Is this mortally sinful?

[cjmoa]

Basically, the other day I was planning on doing something with my friend which is illegal in California (it wasn’t big or anything—i just wanted him to drive me a few minutes to the mall but he just got his license and you need to have had your license for a year to drive other minors).

I was under the impression that it was a venial sin since it isn’t a big law and didn’t have any big repercussions legally, plus he’s been driving for a while so and it was a relativley short drive so I thought it was safe.

So then I told him I MIGHT let him drive me because I was still iffy about it.

However, i began feeling guilty in plotting to do something I knew was sinful and so I changed my mind and told him im just gonna get my own ride. I also began feeling as though it was a mortal sin.

3 questions:

1. Was plotting to do something I thought was a venial sin but was actually mortal—a mortal sin?
2. Was breaking the law in question a mortal sin?
3. Was I simply being tempted? Or was this a sin?

 

[Vico]

Basically, the other day I was planning on doing something with my friend which is illegal in California (it wasn’t big or anything—i just wanted him to drive me a few minutes to the mall but he just got his license and you need to have had your license for a year to drive other minors).

I was under the impression that it was a venial sin since it isn’t a big law and didn’t have any big repercussions legally, plus he’s been driving for a while so and it was a relativley short drive so I thought it was safe.

So then I told him I MIGHT let him drive me because I was still iffy about it.

However, i began feeling guilty in plotting to do something I knew was sinful and so I changed my mind and told him im just gonna get my own ride. I also began feeling as though it was a mortal sin.

3 questions:

1. Was plotting to do something I thought was a venial sin but was actually mortal—a mortal sin?
2. Was breaking the law in question a mortal sin?
3. Was I simply being tempted? Or was this a sin?

Generally one should investigate gravity before doing it, when it is morally possible.

 

[John9]

Considering doing something but deciding against it is not sinful.

The law itself seems to be about safety - the person in the car and other users of the road. I think breaking it would be failing in your duty to others’ and your own safety.

 

[cjmoa]

I did, I read an article, which I believe was from the University of Notre Dame that basically said that it is venially sinful to break the law if the law in question isn’t held by authorities to have a grave obligation—so i thought it wasn’t grave since the repercussions were small and you cant really go to jail for it.

 

[RolandThompsonGunner]

However, i began feeling guilty in plotting to do something I knew was sinful and so I changed my mind and told him im just gonna get my own ride. I also began feeling as though it was a mortal sin.

Are you scrupulous? Because this train of thought sounds pretty scrupulous.