Is Mortal Sin Over-Estimated?

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I think mortal sin is frankly too easy to commit, for instance I often find it hard to stop losing my rage at people, I live in a city where a lot of people vote for governments I find immoral and I often end up screaming abuse at them, I know it is wrong but there is also so much frustration in their lack of manners and grace, I am calmer in the countryside where the people have manners and seldom lose my top there but the lack of jobs stops me moving. There is also the sin of lust which I find easy to commit, especially if I am feeling bored, depressed or regretful, I just end up indulging in it. Why did God not make mortal sin hard to commit? like genuinely difficult as solving a complex equation difficult.
 
oliver109 said:
I think mortal sin is frankly too easy to commit, for instance I often find it hard to stop losing my rage at people, I live in a city where a lot of people vote for governments I find immoral and I often end up screaming abuse at them, I know it is wrong but there is also so much frustration in their lack of manners and grace, I am calmer in the countryside where the people have manners and seldom lose my top there but the lack of jobs stops me moving. There is also the sin of lust which I find easy to commit, especially if I am feeling bored, depressed or regretful, I just end up indulging in it. Why did God not make mortal sin hard to commit? like genuinely difficult as solving a complex equation difficult.
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Almost be definition, losing one’s rage at people CANNOT be a mortal sin. Mortal sin requires deliberate thought and consent. When one loses their patience and goes into a rage towards another person, it’s a spontaneous action, not an action of deliberate thought and consent.
 
Well possibly you are right though sometimes I feel that I am acting immoral though it is genuinely tough in a city like New York(I don’t live there but I am sure many of you are familiar with the environment there and the materialistic and self absorbed people that live there) to be nice, especially when being nice gets you no respect shown.
 
I thought that you made a most important distinction in my book, Matt. Grave Matter and Mortal Sin are two distinctly different moral matters. Not unusual to come across those Catholics who do think that Grave Matter and Mortal Sin are the same. They are not. While Mortal Sin asks Grave Matter to be mortally sinful. Grave Matter is not of necessity mortally sinful.

Because of the difficulty sometimes of understanding the distinction, it would add to the fact that mortal sin might be very difficult to commit.

Be that as it may, if one knows one has committed grave matter, it is best to confess grave matter but not pass judgement on oneself of having committed mortal sin. We can very confidently leave the Judgement to God’s Love and Mercy. In fact, the very fact of validly
confessing grave matter be it mortal sin or not is an act of confidence in God’s Love and His Mercy.
GospelOfMatthew said:
let the priest and ultimately God decide what is mortal and what isn’t
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If a priest states mortal sin, then indeed accept that decision, while indeed and absolutely, the ultimate judgement is God’s alone.
 
PeterT said:
I think it’s a stretch to assume that there’s a correlation between the length of the confession line on a Saturday afternoon and the people’s view on the amount of mortal sin, especially in regards to mortal sins that are being committed by practicing Catholics.
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I agree with your comment, Peter.
 
oliver109 said:
Well possibly you are right though sometimes I feel that I am acting immoral though it is genuinely tough in a city like New York(I don’t live there but I am sure many of you are familiar with the environment there and the materialistic and self absorbed people that live there) to be nice, especially when being nice gets you no respect shown.
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Don’t get me wrong, you might have indeed committed a sin when you flew off the handle and lost your temper. But if it was a sin, it would only be a venial sin, not a mortal sin. That is what I was getting at.
 
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Tis_Bearself said:
As I said before, we are better off just trying to avoid sin, ALL sin, and not going through all these mental gymnastics trying to figure out what’s mortal and what isn’t. We say at the end of the Act of Contrition we will SIN NO MORE. Not “mortally sin no more”.
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I agree and well said. I have heard more than once that moral matters are a minefield, which is why we have moral theologians.
Be that as it may, some are so confused and incorrect on moral matters, they might need to undertake the journey of coming to a better understanding for their own Peace of mind, heart and soul. Also, I think it is important to be able to try to explain things to others if necessary.
We have so many rules and regulations, black white and grey, in The Church that some give up on it altogether to follow what they believe to be rightful. We are living in an age when life is stressful on many levels and sometimes extremely stressful and integrating that with stressful rules and regulations in The Church can become too much. The Good Lord is not a judge with a rule book and punishing ruler for offenders. He loves us to distraction in abundant understanding and Mercy.

He understands far more than any human being could in their wildest imagination. "My Peace - I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. (John Chapter 14).

Jesus does not say will give, shall give, but rather He says GIVE. It is something we have already. We can lose sight of that Peace for some reason, but the gift remains and can be refound.
 
Remember that:

‘You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar’
 
oliver109 said:
n a city like New York(I don’t live there but I am sure many of you are familiar with the environment there and the materialistic and self absorbed people that live there)
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You’re making uncharitable assumptions about a city of millions. There are plenty of people in New York who are decent, hardworking people. Not everyone is a cast member on the Real Housewives. You might do well to avoid turning millions of your fellow human beings into symbols for you to rage at.
 
There are of course plenty of people who are decent, friendly and warmhearted in any big city, what I notice however is a type of person who is impatient, rude and lacking self awareness, like looking at ones phone when walking down a busy street and not moving out of the way for people. I work in the retail catering business and I find people who are not from my city but from more rural regions are just nicer in general, they are more patient, will talk to you easily instead of giving one word answers or not saying anything back at all. I think it is more of a class thing as poorer people tend to show more curtesy and are more pleasant to engage with.
 
oliver109 said:
are of course plenty of people who are decent, friendly and warmhearted in any big city, what I notice however is a type of person who is impatient, rudeMa and lacking self awareness, like looking at ones phone when walking down a busy street and not moving out of the way for people
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I lived in Manhattan for almost 15 years, and this describes some of the tourists perfectly - many of which I am sure are from small towns.
 
Vico said:
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RealisticCatholic:
NOTES: (1) I am not talking about sin in general. I think the culture underestimates sin and evil, and I think the Church can even do so as well. (2) I am NOT denying Mortal Sin is possible.

Rather, I’m talking about Mortal Sin specifically: Sin which leaves us graceless and damnable.

My issue is this: I almost hear about Mortal Sin too casually from many Catholic quarters, as if it’s just a given. Like, there’s almost this impression that people – even active Catholics – just go in and out of mortal sin often enough. Even monthly or what have you. You’ll hear people (on radio, or on CAF, etc.) advise that one just “refrains from communion because of mortal sin. But just be sure to go to confession!” etc.

While I think we need to remember the seriousness of sin, I think we sometimes over-do the whole “Mortal Sin” thing.

Do you sense this, too?
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No formal sin occurs without a free will choice, so venial sin could be with partial consent only but mortal sin requires full consent. Some may be confused on that issue, but I think some people need to avoid the near and voluntary occasions.
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Consent only need be enough to make a personal choice. That’s it. No big deal.

1859 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.

And as we know , due to concupiscense, people love to game the system, i.e. game definitions and play games with wording so they convince themselves as they feign not guilty…Which only ups the voluntary aspect of their sin.
 
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steve-b said:
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And as we know , due to concupiscense, people love to game the system, i.e. game definitions and play games with wording so they convince themselves as they feign not guilty…Which only ups the voluntary aspect of their sin.
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Of course. I know of an explanation of partial consent and complete consent in the book by Bishop Louis La Ravoire Morrow , S.D.B., entitled My Catholic Faith:
1. Sin is not committed without temptation. First an evil thought comes into the mind. This in itself is not sinful; it is only a temptation.

A man may be in a jewelry store looking at some jewels. The salesman turns away to talk to someone else, leaving a precious diamond ring on the counter. The thought enters the man’s mind that it would be easy for him to take the ring and walk away unnoticed. This is temptation, not sin.

2. If we do not immediately reject the thought, it awakens in the mind an affection or desire to do it.

If the man in the above example does not resist and reject the thought, but plays with it, and becomes pleased with the idea, he thereby gives partial consent, and commits a slight sin.

3. Next the thought is followed by an evil desire in which we take pleasure.

If, still playing with the thought, the man wishes that he could take the diamong ring without being noticed, the consent is complete, and he commits a sin in his heart (interiorly).

4. The resolution to commit the sin when occasion presents itself follows. Then the exterior act is committed.

Finally, the man glances to see if the salesman is still busy. Then he takes the ring and walks away with it. Thus the wish or desire has been translated into an exterior act. Even should the man be prevented from stealing, he is guilty of grave sin.
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http://www.dailycatholic.org/issue/10Oct/oct5cms.htm
 
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Vico said:
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steve-b:
…

And as we know , due to concupiscense, people love to game the system, i.e. game definitions and play games with wording so they convince themselves as they feign not guilty…Which only ups the voluntary aspect of their sin.
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Of course. I know of an explanation of partial consent and complete consent in the book by Bishop Louis La Ravoire Morrow , S.D.B., entitled My Catholic Faith:
1. Sin is not committed without temptation. First an evil thought comes into the mind. This in itself is not sinful; it is only a temptation.

A man may be in a jewelry store looking at some jewels. The salesman turns away to talk to someone else, leaving a precious diamond ring on the counter. The thought enters the man’s mind that it would be easy for him to take the ring and walk away unnoticed. This is temptation, not sin.

2. If we do not immediately reject the thought, it awakens in the mind an affection or desire to do it.

If the man in the above example does not resist and reject the thought, but plays with it, and becomes pleased with the idea, he thereby gives partial consent, and commits a slight sin.

3. Next the thought is followed by an evil desire in which we take pleasure.

If, still playing with the thought, the man wishes that he could take the diamong ring without being noticed, the consent is complete, and he commits a sin in his heart (interiorly).

4. The resolution to commit the sin when occasion presents itself follows. Then the exterior act is committed.

Finally, the man glances to see if the salesman is still busy. Then he takes the ring and walks away with it. Thus the wish or desire has been translated into an exterior act. Even should the man be prevented from stealing, he is guilty of grave sin.
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Catholicism Made Simple on the Moral Virtues (oct5cms.htm) as featured on The DailyCatholic, a Traditional Catholic publication dedicated to perpetuating the One True Faith and preserving the Traditional Latin Mass in this time of the Great Apostasy by upholding the sedevacantist syllogism in order to Save All Necessary Catholic Traditions in the United States (SANCTUS) and preserve the Truths and Traditions of the Church founded by Jesus Christ upon the Rock of Peter.
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😎
 
CRV said:
Bishop Louis La Ravoire Morrow
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My Catholic Faith : A Manual of Religion
ISBN: 963903268
My Catholic Faith : A Manual of Religion
Various publishers because it has been reprinted.
 
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well blow me down 😃 I found that link just before, thought I bookmarked it, couldn’t find it, and spent the past 10 or more minutes searchng for it. Thank you!
 
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