Mortal Sin = Spiritual Death

[BuphiloCatholic]

This is a genuine and serious question for the pastors/theologians among us. If the commission of a mortal sin results in the spiritual death of the individual, then why I don’t I feel anything after I commit a mortal sin? I want to be with God, and I still love Christ and the saints, and the Church…and feel no different than I did before, and not even a pang of conscience? It just seems strange that experience is so horribly incommensurate with reality in a such cases.

 

[catharina]

This is a genuine and serious question for the pastors/theologians among us. If the commission of a mortal sin results in the spiritual death of the individual, then why I don’t I feel anything after I commit a mortal sin? I want to be with God, and I still love Christ and the saints, and the Church…and feel no different than I did before, and not even a pang of conscience? It just seems strange that experience is so horribly incommensurate with reality in a such cases.

My background/education is in Theology although I’m years removed from university.

Perhaps - and I’m only guessing - you lack “feeling” because of a habit of sin, and that could even be habitual venial sin. It is an enormous thing for anyone to choose sin, especially mortal sin. However if one’s conscience is weakened over time, rather than sharpened over time, one might expect that one’s sense of offending God would weaken too. I’d suggest you pray pray and pray.

 

[BuphiloCatholic]

My background/education is in Theology although I’m years removed from university.

Perhaps - and I’m only guessing - you lack “feeling” because of a habit of sin, and that could even be habitual venial sin. It is an enormous thing for anyone to choose sin, especially mortal sin. However if one’s conscience is weakened over time, rather than sharpened over time, one might expect that one’s sense of offending God would weaken too. I’d suggest you pray pray and pray.

Thanks for the reply…and let me clarify one point. I’m fairly sure that if I were to commit murder, or cheat on my spouse, or torture a human being, I would feel catastrophic remorse for such events. But when I contemplate using contraception or premarital intercourse, or masturbation I feel no such similar sense that these acts are horrendous evils or even necessarily repugnant.

 

[catharina]

Thanks for the reply…and let me clarify one point. I’m fairly sure that if I were to commit murder, or cheat on my spouse, or torture a human being, I would feel catastrophic remorse for such events. But when I contemplate using contraception or premarital intercourse, or masturbation I feel no such similar sense that these acts are horrendous evils or even necessarily repugnant.

So in those areas, you have a habit of sin?
In thought, if not in action?

 

[catharina]

Hi again. Just scanned your previous posts (via profile) see you’re a grad student. Most simply you have been raised in an age where many sins are disregarded. Work hard on strengthening the sensitivity of your conscience. God bless you. Your post/thread here is brilliant.

 

[coolduude]

How do you suggest I strengthen my conscience? I too feel like the OP. I know mortal sins are wrong, yet when I commit them I feel no remorse emotionally. I still go to Confession though because I know what I did was wrong. But how do I feel sorrow for my actions again?

 

[kage_ar]

You have become accustomed to the sin that no longer disturbs you.

Pride.

Spend time looking at a crucifix and understand that Christ was tortured for that sin, that one that does not make you care a bit.

 

[coolduude]

I care, believe me. I was just wondering how I can feel emotionally sorry.

If I didn’t care, why would I be going Confession?

 

[presidentjlh]

You have become accustomed to the sin that no longer disturbs you.

Pride.

Spend time looking at a crucifix and understand that Christ was tortured for that sin, that one that does not make you care a bit.

Eh…I think coolduude does care, being that he goes to confession regularly for it. It’s a really hard sin to overcome. Heck, I’ve only been truly abstinent from it for about a week and a half, and the temptations are getting worse and worse. I’m trying my best to make it through the weekend. (I’m not saying I plan on giving in after Sunday, it’s just a tough deal.)

And while I have fallen in the past and felt bad and sorry for it, I can see where the other posters struggling with this are coming from, being that I still felt like I was a good person overall.

Alas, being an 18 year old boy in college is definitely not a situation where one is never tempted.

 

[kage_ar]

I care, believe me. I was just wondering how I can feel emotionally sorry.

If I didn’t care, why would I be going Confession?

Look at that crucifix. Watch “The Passion of the Christ”.

You do care some, like you said. It is just you have become callous because you keep repeating the same sin over and over. Keep going to Confession. Keep telling Jesus you are sorry.

 

[puzzleannie]

quote=BuphiloCatholic;6486780] If the commission of a mortal sin results in the spiritual death of the individual, then why I don’t I feel anything after I commit a mortal sin?

because feelings and emotion have next to nothing to do with one’s spiritual condition

I…and feel no different than I did before, and not even a pang of conscience? .

your conscience may not be fully formed and sharpened by meditation on the Passion and frequent recourse to the sacraments

 

[John_of_Woking]

I’m the opposite
I actually feel physically and emotionally, holistically even, ruptured from the Body of Christ after sinning mortally (masturbation- with me I probably fulfil the criteria for mortal sin). I usually despair (another sin) for a while afterwards. Likewise after confession I **feel **physically grace trickling into my soul. I am sure this is an undeserved actual grace from God. I don’t want to overly rely on feelings and know they are not all that imporant but “Does anyone else actually **feel **this kind of thing after sin/confession?”

 

[MtnDwellar]

I know how you feel. It is very easy to see the corrupt nature of sins which effect other people directly. The solitary sin is easily hidden by a corrupted conscious. We know that God’s will is much more than just not hurting others. It involves our thoughts, our words, what we do and what we fail to do.

As was stated, the corruption of our conscious is an effect of the sin itself. The corruption takes place on an individual as well as a collective basis. Repeated individual sin, and the more that society sins, the more disorder occurs in our lower faculties.

The sin leaves a residual habit upon our spirit. It becomes a vice. We can confess the sin and the sin is forgiven, but the effect of the sin remains. A way to overcome vice is through virtue. Mortification is also helpful. Lust and Gluttony are related to the same lower faculties. Fasting can help to overcome lust. Grace is designed to help us overcome sin. Sacramental grace is one of our best tools. Through the sacrament of confession, actual grace is given to overcome the particular sins that are confessed.

Overcoming lust is a real battle. The stakes are high.

AND - here is my own opinion without much biblical support or any church teachings.
During the sermon on the mount and when Christ spoke about adultery, He taught us that thoughts were just as sinful as actions. Why is that? It seems counter intuitive. Doing something must be more serious than just thinking about it - Right? My guess is that the spiritual world does not include physical senses as we know them. Our actions are not “seen”, but only known by the thoughts that have to accompany them.