Is it bad to think being good is not possible?

[fakename]

Let me give you a scenario:

For any vice, you want to stop it, but you are convinced that it is impossible to ever stop it are you surrendering to an evil or extending it, or are you just being reasonable?

Also is it bad in the same way if you think that it could be stopped in the future but not now?

 

[TEPO]

Let me give you a scenario:

For any vice, you want to stop it, but you are convinced that it is impossible to ever stop it are you surrendering to an evil or extending it, or are you just being reasonable?

Also is it bad in the same way if you think that it could be stopped in the future but not now?

The vice comes straight from the Devil to your soul. When you convince yourself that you can never stop it, that is the devil defending his vice upon you. Try to catch yourself as soon as you feel that evil sense of impossibility. Call out to God immediately, without wasting even a second, for your soul is on the line.

All the nourishment that one ever needs for happiness can only come from love of God. Through love of God, you can learn to see God in everything around you.

Jesus is the fountain of love and true happiness. It may take a life-time to learn to love Jesus the most, but He is patient and merciful. Keep trying, keep searching for God in everything around you. Remember that the only TRUE happiness comes from God and all that is good.

 

[EmeraldWings]

Let me give you a scenario:

For any vice, you want to stop it, but you are convinced that it is impossible to ever stop it are you surrendering to an evil or extending it, or are you just being reasonable?

Also is it bad in the same way if you think that it could be stopped in the future but not now?

"And Jesus looking on them, saith: With men it is impossible; but not with God: for all things are possible with God. " Mark 10:27

some vices felt impossible to overcome before i really got into my faith, and really, since i was not seeking Gods help, it was impossible for me, because, as i was just saying in your other post, alone it is impossible, but with God we can do all things. “I can do all these things in him who strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13

it does take time to become detached, but you do not have to sin even if you feel a great pull from the temptation, all you need to do is pray that God will give you the grace to overcome your temptation, and then by His grace, get yourself out of there however you can, which God will show you…for example, if you are tempted to lustful thoughts, and you are just laying in your bed not knowing what to do…well you have to get out of bed and go wherever you can to get your mind off of it, you cannot stay where you are and just lay there motionless, Gods grace will motivate and prompt you, but you must move your body to get out of there.
or i’ll put it the way Fulton J. Sheen says, we are like cars, and Gods grace is like gasoline, God will feel up your tank, but you still have to drive the car!

well, to answer your question, if you are convinced it is impossible to stop committing a vice, then no you are not being reasonable, because that is contrary to the truth,
and instead what you are doing is falling for a trick from the devil, who knows you do not take the proper defense against your sins, and that you give up easily.
what you would need to do in that scenario, is ask for advice from a good priest, and then take that advice no matter what you think of it,

and yes, it is bad if you think it could be stopped in the future and not now, because that’s just putting it off, there is never a good excuse to live in sin, there is never a person or thing or place or job that makes it impossible not to sin, the only thing that makes it difficult is when you decide you don’t want to give something up which leads you into sin, simply because of how it benefits you in some temporal way, and you choose that over pleasing God…which is a sin against the first commandment, and basically what that is, is not trusting that God provides…we seem to forget that God is the one who takes care of us, and if you put your trust in something other than Him to provide for your needs, then you will really be worse off, but if you abandon the things that lead you into sin, then God will bless you and take care of you…
we try so hard to survive this life, but how hard do we try to save our souls to survive in the next life? of course surviving in this life is very important…but too many times we lose sight of the goal, and we forget that God is really in control, not our jobs, or our money, or our government, or anything else, but only God…

does that help?

 

[valentino]

Let me give you a scenario:

For any vice, you want to stop it, but you are convinced that it is impossible to ever stop it are you surrendering to an evil or extending it, or are you just being reasonable?

Also is it bad in the same way if you think that it could be stopped in the future but not now?

One must never think a sin is impossible to stop.We must pray,go to confession reasonably often,and believe with God’s help it can be overcome.Its true some addictions take a while to overcome but one mustn’t give up hope.God loves us infinitely.He never gives up on us so we must never stop trying.I’m not quite sure I understand your last question.You may have reasons which you don’t care to explain.Maybe someone else will know where you are coming from.

 

[JRKH]

Is it bad to think being good is not possible?

I would not use the term “bad” here. Rather I would say it is wrong to think that being good is not possible. someone else already mentioned teh berse abotu all things being possible with God, so obviously it is wrong to say that it is not possible to be good.

Let me give you a scenario:
For any vice, you want to stop it, but you are convinced that it is impossible to ever stop it are you surrendering to an evil or extending it, or are you just being reasonable?

If you are cnvinced it is impossible then you have denied the power of God and given up. You are surrendering to the evil of dispair.

Also is it bad in the same way if you think that it could be stopped in the future but not now?

Depending on just how you mean this, we can say that, no this is not “wrong” in the same way. This assumes that you are in active prayer and effort to overcome the vice.
However, if you are “putting off trying” then you are still surrendering - for now - And now is when Jesus wants us to start fighting the temptation.

Do you get my drift here?

Peace
James

 

[fakename]

I would not use the term “bad” here. Rather I would say it is wrong to think that being good is not possible. someone else already mentioned teh berse abotu all things being possible with God, so obviously it is wrong to say that it is not possible to be good.

If you are cnvinced it is impossible then you have denied the power of God and given up. You are surrendering to the evil of dispair.

Depending on just how you mean this, we can say that, no this is not “wrong” in the same way. This assumes that you are in active prayer and effort to overcome the vice.
However, if you are “putting off trying” then you are still surrendering - for now - And now is when Jesus wants us to start fighting the temptation.

Do you get my drift here?

Peace
James

Here I would like some elaboration. If I think that say, murder is a wrong and that it is impossible to stop it -since all history suggests that someone would be murdered, then it would be wrong? Also, I understand that no one with any sin gets to heaven still, it is true that it is impossible to escape at least venial sin in this life -only when it is forgiven and penance is done would venial sin be gone -either before you die, or in purgatory. But that isn’t wrong to think that people are not capable of avoiding venial sins (except by a favor of God the same as was shown to the Virgin Mary).

 

[Ashton_Gaskill]

ALL things are possible through God. Not all things are probable through God. Yes, murder is bad, and, unfortunately, yeah it’s probably not going to go away until the end of the world, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible. I have the power to leave home and never talk to any of the people I currently know ever again, doesn’t mean it’s probable.

As for getting into Heaven when one has sinned, that’s what Purgatory is for. It is the cleansing of our souls as we enter into God’s grace. So while we may have sin when we die, we aren’t automatically sent to Hell because we ate a second popsicle that our mom said we can’t eat or what have you.

 

[Earnest_Bunbury]

Here I would like some elaboration. If I think that say, murder is a wrong and that it is impossible to stop it -since all history suggests that someone would be murdered, then it would be wrong? Also, I understand that no one with any sin gets to heaven still, it is true that it is impossible to escape at least venial sin in this life -only when it is forgiven and penance is done would venial sin be gone -either before you die, or in purgatory. But that isn’t wrong to think that people are not capable of avoiding venial sins (except by a favor of God the same as was shown to the Virgin Mary).

The acts of man are not predetermined. Man is not predestined to murder. Neither history nor fate but God moves man, moving freely to the good, the denial of which is covered previously. It is only in our power to impede the true good, which is sin. God always moves us to the good and it is His Grace that we are given that we cooperate with.

Veritatis Splendor:

And if redeemed man still sins, this is not due to an imperfection of Christ’s redemptive act, but to man’s will not to avail himself of the grace which flows from that act. God’s command is of course proportioned to man’s capabilities; but to the capabilities of the man to whom the Holy Spirit has been given; of the man who, though he has fallen into sin, can always obtain pardon and enjoy the presence of the Holy Spirit".source

 

[JRKH]

Here I would like some elaboration.

Happy to oblige…

If I think that say, murder is a wrong and that it is impossible to stop it -since all history suggests that someone would be murdered, then it would be wrong?

Here we are talking about two different things. Personal sin, and sin as a general concept. Your OP seemed pointed toward the personal aspect, certainly your offered scenerio involved a personal response to a personal fault. This is how I read it and so responded in that vein.
Sin, as a general concept is something quite different. Certainly one can say that it is highly unlikely or even impossible to erradicte murder (sin) before the second coming…But you can say I won’t commit murder…
The first is an academic concept recognizing the magnitude of the task before us while the second is a personal commitment not to commit the sin…
Does that help?

Also, I understand that no one with any sin gets to heaven still, it is true that it is impossible to escape at least venial sin in this life -only when it is forgiven and penance is done would venial sin be gone -either before you die, or in purgatory. But that isn’t wrong to think that people are not capable of avoiding venial sins (except by a favor of God the same as was shown to the Virgin Mary).

This is why I wanted to clarify what you meant by:

• “is it bad in the same way if you think that it could be stopped in the future but not now?”*
  …It speaks to capabilites, probabilities, and effort/intent.

I started to give an example in my last post but didn’t so I’ll give it here.
Frank And Earnest are both smokers who know they need to quit.
Frank believes he can quit, and needs to quit, but just not now so he keeps putting off trying.
Earnest believes he can quite, and immediately tosses away his cigarettes and says, “no more”.

Earnest, even though he knows (in his heart) that he will likely succumb to temptation, he also recognizes that he must persevere in the effort and begins the journey. He does not surrender to the addiction to tobacco and instead fights it.
Frank, even though he knows he needs to quit, cannot summon the courage to begin the journey. He surrenders to the addiction saying “someday I’ll try…”

Now - change smoking to pornography (or some other sinful vice) and ask yourself which is more pleasing to God, that we start out on the journey toward perfection (with full knowledge that we will stumble) or not starting the journy at all because we know we will stumble.

And remember that in all of this, I am talking about personal efforts to overcome personal sin and not about generalities of whether we can completely eradicate a sin from society worldwide.

Peace
James