Is it possible to commit mortal sin?

[fix]

IF this couple was Catholic, knew the three conditions for a sin to be mortal, knew the Church teaching was that abortion was intrinsically evil, then yup. :yup:

So, let’s play this out? Can only Catholics be culplable for a mortal sin? Everyone else in invincibly ignorant?

 

[Dmitri451]

fix:

So, let’s play this out? Can only Catholics be culplable for a mortal sin? Everyone else in invincibly ignorant?

fix, you posed a specific hypothetical question, and we answered it. We’ve repeated ad nauseum the three conditions necessary for a mortal sin. Speaking for myself, and I suspect for YinYangMom, the same three conditions apply to all people, regardless of their faith. You do the math.

 

[TOME]

I think the CCC # 1861 brings out my point far better than I could and is the final say in this matter.

There are actions that are serious and grave and have to be considered to be a human action that is the matter of a Mortal Sin.However, in the end only God can be the judge of this because we cannot really judge the knowledge of the individual nor more importantly, the freedom of Will in which the person chooses to Act. We can only make human judgements based on reason which is based on sense experience - we can see the external sensory action but our ability to know and judge the internal is normally beyound our capacity to know

However, I think it is important to realize that in committing a grevious act, even if it in reality isn’t a Mortal Sin in and of its self because of some mitigating circumstance, it can lead someone down that slippery slope to the ultimate rejection of God.

All sin can have gradually have this effect if we keep on rejecting God’s Love and His commandments, which is why frequent reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is so important. Not just to have our sins removed but taken as a whole, the examine of conscience, the personal acknowledgement of our wrongdoing and our remores of our sin(s) and most importantly, the Sacramental Graces receive to enable us to live according to God’s plan not ours.

 

[YinYangMom]

fix:

So, let’s play this out? Can only Catholics be culplable for a mortal sin? Everyone else in invincibly ignorant?

Well, that’s interesting…I single out Catholics because we have the full Truth. Having been a cradle catholic I don’t know what any other Christian denomination teaches about sin - whether they even make a distinction between venial and mortal - and I suppose I’m figuring since they don’t believe in the Sacrament of Reconciliation they don’t spend as much time focusing on the distinctions - what would be the point if there’s no forgiveness available? But I don’t know this so I don’t include Christians in with us when it comes to cupability for mortal/venial sin.

What are your thoughts on the matter?

 

[YinYangMom]

Dmitri451:

fix, you posed a specific hypothetical question, and we answered it. We’ve repeated ad nauseum the three conditions necessary for a mortal sin. Speaking for myself, and I suspect for YinYangMom, the same three conditions apply to all people, regardless of their faith. You do the math.

But how could ‘knowledge’ be applied to those who are not taught the full Truth?

If they aren’t being taught that there are three conditions, and specific consequences, then how could they know that what they are about to do meets the three conditions we know about???

Are you figuring God will judge them equally for their actions whether or not they knew the Truth? From what I recall, those who are given more will be expected of more - that’s what sets us apart in all ways from the other Christians in the world.

 

[Dmitri451]

YinYangMom:

But how could ‘knowledge’ be applied to those who are not taught the full Truth?

If they aren’t being taught that there are three conditions, and specific consequences, then how could they know that what they are about to do meets the three conditions we know about???

Are you figuring God will judge them equally for their actions whether or not they knew the Truth? From what I recall, those who are given more will be expected of more - that’s what sets us apart in all ways from the other Christians in the world.

YinYangMom, I don’t believe someone needs to explicitly know about the 3 conditions. They simply have to be present. So if a Hindu knows that murder is seriously wrong, and chooses to murder, giving full consent of the will, then that would, by definition, be a mortal sin.

It seems that you’re adding a fourth condition, that you’re saying the conditions for a mortal sin are:

1. Serious Matter.
2. Full knowledge that it’s serious matter.
3. Full consent of the will.
4. Knowledge that requirements 1, 2, and 3 define a mortal sin.

That simply does not make sense. It would almost make it preferable NOT to be Catholic, because then you couldn’t commit a mortal sin, and therefore would be assured of going to heaven, at least eventually. Membership in the Catholic Church would then become an obstacle to salvation instead of the means of salvation.