Is It? Or Isn't It?

[Spera_in_Deo]

An individual has been diagnosed by a psychologist as having “low self esteem.” This condition causes an individual to seek relief through drug addiction, or alcohol addiction, or sexual addiction, etc.

When such an individual engages in one of the noted “reliefs,” is he/she commiting a mortal sin?

Under normal circumstances any one of these acts would be a mortal sin. However, may the argument be made that the individual involved, due to his/her psychological condition, lacks the ability to form a “deliberate and complete consent” when engaging in one of the subject activities and, therefore, is not commiting a mortal sin?

 

[survive]

Low self-esteem isn’t enough to impair someone’s control of sex addiction. If it becomes clinical depression it could affect the meaning of drug and alcohol addiction, maybe, but even then he should seek some legal and non-destructive way of finding relief, during his more capable times. :twocents:
Rejmember that depression and low self-esteem really get worse when people do self-defeating and destructive things.

 

[fbl9]

Rejmember that depression and low self-esteem really get worse when people do self-defeating and destructive things.

you got that part right. (not that the first was wrong)…and thus this can lead to a reduced cupablity(sic?)…for example i commit the sin of adultry by mb,i feel like dung,then i sink into despair due to my beating myself up over committing this sin,then i do it agian because i feel i worthless any how and the cycle continues…i think that perhaps in this scene the sin may take more of a venail level of “guilt”…

 

[ericka1701]

I was told by a priest when I was hospitalized for an eating disorder that any type of self-destructive addiction is most likely a venial sin, however, it would become a mortal sin if I were not to seek help and try to stop it. Also, once recovered, purposely doing anything (like, for me, weighing myself or reading nutritional lables) that is most likely going to trigger a relapse is a moral sin.

God Bless!
Ericka

 

[The_Otaku]

An individual has been diagnosed by a psychologist as having “low self esteem.” This condition causes an individual to seek relief through drug addiction, or alcohol addiction, or sexual addiction, etc.

When such an individual engages in one of the noted “reliefs,” is he/she commiting a mortal sin?

Under normal circumstances any one of these acts would be a mortal sin. However, may the argument be made that the individual involved, due to his/her psychological condition, lacks the ability to form a “deliberate and complete consent” when engaging in one of the subject activities and, therefore, is not commiting a mortal sin?

Tough call.

I myself have a fetish, and when it creeps up on me, and I fall to masturbation because of it, I always agonize and wonder whether it was venial or mortal if I don’t feel like mentally I gave full consent, but physically I did or I gave in, but not completely. When you have a fetish you are somewhat psychologically impaired, I think, but generally not enough that you cannot say no and avoid the temptations, be they people, internet, your own personal fantasies, etc. Provided you avoid all these things, but it creeps up on your anyway, and you give in and masturbate without the aid of anything sinful, I wonder whether that’s a mortal sin, given that most of the time, you’re struggling and handling it well.

In the case of a person that’s diagnosed as having low self-esteem, it’s similar to an addiction in that they get used to filling the void (which they really aren’t doing but temporarily cheat themselves into thinking they are) and before long it’s habitual, and a psychological response, just as a fetish or addiction is.

Being afflicted with either of these things is a cross to bear in it’s own way. So, regardless of whether it’s venial or mortal under specific situations or factors, God understands what you go through even if others do not or cannot appreciate or respect it. It’s His Mercy that gets us through, and we have to believe that. God doesn’t make exceptions with people when they come to him and they’re sorry. Even if they know they’ll likely fall again, God still keeps His hands outstretched.

Sometimes, the only thing that keeps me from falling into despair and losing complete control of my fetish is knowing that by having a fetish, I am being humbled, and Jesus knew what it was to be humbled over things he did not ask to be humbled for and didn’t or shouldn’t had to have been. I didn’t ask to have this fetish, it just developed on it’s own and progressed as I grew.

You (or the person in your example anyways) didn’t ask for a low self-esteem either. We have to make do with the hand we have and believe that God is our ‘ace in the hole’ as it were, and that no matter how badly we feel we’ve fallen, or whether the Church says this is mortal and grave and you’re going to hell for it if you die unrepented, He’s there to give us peace and reassurance, when laws, boundaries, morals, teachings, and people seem to fail us.

 

[Ron_Conte]

Even if we accept the premise that one factor or another reduces culpability,
that does not mean that culpability is reduced to a sufficient extent
so as to make an objective mortal sin venial.

If you know that an act is an objective mortal sin,
and you deliberately choose to do that act,
even with some minor reductions in culpability,
it is still an actual mortal sin.

For internal acts, such as consenting to impure thoughts,
it may often be the case that consent is not full.

But it is much more difficult for external acts to be not fully deliberate.
If someone robs a bank, but has various problems such as low self-esteem,
or an addiction of some kind, it is still a knowingly chosen act; unless one
is suffering from a rather severe mental illness, it is unlikely that bank robbery
would be reduced in culpability to a venial sin.

I find some of the arguments for reduced culpability in the post above
to be unconvincing.

 

[06convert]

This is a difficult situation. If the person is unaware of their actions, they cannot be held accountable.

However, if the person realizes what he/she is doing. Knows that what they are doing is sinful, and does it anyways. It’s likely they are accountable. Likewise If they do something that is a mortal sin, and they are aware of it being a mortal sin and do it anyways. They have given consent and should probably confess.

Their awareness to any degree that they have committed a sin suggests they consented to some degree and should confess it.

When in doubt confess, better to be safe than sorry.

 

[v3orb]

An individual has been diagnosed by a psychologist as having “low self esteem.” This condition causes an individual to seek relief through drug addiction, or alcohol addiction, or sexual addiction, etc.

When such an individual engages in one of the noted “reliefs,” is he/she commiting a mortal sin?

Under normal circumstances any one of these acts would be a mortal sin. However, may the argument be made that the individual involved, due to his/her psychological condition, lacks the ability to form a “deliberate and complete consent” when engaging in one of the subject activities and, therefore, is not commiting a mortal sin?

“To form an equitable judgment about the subjects’ moral responsibility and to guide pastoral action, one must take into account the affective immaturity, force of acquired habit, conditions of anxiety or other psychological or social factors that lessen, if not even reduce to a minimum, moral culpability.” - CCC 2352

 

[Marsha_Adams]

This is a difficult situation. If the person is unaware of their actions, they cannot be held accountable.

However, if the person realizes what he/she is doing. Knows that what they are doing is sinful, and does it anyways. It’s likely they are accountable. Likewise If they do something that is a mortal sin, and they are aware of it being a mortal sin and do it anyways. They have given consent and should probably confess.

Their awareness to any degree that they have committed a sin suggests they consented to some degree and should confess it.

When in doubt confess, better to be safe than sorry.

Suppose I kidnap your family and threaten to kill them if you do not rob the bank and bring me the money. Under this COMPULSION you do as I told you. You knew what you were doing, you knew it was wrong and a grave matter and you consented to doing it. Therefore you committed a mortal sin. It is my understanding, however, that the church would not consider that you have sinned. What if instead of me forcing you into robbing a bank, you had a strong mental compulsion to do something. Again, you know what you are doing, you know it is wrong, etc. etc. would it be sin? Mental compulsions can be stronger than any physical compulsion. That is why brainwashing is more successful than physical torture in many case.

 

[06convert]

Suppose I kidnap your family and threaten to kill them if you do not rob the bank and bring me the money. Under this COMPULSION you do as I told you. You knew what you were doing, you knew it was wrong and a grave matter and you consented to doing it. Therefore you committed a mortal sin. It is my understanding, however, that the church would not consider that you have sinned. What if instead of me forcing you into robbing a bank, you had a strong mental compulsion to do something. Again, you know what you are doing, you know it is wrong, etc. etc. would it be sin? Mental compulsions can be stronger than any physical compulsion. That is why brainwashing is more successful than physical torture in many case.

I think Jesus would have me do what is right. Is it right for me to rob the bank to save my family? Probably not.

Would I do this? Very likely to save my family.

Does the church consider this mortal sin? I don’t think so.

I should have mentioned in my last post that for it to be a mortal sin you have to do it completely willfully…

Although I would have commited the robbery under duress I would still be guilty of sin, however, I don’t think I would be guilty of mortal sin. If that makes sense?

In any case I would go to confession. This is the same thing I recommend for the person with low self esteem. If you are aware enough to realize doing something is wrong, you are aware enough to make it to confession.

 

[v3orb]

I think Jesus would have me do what is right. Is it right for me to rob the bank to save my family? Probably not.

Would I do this? Very likely to save my family.

Does the church consider this mortal sin? I don’t think so.

I should have mentioned in my last post that for it to be a mortal sin you have to do it completely willfully…

Although I would have commited the robbery under duress I would still be guilty of sin, however, I don’t think I would be guilty of mortal sin. If that makes sense?

In any case I would go to confession. This is the same thing I recommend for the person with low self esteem. If you are aware enough to realize doing something is wrong, you are aware enough to make it to confession.

“Mortal sin requires full knowledge and complete consent. It presupposes knowledge of the sinful character of the act, of its opposition to God’s law. It also implies a consent sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice. Feigned ignorance and hardness of heart do not diminish, but rather increase, the voluntary character of a sin.” CCC 1859

 

[06convert]

“Mortal sin requires full knowledge and complete consent. It presupposes knowledge of the sinful character of the act, of its opposition to God’s law. It also implies a consent sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice. Feigned ignorance and hardness of heart do not diminish, but rather increase, the voluntary character of a sin.” CCC 1859

Yes, although not guilty of mortal sin, it would still be venial.