Is rolling your eyes at someone a sin?

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debbie1504

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Today I had a conversation with my brother who tends to exaggerate and will say/do just about anything to receive attention and keep other people’s focus on himself. Although I tried to be sincere with him, today I rolled my eyes at him and then felt bad for doing so. Is this something I need to confess?
 
Why do you feel you would need to?

I’m not Catholic I’m just curious.
 
It is a sin against charity.

In western terminology, it is a venial sin. You do not have to confess it.

If patience and compassion for others is a regular problem and times when you need to show it are a temptation for you to respond in anger or contempt, it might be wise to bring it up so you can work on the root issue.
 
So rolling your eyes (among other similar gestures) can be a sin but it’s not a sin you have to confess?
 
CDB1718 said:
It is a sin against charity.

In western terminology, it is a venial sin. You do not have to confess it.

If patience and compassion for others is a regular problem and times when you need to show it are a temptation for you to respond in anger or contempt, it might be wise to bring it up so you can work on the root issue.
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a venial sin? really? then what is frowning or sticking your tongue out at someone?
MORTAL??:eek:
 
PaperPlate said:
So rolling your eyes (among other similar gestures) can be a sin but it’s not a sin you have to confess?
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What you “have” to confess is different in Roman Catholicism and Eastern Catholicism. The person asking is Roman Catholic, so I’m giving the Roman Catholic response to her.

A sin is a falling short. It’s being less than God-like. We do that all the time, unfortunately. Little ones like losing patience, eating past when you’re full or spending time online when you’re supposed to be working are all falling short, but they don’t refuse God’s grace. Big ones like adultery, stealing, perjury or relations outside of marriage are a deliberate refusal of God’s grace and require reconciliation before receiving the Eucharist.

1 John 5:16-17 If you see your brother or sister committing what is not a mortal sin, you will ask, and God will give life to such a one - to those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin that is mortal; I do not say you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not mortal. (NRSV)

There are criteria they use for deciding when something crosses the line from little to big. Grave matter, full knowledge, free will, deliberate intent.
 
maplebug55 said:
a venial sin? really? then what is frowning or sticking your tongue out at someone?
MORTAL??:eek:
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Or verbally asking them to stop complaining while sounding exasperated?!

Good grief! (I’d insert the eye rolling smiley there, but that might be bad…but then I’ve already used an exclamatory statement…)
 
It’s venial, you don’t need to confess it. It’s erased by worthy Holy Communion.

If it’s a habit, you can talk with your confessor if you like.
 
Is forcing a smile or whatnot when you are feeling mad in anyway sinful? Isn’t that disrespectful to yourself? When does that come into it? You want to aim for a balance right? You’re not always forcing a smile nor are you always blowing up. Just a tad here and there and that is ok?
 
PaperPlate said:
Is forcing a smile or whatnot when you are feeling mad in anyway sinful? Isn’t that disrespectful to yourself? When does that come into it? It’s a balance right? You’re not always forcing a smile nor are you always blowing up. Just a tad here and there?
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Allowing yourself to stew or dwell in unjustified anger is a sin. Willing yourself to be charitable even when you’re angry is commendable.
 
Anger (which can include contempt) is one of the 7 deadly sins. I’m not saying rolling your eyes is sinful, per se, but it might indicate an underlying anger or disrespect for others that you might want to discuss with your priest or someone else who would understand. A feeling of superiority may also be related to the sin of pride.

And if you show disrespect by rolling your eyes when your parents say something, this dishonors your father / mother.

I’d say (if it’s you doing the eye-rolling), pray about it.
 
CDB1718 said:
What you “have” to confess is different in Roman Catholicism and Eastern Catholicism. The person asking is Roman Catholic, so I’m giving the Roman Catholic response to her.

A sin is a falling short. It’s being less than God-like. We do that all the time, unfortunately. Little ones like losing patience, eating past when you’re full or spending time online when you’re supposed to be working are all falling short, but they don’t refuse God’s grace. Big ones like adultery, stealing, perjury or relations outside of marriage are a deliberate refusal of God’s grace and require reconciliation before receiving the Eucharist.

1 John 5:16-17 If you see your brother or sister committing what is not a mortal sin, you will ask, and God will give life to such a one - to those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin that is mortal; I do not say you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not mortal. (NRSV)

There are criteria they use for deciding when something crosses the line from little to big. Grave matter, full knowledge, free will, deliberate intent.
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So Eastern and Roman Catholicism have different qualifications for sin? Isn’t a sin a sin no matter what?
 
debbie1504 said:
Today I had a conversation with my brother who tends to exaggerate and will say/do just about anything to receive attention and keep other people’s focus on himself. Although I tried to be sincere with him, today I rolled my eyes at him and then felt bad for doing so. Is this something I need to confess?
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Just apologise to him.
 
Suegra said:
Anger (which can include contempt) is one of the 7 deadly sins. I’m not saying rolling your eyes is sinful, per se, but it might indicate an underlying anger or disrespect for others that you might want to discuss with your priest or someone else who would understand. A feeling of superiority may also be related to the sin of pride.

And if you show disrespect by rolling your eyes when your parents say something, this dishonors your father / mother.

I’d say (if it’s you doing the eye-rolling), pray about it.
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Is anger really a deadly sin? I know wrath is. Wrath implies unjustified anger. I think justified anger is neither good or bad. It is just a state of being. Otherwise, the righteous anger that Jesus displayed while kicking the gamblers out of the temple would have been sinful and we know it wasn’t.

I’m not trying to nit-pick but I just don’t think anger is a black and white thing.
 
debbie1504 said:
Today I had a conversation with my brother who tends to exaggerate and will say/do just about anything to receive attention and keep other people’s focus on himself. Although I tried to be sincere with him, today I rolled my eyes at him and then felt bad for doing so. Is this something I need to confess?
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I’d say rolling your eyes was in place of saying some rather potentially uncharitable things about someone who is consistently liberal with the truth. If that is the case, then the rolling of the eyes is probably warranted and, I’d suggest, a good way to signal to the other that their liberalism with the truth is not only recognised, but is not accepted. It might go some way towards getting them to change the error of their ways. I think St. Paul gave advice along the lines of that’s exactly what we should be doing anyway.
 
I don’t think it is a sin, but it’s an occasion to sin. It can be a sin against charity, just as any action can be. The sin comes in from the motive behind the action, not the action. Is rolling your eyes in itself a sin? Of course not. You’re moving your eyes. But what did you mean by it? Where you trying to be kind and loving? Or were you being rude? Or did you think what he was doing was funny? Did you want others to laugh at him and ridicule him? Or were just exasperated and it was a reaction?

Only you know your heart. Your heart determines if this was a sin. If your heart was in a bad place, then you ‘missed the mark.’
 
Suegra said:
Anger (which can include contempt) is one of the 7 deadly sins. I’m not saying rolling your eyes is sinful, per se, but it might indicate an underlying anger or disrespect for others that you might want to discuss with your priest or someone else who would understand. A feeling of superiority may also be related to the sin of pride.

And if you show disrespect by rolling your eyes when your parents say something, this dishonors your father / mother.

I’d say (if it’s you doing the eye-rolling), pray about it.
Click to expand...
kmuestwin said:
Is anger really a deadly sin? I know wrath is. Wrath implies unjustified anger. I think justified anger is neither good or bad. It is just a state of being. Otherwise, the righteous anger that Jesus displayed while kicking the gamblers out of the temple would have been sinful and we know it wasn’t.

I’m not trying to nit-pick but I just don’t think anger is a black and white thing.
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Anger is not a sin. Wrath is.

If someone hurts an innocent person, I have every right to be angry. What I cannot do is seek vengeance and carry out wrath.

I can be angry with the inattentive driver who backed into my car and scratched it. What I cannot do is get out of my car, bang on his car, threaten him, etc.

The OP can roll her eyes at her brother.

She’s obviously frustrated with him, and eye rolling is a very innocuous, harmless way of expressing that.
 
Catholic90 said:
She’s obviously frustrated with him, and eye rolling is a very innocuous, harmless way of expressing that.
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If eye-rolling is so innocuous and harmless, why do parents forbid their children from rolling their eyes? It’s disrespectful. It doesn’t rank up there with murder, but that doesn’t mean it’s appropriate.
 
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