Mortal Sin/Addiction

[DavidSears]

Do people that fall to their impurity addictions (one who is fighting said addiction), do they go to Hell? For example, if someone has a pornography addiction, and is on the computer, and has an impulse to look it up, and does, is it a mortal sin?

 

[red85]

At some point, it becomes a severe weakness. What they’re doing is disordered and wrong. Their addiction mitigates their guilt. They are still bound to fight it; and as long as they do everything in their power to fight it and co-operate with God’s grace, I do not see that they would go to hell. If they volitionally continued their disordered sexual habits, knowing that it is wrong, then yes, they are enrouted to hell.

 

[Rhuarc]

So does the fact that you are addicted make the sin venial rather than mortal? Assuming of course that the sin is a grave matter and would be a mortal sin under normal circumstances.

 

[jtodisco]

Like red85 said, there can be mitigating factors that reduce culpability when it comes to sin. Viewing pornography is always gravely sinful. But if you have an actual psychological addiction or compulsion that you are trying to fight then I would say God takes that into account. But you must fight it. I would suggest that you always treat falling into such a sin as committing a mortal sin. Otherwise you run the real risk of being too lax and sliding down a slippery slope where you increasingly tell yourself that such behavior “isn’t that bad” (and eventually “it’s not bad at all”).

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:

“**2352 **By masturbation is to be understood the deliberate stimulation of the genital organs in order to derive sexual pleasure. “Both the Magisterium of the Church, in the course of a constant tradition, and the moral sense of the faithful have been in no doubt and have firmly maintained that masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action.” “The deliberate use of the sexual faculty, for whatever reason, outside of marriage is essentially contrary to its purpose.” For here sexual pleasure is sought outside of “the sexual relationship which is demanded by the moral order and in which the total meaning of mutual self-giving and human procreation in the context of true love is achieved.”
To form an equitable judgment about the subjects’ moral responsibility and to guide pastoral action, one must take into account the affective immaturity, force of acquired habit, conditions of anxiety, or other psychological or social factors that lessen or even extenuate moral culpability.”

and

“2354 Pornography consists in removing real or simulated sexual acts from the intimacy of the partners, in order to display them deliberately to third parties. It offends against chastity because it perverts the conjugal act, the intimate giving of spouses to each other. It does grave injury to the dignity of its participants (actors, vendors, the public), since each one becomes an object of base pleasure and illicit profit for others. It immerses all who are involved in the illusion of a fantasy world. It is a grave offense. Civil authorities should prevent the production and distribution of pornographic materials.”

If you believe you have an addiction or compulsion to view pornography you must seek help. You must try to fight this. A lot of people try to conquer this problem alone. That’s a bad idea. Try to find an SA group near you or a good Catholic counselor that has experience with this sort of thing. Also, don’t hop from one confessor to another due to embarrassment. And when you confess your sins make sure to let the confessor know that this is a problem for you and not just something you sparingly fall into. For your confessor to give you good counsel he needs to know that this is possibly an addiction or compulsive problem for you. Lastly, don’t give into despair. Don’t let yourself give into the lies of the evil one who will try to convince you that God is sick of hearing you confess such things, or that God won’t forgive you, or that God will forgive you but you just aren’t capable of really changing, etc. All of these ideas are lies. Never lose hope in God’s love and mercy and never lose hope in the fact that He wants to help you be free from this bondage.

 

[captainmike]

Do people that fall to their impurity addictions (one who is fighting said addiction), do they go to Hell? For example, if someone has a pornography addiction, and is on the computer, and has an impulse to look it up, and does, is it a mortal sin?

we must avoid the near occasions of sin. stay away from the computer entirely, if necessary.

 

[jtodisco]

Here are some links that might help you:

Catholic therapists:
catholictherapists.com/find-a-therapist.html

Sex Addicts Anonymous:
saa-recovery.org/

Sexaholics Anonymous:
sa.org/

Also, I’d recommend checking out “Taking Down Goliath” by Matt Fradd. He is a Catholic Answers apologist who struggled with an addiction to pornography for years. In “Taking Down Goliath” he gives a roughly hour long talk about the subject and offers ways in which people can work to overcome this addiction/compulsion. It’s available at the Catholic Answers store for either MP3 download or in the form of a CD.

 

[fbl9]

. Lastly, don’t give into despair. Don’t let yourself give into the lies of the evil one who will try to convince you that God is sick of hearing you confess such things, or that God won’t forgive you, or that God will forgive you but you just aren’t capable of really changing, etc. All of these ideas are lies. Never lose hope in God’s love and mercy and never lose hope in the fact that He wants to help you be free from this bondage.

from one who is struggling thank you for your encouragement.

 

[poche]

God sees and knows everything. He knows when someone is trying and when someone is just going through the motions. With respect to pornography on the computer, may I suggest the “delete” button. Aslo sometines these problems are a sign that there are other problems too. In any event I recommend frequent confession, daily prayer including the rosary every day, and a serious study of the Sayings of the Fathers of the Desert.

 

[Zekariya]

If the temptation seizes you, read Psalm 51 (sometimes 50 depending on the translation) before proceeding to anything else. It will buy you time and it is a prayer for purity and forgiveness.

1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight-- That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. 6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You. 14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, The God of my salvation, And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise. 16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart-- These, O God, You will not despise. 18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, With burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

 

[clem456]

Do people that fall to their impurity addictions (one who is fighting said addiction), do they go to Hell?

That’s a question no one can answer. The Church does not propose that any specific individual is in hell. I would assume that people who have watched porn are there, and that other people who have watched porn are NOT there. I have watched plenty of it, and I do not choose eternal death. Fighting with an addiction does not damn you to hell. There is an element of redemption by suffering through these sins, with Christ. Trust Him, He does not want you or anyone else to be lost, and will always work with you.

For example, if someone has a pornography addiction, and is on the computer, and has an impulse to look it up, and does, is it a mortal sin?

Addiction could lessen culpability because free will becomes compromised.
This issue takes a lot of hard spiritual work… conversion of the heart and will to God. It is not as simple as just praying it away. Virtue requires practice. And you will need other people to help you.

Keep in mind that addicts are confronted with the truth that everyone needs to accept: we are nothing without God. So count your blessings that you have come to this point even through your addiction.

 

[drumboogie]

Someone I know was told that, because of their addiction, the sin was mitigated between themselves and God, but not between themselves and their future spouse (they were single). I confess I’m not sure what this means, exactly. I would consult a priest for further explanation.

 

[Blue_Horizon]

Someone I know was told that, because of their addiction, the sin was mitigated between themselves and God, but not between themselves and their future spouse (they were single). I confess I’m not sure what this means, exactly. I would consult a priest for further explanation.

This post is 4 years dead Drumboogie.