mortal sin question

[The_Arcadian]

Hello! New guy here with a question that I’ve never been able to understand completely. If this isn’t in the right place just move it.

My question is on mortal sin. Now we all know it needs three conditions to meet the criteria of mortal sin:grave matter, full knowledge and full consent. Now the problem I have is the idea of full knowledge. Some seem rather obviously grave i.e murder, rape, stealing and so forth but others like masturbation and contraception not so much.Lets say someone who has never been taught masturbation is wrong, according to the doctrine of mortal sin he can’t be held completely accountable for his actions. However, once he learns that it is grave and constitutes mortal sin that changes the very nature of the sin. I once saw a priest write online basically that “now that you know such and such is a grave matter its a mortal sin from here on out.”

following this kind of logic it almost seems like Catholicism engenders the capacity to commit mortal sin by having such teaching and spreading to one another and the world at large. In this case it almost seems like one is better off ignorant and to evangelize is cruel since learning the moral teachings seems to enable one to commit mortal sin and consign themselves to hell. Can anyone clear up this issue for me? Thanks

 

[PJM]

Hello! New guy here with a question that I’ve never been able to understand completely.

My question is on mortal sin. Now we all know it needs three conditions to meet the criteria of mortal sin:grave matter, full knowledge and full consent. Now the problem I have is the idea of full knowledge. Some seem rather obviously grave i.e murder, rape, stealing and so forth but others like masturbation and contraception not so much.Lets say someone who has never been taught masturbation is wrong, according to the doctrine of mortal sin he can’t be held completely accountable for his actions. However, once he learns that it is grave and constitutes mortal sin that changes the very nature of the sin. I once saw a priest write online basically that “now that you know such and such is a grave matter its a mortal sin from here on out.”

following this kind of logic it almost seems like Catholicism engenders the capacity to commit mortal sin by having such teaching and spreading to one another and the world at large. In this case it almost seems like one is better off ignorant and to evangelize is cruel since learning the moral teachings seems to enable one to commit mortal sin and consign themselves to hell. Can anyone clear up this issue for me? Thanks

Very thoughtful and insiteful post. Thanks

The answer lies it what the Church terms
Main Entry: being “cul·pa·ble”

Etymology: Middle English coupable, from Anglo-French cupable, culpable, from Latin culpabilis, from culpare to blame, from culpa guilt

1archaic : guilty , criminal
2: meriting condemnation or blame especially as wrong or harmful

Catholic Catecheism:
1791 This ignorance can often be imputed to personal responsibility. This is the case when a man “takes little trouble to find out what is true and good, or when conscience is by degrees almost blinded through the habit of committing sin.”** In such cases, the person is culpable for the evil he commits**.

678 Following in the steps of the prophets and John the Baptist, Jesus announced the judgment of the Last Day in his preaching. Then will the conduct of each one and the secrets of hearts be brought to light. Then will the culpable unbelief that counted the offer of God’s grace as nothing be condemned. Our attitude to our neighbor will disclose acceptance or refusal of grace and divine love. On the Last Day Jesus will say: "Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me."

We can fool ourselves
We can fool others
BUT, we can’t fool God. And God makes “All-Just” final judgements.

It is possible that one “may not know” but it is impossible that one cannot know, for God Himself has written the laws of “right and wrong” on our hearts.

God’s gift of our intellect demands that we seek the only truth. While God’s gift of our “free-will” allows us to decide for ourselves if we will!

Hope that this is of some help?

God’s continued blessings,
PJM m.c.

 

[Genesis315]

The law is written on all our hearts. There’s a reason why everyone has a natural shame concerning masturbation, although I’ve found many repress it as they get older (they talk about it openly more than is even necessary).

As has been pointed out, you can be culpable for your own ignorance. We all have the duty to seek God and truth, learn between good and evil, and adhere to the right way, repenting, confessing our sins, and getting up again when we fall. People who do whatever they want without worrying about such things need the knowledge of the truth brought to them so they can adhere to it, since they decided not to seek it on their own.

 

[clmowry]

I have struggled with similar thoughts on this subject.

“What do we do for our ‘naïve’ non-Catholic brothers and sisters?

Is it a work of Charity or an act of damnation to expose them to the light of the fullness of truth?

There is, however, an overriding consideration: Outside of Christ and His Church, there is “no” salvation to be lost.

As we find in the CCC there is the possibility that God “may” choose to save any man without being formally part of Christ’s Church.

“Outside the Church there is no salvation”

846 How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers?335 Re-formulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body:

Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it.

847 This affirmation is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church: Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation.

848 “Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who, through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men.”

So should we Hope for the salvation of others based on what would appear (at least to me) to be the possibility of an extraordinary exception for fear of doing more harm than good?

Ultimately we must take Christ at His word.

Matthew 28:19-20 “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

So Christ tells us, it is not enough that we introduce people to Christ. We are to teach them to observe Christ’s two fold command of Love of God and Love of Neighbor.

At least that is where I always end up on the subject.

Chuck

 

[puzzleannie]

following this kind of logic it almost seems like Catholicism engenders the capacity to commit mortal sin by having such teaching and spreading to one another and the world at large. In this case it almost seems like one is better off ignorant and to evangelize is cruel since learning the moral teachings seems to enable one to commit mortal sin and consign themselves to hell. Can anyone clear up this issue for me? Thanks

you are leaving something out.
Mortal sin is mortal because it is deadly, it damages the relationship between God and the soul and of course it damages the human relationships that are directly affected, as well as damaging humanity at large. This is true whether or not any of the humans involved is aware of the gravity of the action or omission.

for example, “I did not know the gun was loaded” obviously the actor had some knowledge, he knows perfectly well shooting a loaded gun can kill somebody, but he did not have full knowledge. His victim, however, is still just as dead.

Or a child, not knowing about guns, picks up a loaded gun and kills someone. They are obviously innocent of both the crime and the sin, but their victim is also dead.

The damage occurs according to the nature of the sin, independent of whether or not the actor, or the victim, knows the source of the damage, or the gravity. Therefore it is far, far better to instruct people honestly, accurately and completely about the damage done to individuals and society through these grave actions, such as abortion, fornication etc., so that those who are convinced can change their actions, and educate others.

 

[eva6206213]

really thank s for PJMs answer. i am learning ~