Is material sin a moral evil?

[BeatificVision]

Does material sin (i.e. an act which is objectively wrong, but which the individual is not aware) constitute a moral evil?

On one hand, I would say that it does–it still offends God, it still deprives a human act of its moral goodness, but the individual is not culpable for the moral evil. On the other hand, I would say it does not–that because the person does not know the action is wrong and does not consciously choose the wrong, therefore there is no moral evil.

Although in a way academic, I think this distinction is important and material sin is not all that infrequent. Is anyone able to offer some insights, or point me towards some resources that could help me understand this better?

Thanks.

 

[davidv]

Does material sin (i.e. an act which is objectively wrong, but which the individual is not aware) constitute a moral evil?

On one hand, I would say that it does–it still offends God, it still deprives a human act of its moral goodness, but the individual is not culpable for the moral evil. On the other hand, I would say it does not–that because the person does not know the action is wrong and does not consciously choose the wrong, therefore there is no moral evil.

Although in a way academic, I think this distinction is important and material sin is not all that infrequent. Is anyone able to offer some insights, or point me towards some resources that could help me understand this better?

Thanks.

Sin, whether material or formal, is an offense against God. If it was not offensive to God, it would not be “sin”.

 

[dylanschrader]

Sin, whether material or formal, is an offense against God. If it was not offensive to God, it would not be “sin”.

This is a good point.

“Sin” as well as moral evil include an element of intentionality. There isn’t such a thing as an accidental sin. If someone commits a material “sin,” it isn’t really a sin or a moral evil since it isn’t an object of the will of a moral agent.

For something to be a sin or a moral evil, it has to be an object of someone’s will. Anything unintended, then, that if intended would be a moral evil could be called “material sin” or something similar but would not, in fact, be a sin properly speaking.