class?”

If you think I should have pushed him to go to class, I did a few times, but he didn’t listen

 

[Bubba_Switzler]

If you think I should have pushed him to go to class, I did a few times, but he didn’t listen

Ok. So to return to your original question, if he learned from the experience that you flunk if you don’t go to class and you took pleasure in his learning that lesson the hard way, especially if you had been instrumental in helping him through it, I wouldn’t call that a guilty pleasure. But as there is no evidence that he has learned his lesson it’s harder to justify taking pleasure from his abject failure. As I said, his attacks on you and Catholicism were probably just an side effect.

 

[kildare]

I feel for you brother! I often would love to wack someone like youtube hate mongerer Pat Condell in the face with a baseball bat, but then unfortunately if I do that I would be following the example of the devil and not of my lord and saviour Jesus Christ. I cry out for justice, but I am no perfect judge and would only make things work. (by the way I am not a violent person)

Remember : Wrath is a deadly sin so spread the Peace!
Remember: That guy is Gods child too. God love him and it is truley grevious that he is in such a state of rebellion.

Remember Jesus blessed those who condemned and crucied him. He also said that we are to bless our enemies. Yes they are enemies, in a way, but they are also our brothers. The teachings of Christ must triumph the understandable emotional feeling.

 

[phoenixrrt62]

Hell, I wouldn’t think it was wrong…and I’m an atheist.
I really think that’s uncalled for…granted, I might not agree with your views, but that doesn’t give me the right to act in that manner.
I sometimes really have a hard time understanding the militant atheist movement…and this is one of the reasons why…

 

[DexUK]

I think you can be quite rightly excused your delight that someone so manifestly unpleasant as this person is no longer to be troubling you.

It seems that you did your best to either turn the other cheek or to remonstrate with him responsibly while you had the opportunities. It’s certainly not surprising that you lost your cool when he made such objectionable comments about you, your faith and your Church.

If you feel that you have taken unjust pleasure in the events which have befallen this person, then I suppose it is just possible you might have skirted close to the sin of Pride, however I don’t think you manifested it in such a way as to detrimentally influence someone else’s opinion of you. Everyone is entitled to a little bit of explosive joy at this sort of relief now and again. To not react would be bizarre, considering normal human nature!

If you REALLY want to, try to carry out a small act of charity somewhere along the line. Perhaps help out one night in a local soup kitchen or something? Demonstrate to the world, if not necessarily to this particular reprobate, the good, tender and loving kindness that is at the heart of Christianity.

Go with a peaceful conscience, my friend.

 

[Sonoran_Son]

I think it depends. Were you happy because you would no longer have to put up with an unpleasant individual, or were you happy because something negative happened to this unpleasant individual?

I think it would be alright to feel happy that you will no longer be in a situation that you found unpleasant. If you were happy because something negative happened to another person, I wouldn’t think that would be alright.