Is it just me, or

[Ponyguy]

…is there an inordinate amount of scrupulosity among the Catholic Answers participants?

As I glance through (and only occasionally offer an opinion to) many of the questions hereabouts, I am continually amazed at the amount of concern for what I’d consider insignificant, and usually questionable misdeeds, and the terrible fear some people have for perhaps unwittingly committing a sin.

To my way of thinking, if you sincerely have to ask yourself if “it” was a sin, then “it” probably wasn’t… simply because a sin must be a knowing, willful transgression. If you find yourself in a quandary at any given moment, simply use your best judgment and move forward from there.

God hasn’t delivered a specific answer to every single possible situation that mankind my face; He gave us the Ten Commandments, and then Christ summed them all up with these two greatest commandments:

• Love God.
• Love your neighbor as yourself.

Once past that standing order, he gave us an intellect to discern right from wrong, and a free will to execute that discernment; He expects us to use that intellect and submit to that free will.

Any constructive comments?

 

[Bohm_Bawerk]

…is there an inordinate amount of scrupulosity among the Catholic Answers participants?

As I glance through (and only occasionally offer an opinion to) many of the questions hereabouts, I am continually amazed at the amount of concern for what I’d consider insignificant, and usually questionable misdeeds, and the terrible fear some people have for perhaps unwittingly committing a sin.

To my way of thinking, if you sincerely have to ask yourself if “it” was a sin, then “it” probably wasn’t… simply because a sin must be a knowing, willful transgression. If you find yourself in a quandary at any given moment, simply use your best judgment and move forward from there.

God hasn’t delivered a specific answer to every single possible situation that mankind my face; He gave us the Ten Commandments, and then Christ summed them all up with these two greatest commandments:

• Love God.
• Love your neighbor as yourself.

Once past that standing order, he gave us an intellect to discern right from wrong, and a free will to execute that discernment; He expects us to use that intellect and submit to that free will.

Any constructive comments?

Yes, and I have spoken about this with another CAF member. I myself was about to become scrupulous after seeing the multitude of comments here about what is and isn’t sin. Also, by the amount of stock that some CAF users place to the private revelation of saints (such as the apparent belief that 5 in every 33000 people will make it to Heaven, or something like that).

I recall worrying about every single thing I was doing. It carried on for 2 weeks, then I stopped briefly, then I carried on again for another 2 weeks, and then it stopped when I basically could not “keep up with the rules”. I haven’t been to Mass for roughly 4 months now because I am in a state of mortal sin. I can’t return because it’s basically in my psyche that everyone at Mass is in a state of grace and I’ll feel “left out”; not to mention that I am teetering between a Catholic and an Atheist now. This forum has its advantages, but it also has its disadvantages as well…

Thank you,
Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk

 

[phoooiee]

I think so too! The character of Catholicism that is presented here is somewhat different from what I see from Catholics as a whole in the real world. Sometimes it messes me up, to be honest.

 

[KostyaJMJ]

Welcome to the strange world of anonymous internet forums. Try to relax and remember the anybody with a keyboard (AWAK) rule of the internet. Anybody with access to a computer can write anything they please.

 

[PaulinVA]

Ever watch a TV show or a movie, and ask, “Hey, why didn’t he just do x, and then everything would be solved”, and then realize that if he did* x*, the movie/TV show would be over and there would be all that time left?

This is an internet forum where people ask questions about the Catholic faith, so don’t be surprised when people ask questions about the Catholic faith.

However, I wonder sometimes if people don’t stretch a little just so they can start a thread…

 

[odile53]

No, it’s not just you. I’ve noticed the pettiness and hairsplitting too, and I doubt there are that many people who are truly that scrupulous. Uncharitable thought: I do, however, think there are plenty of people who are, in some oblique fashion, trying to proclaim their own righteousness.

Is some of the stuff I see here going to keep me from Mass or the Sacraments? NO WAY! And I wouldn’t stay away from Mass if I were in a state of mortal sin, but I’d make it my business to get to the next available confession! And when I’ve had questions about whether something is a sin or not (and it usually is, face it, we know better than to believe our own rationalizations,) I run it past the priest in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

I have a comment here to one of the other posters: Never judge your spiritual insides by other people’s outsides! Only God can perceive the state of a soul. That “holy joe” may be the biggest (insert whatever nastiness you can think of) in town, but dresses up in his Sunday best to give a good impression. Didn’t Jesus Himself talk about a Pharisee who was proclaiming his own righteousness, and contrast that guy to the publican slob who had the humility and good sense to stand back and implore God’s mercy on him, a sinner?

Whenever you have people together on the internet, you have a bunch of them who are trying to get attention. I keep my membership here to look at some of the apologist questions and for other resources, as well as to offer encouragement to people who are suffering. But I doubt I’d take advice to heart concerning a moral question I have from a layperson, who may or may not have actual information concerning whatever dilemma I encounter, and who may have their own axe to grind! I save that for a conference with my priest/spiritual advisor, who I know has theologic training and sound judgment.

This forum is NOT the Catholic Church! It is an internet forum. Here I CAN take what I like, and leave the rest! And if I’m feeling really charitable, say a prayer for their souls!

 

[kbwall]

I haven’t been to Mass for roughly 4 months now because I am in a state of mortal sin. I can’t return because it’s basically in my psyche that everyone at Mass is in a state of grace and I’ll feel “left out”;

Why not just go to confession?

 

[VonDerTann]

OP:

I believe you are 100% correct.

I too have a LOT of issues with the scrupulosity I see around here, for many reasons:

1. It gives lurkers the false sense that all Catholics are sin-obsessed OCD sufferers.
2. It gives creedence to an overly legalistic theology where moral decisions appear to turn on one word of the Catechism…or a letter from a 12th Century pope…but where, by contrast, basics like, say, the Beatitudes, or just plain “love your neighbor as yourself,” are almost never cited (oddly noteworthy, considering today’s Gospel…) .

All I can say is, as to such scrupulosity, “that’s not Catholicism.”

 

[Kolbe300]

OP:

I believe you are 100% correct.

I too have a LOT of issues with the scrupulosity I see around here, for many reasons:

1. It gives lurkers the false sense that all Catholics are sin-obsessed OCD sufferers.
2. It gives creedence to an overly legalistic theology where moral decisions appear to turn on one word of the Catechism…or a letter from a 12th Century pope…but where, by contrast, basics like, say, the Beatitudes, or just plain “love your neighbor as yourself,” are almost never cited (oddly noteworthy, considering today’s Gospel…) .

All I can say is, as to such scrupulosity, “that’s not Catholicism.”

Well said. I couldn’t agree with you more. This forum radically changed not the way I viewed Catholicism, but the way I viewed Catholics. That being said, I really don’t believe this forum is an accurate representation of Catholics in general. I hate to say it, but for the most part I am happy about that.

Peace

 

[puzzleannie]

…is there an inordinate amount of scrupulosity among the Catholic Answers participants?

?

I am not qualified to say, but I once got a stern lecture from a mod because I gave a reasonable answer to a question, to a poster who, as revealed in other threads, battled this burden. So I have placed a lot of people on my ignore list because I don’t want to take the risk of posting any comment that while true, would be inapproriate or misinterpreted by someone who is scrupulous. Better to say nothing than to say the wrong thing to the wrong person at the wrong time.

 

[Elixir]

Well said. I couldn’t agree with you more. This forum radically changed not the way I viewed Catholicism, but the way I viewed Catholics. That being said, I really don’t believe this forum is an accurate representation of Catholics in general. I hate to say it, but for the most part I am happy about that.

Peace

Agreed.