Knowledge and culpability

[DL82]

If someone does not know that something they do is a sin, then that mitigates their culpability for it.

If someone’s conscience is poorly formed, that can also mitigate culpability.

But if someone deliberately chooses not to properly inform their conscience so that they can carry on sinning, that is in itself sinful.

Many people here talk about invincible ignorance as if it was a magic bullet that means all non-Catholics can go to heaven unless they were apostates.

But what is our responsibility to educate ourselves? Could it be argued that in today’s society, where anyone can buy the Catechism in their local bookstore for £10, or even look it up online for free, where everyone is taught to read and there is a Catholic Church in nearly every town, with its’ address in the phonebook and a big sign and crucifix out front, nobody can claim invincible ignorance? Isn’t it everybody’s responsibility to know as much as they can about the Church? Isn’t it everybody’s responsibility to try to find out about their Creator and the meaning of life?

Maybe our busy lives count as some kind of mitigation. If you have to work 2 jobs to keep a roof over your family’s head, clearly you can’t be expected to take a Doctorate in Sacred Theology, even if you have the intelligence to do so. But if you’re just working that 2nd job to afford 200 channel satellite TV and golf club membership, that’s maybe a different story?

What is the extent of a non-Catholic’s responsibility to learn about Catholicism given the resources now at our disposal? Is it mitigated if someone is brought up heavily conditioned by their parents and/or wider society to believe there is no God, or to believe in Islam, or to believe that Catholicism is a corruption of Christianity?

Is it a case of “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink”?

 

[Ron_Conte]

For a Catholic in modern-day society, where information is so readily available, ignorance of Church teaching is rarely invincible. There may be a degree of reduced culpability due to ignorance. There may also be a degree of culpability for negligence in learning the Faith.

 

[wardrandolph]

Several months ago,my wife and I had finished supper and went into the living room to watch the Chaplet of Divine Mercy DVD.As I was getting the player set up and ready to play,there was a knock at the door.My wife went to answer the door it was our neighbor.She wanted to “just visit”.She and my wife came into the front room.I waited to start the DVD.Another knock at the door.I went and answered the door.It was my sons Mother-inlaw.These people are all Protestant.I realy wanted to watch the Devine Mercy Chaplet,so I pushed play.They sat there,uneasy while the Creed,Hail Mary’s and the Our Father was Prayed with the Rosary.They wathed and listend as the Chaplet was sung.After the Chaplet,there were testamonies Praising Jesus for His Mercy and Love.When it was over,they all looked at me teary eyed and with amazement said "we were taught all our lives that catholics worshiped Mary not Jesus.I explained that we donot worship Mary.“We need to share Our Faith”.Peace

 

[vrlobo88]

To answer this, you must put yourself in the shoes of a non-Catholic. You must realize that not everyone knows that Catholicism is the right way. Exploring it may never cross the mind of someone. Would an average Catholic seriously (and I mean very thoroughly) explore another religion with the intention of converting or realizing a truth in it? Why then would someone of another faith find it necessary to doubt their current beliefs and go in search of a new faith to follow?

Imagine that you are born into a non-Christian family. Say a Muslim one for example. You are raised a Muslim, attend your local mosque, etc. You would naturally become a fervent believer in Islam. Now:

1. you may never be approached with other religion
2. if you are approached with another religion, you may not see the need to explore it…would a Catholic see the need to explore Satanism? No. (i’m not equating Satanism to Catholocism in the example)
3. if you are approached, and explore this other religion, you may have Islamic belief so engrained in your being, that you never actually convert to this other religion.
4. you may choose to convert

Next, most of us would agree:

1. God is not stupid; He knows human inclinations.
2. Much of what we believe stems from our environment and upbringing (not limited to childhood) in that environment.

Ask yourself this: Why would God gift non-Christian families with children if He knows that such a child is highly likely to be raised and to grow not believeing Jesus to be God? Could He expect someone who has been enculturated in view A to switch magically to view B during their lives? Why would He predispose these children to be non-Christian and put them on an uneven playing field (in comparison to that of Christian children) and then judge them based on their religion?

If you care to see a video I made on the topic:

youtube.com/watch?v=Qzzby__pwvY

 

[dulcissima]

This is absolutely the best article I have ever read on this subject…

ewtn.com/library/CURIA/RATZCONS.HTM

It is a speech that was given by then Cardinal Ratzinger in 1991, and he explores this question in a way that is completely well thought out and logical.