List of Common Mortal Sins

[ahimsaman72]

Gunner:

At the top of the list it talks about objectivity. Christ says if you love me - Keep my commandments, and taht Heaven and hell would disappear before one bit of the law would change.

To the informed Catholic, there is nothing new in this list. I find it interesting that some do not like it, maybe we should all frequent the confessional a little bit more often?

The wages of sin is death. Best not have any un-repented mortal sins on our souls when we meet our maker. Lists like this make us realise how easy it is to fall into sin. The road is narrow that leads to salvation and few take it.

To whom much is given much is expected. If you have read the list, you have been given much. The truth shall set you free.

"Common Mortal Sins – Objectively these are always Mortal sins, subjectively these actions may make a sinner less culpable. For a sin to be mortal it needs to fulfill three criteria. One has to have full knowledge, give full consent and it needs to be a grave matter. There follows a list of grave matters.

Remember, if in death you have just one un-repented mortal sin , you will go straight to hell (Catechism of Catholic Church section 1874)"

Quote from the website where it speaks of objectivity. There is not one person here that can follow the law on every point. This kind of lawgiving is exactly what Paul speaks of in his writings as being over with. There is not one shred of evidence in any of Paul’s writings, John’s writings, Peter’s writings where this kind of “keeping the law” is expressed.

And, if this is also true, all the old testament saints went to hell. They weren’t given this kind of warning that is given on this website. This reminds me of people making fun of fundamentalists for their “end of the world” ramblings. The intent is to scare people into obeying. It’s fire insurance. I’ve heard this kind of preaching from the pulpit in my Baptist upbringing all my life. And to this day I still cringe to hear it.

Peace…

 

[Gunner]

"Common Mortal Sins – Objectively these are always Mortal sins, subjectively these actions may make a sinner less culpable. For a sin to be mortal it needs to fulfill three criteria. One has to have full knowledge, give full consent and it needs to be a grave matter. There follows a list of grave matters.

Remember, if in death you have just one un-repented mortal sin , you will go straight to hell (Catechism of Catholic Church section 1874)"

Quote from the website where it speaks of objectivity. There is not one person here that can follow the law on every point. This kind of lawgiving is exactly what Paul speaks of in his writings as being over with. There is not one shred of evidence in any of Paul’s writings, John’s writings, Peter’s writings where this kind of “keeping the law” is expressed.

And, if this is also true, all the old testament saints went to hell. They weren’t given this kind of warning that is given on this website. This reminds me of people making fun of fundamentalists for their “end of the world” ramblings. The intent is to scare people into obeying. It’s fire insurance. I’ve heard this kind of preaching from the pulpit in my Baptist upbringing all my life. And to this day I still cringe to hear it.

Peace…

Paul was quoting about the Mosaic laws of the Jews, all 600+ of them, not of the 10 Commandments or the natural law. Scrpture has said that Christ came to fulfill the law, not abolish it and that Heaven and Hell would disappear before one jot of the law.

*Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 *

Matthew Chapter 5

Through Jesus, his way is possible, follow his law, protected down the generations by this True Church. Stop looking for easier ways, there is none. There is no Easter without Calvary. Jesus has shown us the way, he followed the will of the Father by never sinning, not even venial. How can you avoid sin, if you do not objectively have a preety good idea what it is. People on this forum are blessed to have access to the full Truth. We have a duty to spread the Full Good News or on our heads be it. Ezh 3.16.

 

[Mijoy2]

Gunner:

I believe on the other side, if a loved one chose not to go to Heaven, we will fully understand and respect the great gift from God of freewill which has allowed them this choice.

If people get what they desire, that is Pure Love in action.

This seems to often be the sticking point. How we define “chose” to go to Hell (or politically correct) chose not to go to Heaven.

The vast and I do mean VAST majority of people, Catholics included seldom go to Mass, often commit sins that are on the list of mortal sins, that are widely accepted by society at large ( I won’t mention the sins, we al know some of them, that I am refering to here). Of these people, most, firmly believe they are going to Heaven, that they are right with God and that they are basically “good”. Few to none even realize they are not in line with the Church. The flood of people receiving the Eucharist on Sunday mornings attest to this. I see people get up and receive communion after not having gone to Mass for months or longer.

The answers I get in these forums when I pose questions about thier souls are usually:

1. They are in a state of invincible ignorance thus excusing them.
2. They are more likely then not going to Hell.

But, are they “choosing” Hell? Choosing an etrnal life of fire and brimstone? How can any intelligent and thinking person in these forums say this is so. It’s illogical to believe this. They are under the belief they are going to Heaven. And so are the Priests who preside over thier funerals.

 

[ahimsaman72]

Gunner:

Paul was quoting about the Mosaic laws of the Jews, all 600+ of them, not of the 10 Commandments or the natural law. Scrpture has said that Christ came to fulfill the law, not abolish it and that Heaven and Hell would disappear before one jot of the law.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20

Matthew Chapter 5

Through Jesus, his way is possible, follow his law, protected down the generations by this True Church. Stop looking for easier ways, there is none. There is no Easter without Calvary. Jesus has shown us the way, he followed the will of the Father by never sinning, not even venial. How can you avoid sin, if you do not objectively have a preety good idea what it is. People on this forum are blessed to have access to the full Truth. We have a duty to spread the Full Good News or on our heads be it. Ezh 3.16.

The whole law was summed up by Christ as:

1. And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
2. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
3. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
4. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
5. And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
6. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

Your litmus test isn’t included in Christ’s statement. I don’t see the gospel of Christ preached by the early apostles as a litmus test. If we were using that - the pharisees and sadducees should get all the credit. They supposedly followed the laws to a tee. And we all recognize they had some failings.

It’s too easy to pull verses out of Scripture and say what we think they mean. The life lived by Christ is our example. He did not burden people with loads they cannot bear. I fear this list is a burden and load pretended to be holy and righteous guidelines but yet breaks the backs of the sincere at heart.

Peace…

 

[ahimsaman72]

I think Paul’s words (given him by God) should remind us of humility and the fact that we may claim righteous ways but our hearts are not in the right place.

Romans 2:21-23

1. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
2. Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
3. Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?

This brings me back to keeping the whole law. I repeat - there’s no one on this forum or outside this forum who can keep the commandments - not as they are given in this self-righteous list. Although I believe folks here have their hearts in the right place - especially you, Gunner - this still seems like legalism to me. But, what do I know? I’m just a schismatic protestant who dabbles in Buddhism.

Peace…

 

[Brown10985]

TheGarg:

Ever hear the old saying “Idle hands and active tounges are tools of the devil”…

I’ve read Puritans say this though I haven’t seen the quote in the catechism.

 

[marthax2]

Gunner:

Anyone out there please show me an online link to a BETTER one. I have searched and could not find it, maybe its there but it is well hidden.

I found another list of objective mortal sins at www.catholicparents.org/oxcart/examination.html. This site looks to be faithful to the Magisterium, but I did not check it out exhaustively.

I have reservations about this list, too, but much fewer and much milder. It is more helpful because it uses the explanatory word “serious” for many of the sins which would not be mortal if committed to a lesser degree, e.g., gossip. There are some sins in the list that I consider unclear. Tax evasion is listed as a mortal sin, but I don’t think evading paying a very small amount would be a mortal sin; it’s hard to know where to draw the dollar-amount line.
It doesn’t bother me that some sins seem forced into the wrong category because it’s hard to know which of the Commandments they violate; e.g., serious cruelty to animals is in the “Thou shalt not steal category.”
I found a partial list but excellent list of mortal sins by doing a search for the word “grave” in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

 

[Gunner]

ahimsaman72:

I think Paul’s words (given him by God) should remind us of humility and the fact that we may claim righteous ways but our hearts are not in the right place.

Romans 2:21-23

1. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
2. Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
3. Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?

This brings me back to keeping the whole law. I repeat - there’s no one on this forum or outside this forum who can keep the commandments - not as they are given in this self-righteous list. Although I believe folks here have their hearts in the right place - especially you, Gunner - this still seems like legalism to me. But, what do I know? I’m just a schismatic protestant who dabbles in Buddhism.

Peace…

Knowing the law is not legalism. Being legalistic is. One thing you may be overlooking, we have an all merciful God, who forgives, forgives, forgives, those who repent, repent, repent.

In the True Church we also have the tow great sacraments of Confession/Eucharist which arm us against sin and give us Graces to overcome them. Since I reverted some 4 years ago I could only have dreamed of overcoming certain vices which no on a daily basis through FREQUENT eucharist/confession (At least weekly) I am able to cope with.

Luke 1:50 - And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

Those who work their salvation with fear and trembling are on a safer route than those who PRESUME. Looking at lists like this is a very humbling expeience for us all I am sure and protects us from this PRESUMPTION so apparent in the Modern World.

 

[ahimsaman72]

Gunner:

Knowing the law is not legalism. Being legalistic is. One thing you may be overlooking, we have an all merciful God, who forgives, forgives, forgives, those who repent, repent, repent.

In the True Church we also have the tow great sacraments of Confession/Eucharist which arm us against sin and give us Graces to overcome them. Since I reverted some 4 years ago I could only have dreamed of overcoming certain vices which no on a daily basis through FREQUENT eucharist/confession (At least weekly) I am able to cope with.

Luke 1:50 - And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

Those who work their salvation with fear and trembling are on a safer route than those who PRESUME. Looking at lists like this is a very humbling expeience for us all I am sure and protects us from this PRESUMPTION so apparent in the Modern World.

I understand your viewpoint and the repent and confession aspect. That’s all well and good. My point is that holding up this list as some kind of litmus test to enter heaven is not true to the Christian faith or what has been expressed faithfully by the original apostles or Scripture itself.

I understand you can’t walk through your Christian life and feel there’s a license to sin, but I also understand that being too critical and legalistic (which this list is) is dangerous also. I hesitate to bring Buddhist philosophy in this because this is essentially a Christian topic, but both extremes of license and legalism are equally dangerous and a “middle path” (such as exists in Buddhism) is the best way.

One sees the list and says to himself “hey, I’ve not done any of these bad things”, yet he has no heart of love or compassion and no passion towards Christ. The other one says, “oh, well, I can’t be perfect. I can never follow all these rules” and sins freely. Both are dangerous. Both constrict one’s life and one’s eyes tend to be on the created rather than the creator.

Peace…

 

[ahimsaman72]

Gunner:

Knowing the law is not legalism. Being legalistic is. One thing you may be overlooking, we have an all merciful God, who forgives, forgives, forgives, those who repent, repent, repent.

In the True Church we also have the tow great sacraments of Confession/Eucharist which arm us against sin and give us Graces to overcome them. Since I reverted some 4 years ago I could only have dreamed of overcoming certain vices which no on a daily basis through FREQUENT eucharist/confession (At least weekly) I am able to cope with.

Luke 1:50 - And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

Those who work their salvation with fear and trembling are on a safer route than those who PRESUME. Looking at lists like this is a very humbling expeience for us all I am sure and protects us from this PRESUMPTION so apparent in the Modern World.

I understand your viewpoint and the repent and confession aspect. That’s all well and good. My point is that holding up this list as some kind of litmus test to enter heaven is not true to the Christian faith or what has been expressed faithfully by the original apostles or Scripture itself.

I understand you can’t walk through your Christian life and feel there’s a license to sin, but I also understand that being too critical and legalistic (which this list is) is dangerous also. I hesitate to bring Buddhist philosophy in this because this is essentially a Christian topic, but both extremes of license and legalism are equally dangerous and a “middle path” (such as exists in Buddhism) is the best way.

One sees the list and says to himself “hey, I’ve not done any of these bad things”, yet he has no heart of love or compassion and no passion towards Christ. The other one says, “oh, well, I can’t be perfect. I can never follow all these rules” and sins freely. Both are dangerous. Both constrict one’s life and one’s eyes tend to be on the created rather than the Creator.

Peace…

 

[Gunner]

ahimsaman72:

I understand your viewpoint and the repent and confession aspect. That’s all well and good. My point is that holding up this list as some kind of litmus test to enter heaven is not true to the Christian faith or what has been expressed faithfully by the original apostles or Scripture itself.

I understand you can’t walk through your Christian life and feel there’s a license to sin, but I also understand that being too critical and legalistic (which this list is) is dangerous also. I hesitate to bring Buddhist philosophy in this because this is essentially a Christian topic, but both extremes of license and legalism are equally dangerous and a “middle path” (such as exists in Buddhism) is the best way.

One sees the list and says to himself “hey, I’ve not done any of these bad things”, yet he has no heart of love or compassion and no passion towards Christ. The other one says, “oh, well, I can’t be perfect. I can never follow all these rules” and sins freely. Both are dangerous. Both constrict one’s life and one’s eyes tend to be on the created rather than the Creator.

Peace…

This is most definitely a Christian Catholic topic. Our eternity depends on it, there is no middle way, if we Love God we keep his commandments and repent frequently if we slip. If we die in Mortal sin we go straight to Hell, even if we lived a righteous life up until the very last day we are called to Judgement. This is what the Church teaches. A life long sinner can repent with God’s grace in his last hour and be saved, just as the righteous man can fall in his last hour and be damned.

These examples are extremes I fully accept, most people will die as they live in God’s grace or outside of it through their own free will.

In the True Church, via a Priest we can make imperfect contritions to avoid Hell, this is not possible outside of the True Church as it is a gift from God. Non Catholics are not offered this fantastic gift of Hope. Again by reflecting on this list for oneself only, it is a god benchmark. The list is not for rattling off wily nily, but for placing into the Hearts of people who know the Truth sets them free from the chains of sin.

 

[marthax2]

Gunner:

Unlike you, I do my research, the Priest is genuine. I called him and verified his credentials from the details provided on the website.

I did some research, but I stand corrected because I did not do enough. I apologize for not having expressed myself in a more charitable manner.

I agree that Olive-Murphy is probably sincere.

I’m glad to hear that her spiritual director does exist, but I still believe it’s possible that he is mistaken about her. I know a wonderful and holy priest who believed in a woman who said she was having locutions from Our Lady. I believe she could have been. But after a few years, bad fruit was produced, bickering factions.

I guess my main point was that it’s prudent to go to well-known authentic Catholic websites for information on faith and morals.

 

[Gunner]

marthax2:

I did some research, but I stand corrected because I did not do enough. I apologize for not having expressed myself in a more charitable manner.

I agree that Olive-Murphy is probably sincere.

I’m glad to hear that her spiritual director does exist, but I still believe it’s possible that he is mistaken about her. I know a wonderful and holy priest who believed in a woman who said she was having locutions from Our Lady. I believe she could have been. But after a few years, bad fruit was produced, bickering factions.

I guess my main point was that it’s prudent to go to well-known authentic Catholic websites for information on faith and morals.

Of course he could be mistaken, he is not infallible, however if she is in error, she is not so far preaching any. Her website simply links to other orthodox sites such as this one . You cannot be fairer than that. Time will tell on this one like many others. These types of messages do not affect true followers in any case, as we must be ready AT ALL TIMES to meet the King of Kings, not only in a few years time. It is the only site of this kind which give a page for Skeptics.

Well done Olive, but true to your conscience. It is brave to speak out like you do in a world of muddle and dis-bisbelief. From your own source you have a 1% chance of being authentic and still you persist. Bravo . By their fruits you shall know them.

 

[ahimsaman72]

Gunner:

This is most definitely a Christian Catholic topic. Our eternity depends on it, there is no middle way, if we Love God we keep his commandments and repent frequently if we slip. If we die in Mortal sin we go straight to Hell, even if we lived a righteous life up until the very last day we are called to Judgement. This is what the Church teaches. A life long sinner can repent with God’s grace in his last hour and be saved, just as the righteous man can fall in his last hour and be damned.

I understand this is what the Catholic Church teaches. It is one reason that I cannot fully accept the Catholic Church. This is not a teaching (once again) that is not of the early apostles and not of Scripture. “Even if we lived a righteous life up until the very last day” is a sad statement for me. It does not speak to God’s mercy. It is unfortunate that it is a teaching of the Catholic Church along with the belief that “outside the church there is no salvation” and “all must submit to the Roman Pontiff for salvation” (paraphrased). These are statements not in line with the original apostles or Scripture. Therefore, it is an invention that came later in order to keep men in fear.

I started a thread titled, “hell and everlasting punishment” wherein I described God’s mercy and the fallacies of the doctrine of hell and eternal punishment. It is not true.

Peace…

 

[catherinesiena]

I’m not sure who gave authority to this list, but some of this stuff is not a mortal sin, because in order to be mortal, one must have full knowledge that it is mortal, so therefore “mortal” is different for different people. Please don’t spread bad and false information.

 

[Gunner]

I’m not sure who gave authority to this list, but some of this stuff is not a mortal sin, because in order to be mortal, one must have full knowledge that it is mortal, so therefore “mortal” is different for different people. Please don’t spread bad and false information.

Let us deal with facts, not what you want it to be. If you read the beginning of the list, this is explained.

Common Mortal Sins – Objectively these are always Mortal sins, subjectively these actions may make a sinner less culpable. For a sin to be mortal it needs to fulfill three criteria. One has to have full knowledge, give full consent and it needs to be a grave matter. There follows a list of grave matters.
Remember, if in death you have just one un-repented mortal sin , you will go straight to hell (Catechism of Catholic Church section 1874)

I suggest you re-read it before you make such broad assertions.

God Bless you

 

[Gunner]

MichaelTDoyle:

Now, I didn’t read the specific list, but I guess my question is

Will trying to observe a hard and fast set of laws that may be too heavy a load to fulfill and tempt me to despair or lead to scrupulosity be a better path to sainthood than trying to do my best?

To Love God and love neighbor and examine my conscience as best as I understand our faith with the aid of the Holy Spirit is a better path than a list, I think.

Christ has said if you LOVE me, KEEP my commandments. Many will call him Lord Lord and he will deny them.

Christs LOVE (Agape) for us was the crucifuixion. Our LOVE for him involves sacrifice, restraint and obedience against our natural selves. Lists like this help prevent us from deluding ourselves that we are anything but wounded creatures due to original sin and have a strong tendency to evil.

I agree we need to be wary of scruples, but this is more of a mental illness. We must all try to walk the fine line between presumption and despair. You can only examine your conscience if it is fully informed. Lists like this help. They leave little room to hide and hopefully make us all frequent confession weekly as against monthly or worse still.

Remeber the Church teaches that there are many Graces available via confession, it is not bad thing to get in the good regular habit.

 

[marthax2]

ahimsaman72:

This is not a teaching (once again) that is not of the early apostles and not of Scripture. “Even if we lived a righteous life up until the very last day” is a sad statement for me. It does not speak to God’s mercy. It is unfortunate that it is a teaching of the Catholic Church along with the belief that “outside the church there is no salvation” and “all must submit to the Roman Pontiff for salvation” (paraphrased). These are statements not in line with the original apostles or Scripture. Therefore, it is an invention that came later in order to keep men in fear.QUOTE]

God’s mercy.

It is also true that even if we live a sinful life up until the very last day, if we turn to God at the very last moment God accepts us into friendship with Him and we are saved.

“Saint Faustina, the mystic nun of Divine Mercy, wrote that Our Savior revealed to her that He calls to every soul at the moment of death. This is a pure unmerited grace. According to St. Faustina, the soul is still capable of turning to God’s call or rejecting it and perishing in Hell; but this is a last and real call of grace.” (oratorydl.com/med33.htm) What could be more beautiful and merciful? Even Hitler or Stalin could have squeaked by at the last moment.
Although this is private revelation and, as such, not a Magisterial teaching of the Church, our Holy Father John Paul II raised Faustina to sainthood very much aware of the message of Mercy entrusted to her.

God yearns for the salvation of every soul. Jesus would have become man and suffered and died for the sake of only one person needing salvation.

Explanation of "no salvation outside the Church"

“The universality of salvation means that it is granted not only to those who explicitly believe in Christ and have entered the Church. Since salvation is offered to all, it must be made concretely available to all. But it is clear that today, as in the past, many people do not have an opportunity to come to know or accept the gospel revelation or to enter the Church. The social and cultural conditions in which they live do not permit this, and frequently they have been brought up in other religious traditions. For such people salvation in Christ is accessible by virtue of a grace which, while having a mysterious relationship to the Church, does not make them formally part of the Church but enlightens them in a way which is accommodated to their spiritual and material situation. This grace comes from Christ; it is the result of his Sacrifice and is communicated by the Holy Spirit. It enables each person to attain salvation through his or her free cooperation.” (Redemptoris Missio, #10)

.

 

[MichaelTDoyle]

Gunner,

I am not sure if lists like this do help. I absolutely think we have a duty to pray and learn our faith, but I think the CCC does a pretty good job of describing the commandments. Also Christs commandments were Love God and Love thy neighbor. This was the sum of the Law. No, this does not negate the 10 commandments but it does surpass them. perhaps it is even stricter.

But privately held lists trying to assign physical values to various sins miss the point that the source of our sin is our heart, not her hemline. Different cultures can have different qualities that provide occasions for sin or different values as to make grave matter certainly flexible. Different individuals have different struggles.

Now if you mean by list that you need a list to know masturbation, murder, or adultery aare mortal sins, I think you do not need a list but better ongoing catechesis. Trying to go deeper than the CCC in regards to lists seems pretty tricky, and I put my faith in Christ’s appointed Church, but I do not in a particular list by a private individual, priest or no.

That’s not to say discussion and discernment is not a good thing, but the hard and fast list must not take the place of the genuine examination of conscience which should include prayer.

I absolutely agree with you about confession. I try to go every month since I became a practicing Catholic, whether or not I commited a mortal sin.

my 2 cents

 

[CatholicCrusade]

It was good–very Traditional, but one thing that jumped out as being left out was using the Lord’s Name in Vain.