Is something a sin if, for example, I was unable to remember if I had really sinned in real life or if I had dreamed about it? This is not a joke–I’m being serious here. Thanks.
Silyosha,
It seems to me that there are two possible sorts of things that you are talking about.
Either,
- Whether you were awake or asleep when you did thought or deed X?
or
- Whether you did or did not do X, and merely dreamt about it?
As an example of (1), a typical example would be lust. In this case, the question of moral culpability lies on whether you were awake or asleep. There is no question whether you had a certain thought, but only whether you were awake or asleep.
As an example of (2), the question is the opposite. In the previous case you are not wondering whether something happened, but whether you were awake or asleep when it happened. In this case, you are genuinely wondering whether the event happened. For instance, say you had a dream that you stole some man’s paycheck when you were a teenager. You wake up. Did I do that? Or not? You can’t tell.
In example (2), you obviously sinned if you did it, and didn’t if you didn’t do it. The question of whether something is a sin is decided
at the point that one acts, not afterwards. Remembering or forgetting has no bearing on whether the past act was a sin.
However, it does have a bearing on the practical moral life and absolution in confession. After all, to culpably withhold a mortal sin invalidates a sacramental absolution.
This is what I would say to that: did you repress the memory and make yourself forget it? There are instances where we
increase our culpability by trying to pretend that we never did something evil. On the other hand, if you’ve honestly forgotten something, then your confession is perfectly valid. I note this, of course, the safest course is always simply to mention anything you are worried about to your confessor.
If you tell your confessor everything, have no worries, and trust in God’s mercy. He is more loving and merciful than we can imagine.
God bless,
Rob
