No mortal sin...

[Vico]

Seeing how much $99.99 could buy you back then, not quite Manhattan, but I’d say that was a heck of a venial sin.

However, your point well-taken.

Inflation Calculator

$56 in 1913 = $100 in 1944
$100 in 1944 = $1343 in 2014.

 

[zz912]

My parish priest told me , that the former Archbishop of Liverpool (Patrick Kelly) told him that it is virtually impossible to commit a mortal sin. Because not only has the grave offense got to be committed with full knowledge that it can be mortal, but it also has to be committed with the full intention of hurting God. And even if that was the intention, then you would still need to look at what happened in that person’s life to make them want to do that. So he said people commit grave sins, not mortal ones since the love and mercy of the Father is infinite.

And this false teaching has contributed to the demolishment of the Catholic faith in our times.

If it is virtually impossible to commit a mortal sin, then why go to Confession at all? Heck, why go to Church at all?!?!?! (I mean, I’m a good person, right? I’m not REALLY trying to offend God. I go to Church sometimes, and I just really need some “me” time out on the golf course today.)

Reject this nonsense and cling to the Catholic faith. Mortal sin is NOT hard to accomplish. We only need to decide to do something we know is gravely wrong.

 

[HillbillyHermit]

Kendra, back to your original question. It appears that I am of the minority opinion here but I say, no, it is not at all strange that you don’t commit mortal sin and yes, there are many, many others who by the grace of God live their live day to day without committing mortal sin. This is not to say that they (or you, I’m sure) never have, never could, or never will commit mortal sin or even that you and they may not face temptation, sometimes frequent and sometimes severe, to do so.

Add another to the minority opinion. I don’t think it’s strange either.
Here’s a link to a good Catholic Update on the subject (Note that it has the imprimatur, which none of the posts do here as far as I can tell.) :
Understanding Sin Today.

I’ve heard more than once on Catholic radio from priests and apologists about people needing to learn the difference between grave matter and mortal sin, and to be clearer when talking about it. Grave matter is part of the three things necessary for something to be mortal sin, yet it seems that people are automatically assuming that if they have that one that the other two conditions are automatic.

After a while I decided to take what the parish priest says and materials read that have the imprimatur over what is said on a forum. It has brought sanity, peace, and calmness back to a level pre-internet forums. I guess that kind of makes my post irrelevant now. LOL

 

[KendraDZ1902]

After a while I decided to take what the parish priest says and materials read that have the imprimatur over what is said on a forum. It has brought sanity, peace, and calmness back to a level pre-internet forums. I guess that kind of makes my post irrelevant now. LOL

 

[ProVobis]

After a while I decided to take what the parish priest says and materials read that have the imprimatur over what is said on a forum. It has brought sanity, peace, and calmness back to a level pre-internet forums. I guess that kind of makes my post irrelevant now. LOL

It was quite common for women to look for any priest (or even bishop) who could tell them it was okay to use birth control pills after Humanae Vitae. They generally found one or two who could confirm that it was left to the conscience. But guess who were the ones who were misinformed?

 

[maryjk]

Plus, as others have pointed out, consider all the struggling folks who post here asking things like "I said “gosh darn’ when I hit my thumb with a hammer” and the number of times they are then told something like “it might not be a mortal sin but just mention it the next time you go to confession.”

This drives me crazy. Someone does something that is pretty clearly not a mortal sin. (Hitting your thumb with a hammer and saying “gosh darn,” is not a mortal sin.) And someone, normally a couple of someones, tells them to be sure to mention it in Confession.

If it isn’t a mortal sin, there is no NEED to mention it in Confession. Yes, you can, but “be sure to mention it?” Why?

 

[Millie123]

The grace is not special.** It is supposed to be the Norm**. We all have the graces we need , we just have to ask for it daily.

Being in a state of grace in the Catholic Church is supposed to be the Norm.
We should detest and avoid falling into Mortal Sin, as the sacramental graces would transform us to be horrified at committing the sin, and see it for its madness.

To be in a state of mortal Sin is to be in the anti-chamber of Hell.

Good on the OP, to ask this question.

It’s refreshing to hear, it should be seen as a sign that not all of us are swept up with the standards of our society.

You were told wrong.

If Christ saw that no man was capable of betraying him with a mortal sin in spite of our baptism, he wouldn’t have gave us Confession to restore us to baptismal grace the eucharist would be enough to forgive our venial sins.

All grace is a gift from God which makes all grace extremely special. God does bestow his graces on some more than others. Some people easily accepts God’s gifts of grace. While others reject both God and his grace. By a persons own rejection of God, his grace is withheld from them and by the person’s own choosing they withdrawal themselves from the reception of God’s grace and they fall more easily into mortal sin. Other people have a very lukewarm faith which again makes them easy targets to falling into mortal sin.
But that doesn’t change the fact that all grace is an extremely special gift from God. Which we need to be thankful for everyday.

 

[ProVobis]

This drives me crazy. Someone does something that is pretty clearly not a mortal sin. (Hitting your thumb with a hammer and saying “gosh darn,” is not a mortal sin.) And someone, normally a couple of someones, tells them to be sure to mention it in Confession.

If it isn’t a mortal sin, there is no NEED to mention it in Confession. Yes, you can, but “be sure to mention it?” Why?

For guidance from a priest in such matters. As mentioned before, venial sins can easily lead to graver sins.

 

[babochka]

As mentioned before, venial sins can easily lead to graver sins.

True, and that is why we should confess even our venial sins, in part to guard against the hardness and lack of awareness of sin that leads us down the slippery slope to more serious sin.

 

[HillbillyHermit]

It was quite common for women to look for any priest (or even bishop) who could tell them it was okay to use birth control pills after Humanae Vitae. They generally found one or two who could confirm that it was left to the conscience. But guess who were the ones who were misinformed?

I said parish priest AND materials with the imprimatur.
I fail to see the reason to take up valuable time to come up with every possible scenario to debate about endlessly on a forum. I’ve read debates on here and ended up more confused than before. And as time goes on, the usefulness of social media gets to be less and less IMO. Anyway, people who post on the CAF forums can be as misinformed as anyone else. Someone must be wrong in all the debating that goes on around here.

And…folks looking for a priest or whoever to tell them what they are doing is ok…well, that looks more like attempts to find loopholes. I don’t see what that has to do with the OP.

Being someone who has suffered depression (it can still be a challenge at times) and possibly scrupulosity (Been told more than once to learn more about the faith as part of my penance. Also have been told not to worry so much, from clergy, friends, and family .), it’s best for folks like me to avoid the “is ____ a mortal sin?” or “do I need to go to Confession?” topics. But, the “No mortal sin” title got my curiosity. I thought it would be a nice change of pace to see someone on here feeling some peace, something that doesn’t seem to last long for me.

Back to living up to my screen name on here, for my own good. To those who do feel in the state of grace and that peace that only Jesus can give…God bless you and don’t take it for granted!

 

[ProVobis]

I thought it would be a nice change of pace to see someone on here feeling some peace, something that doesn’t seem to last long for me.

I imagine a lot of people might be relieved if they get the Purgatory sentence, and I’ll admit I’m one of them, but I’m sure after a while of it, it won’t be that pleasant or peaceful.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

This drives me crazy. Someone does something that is pretty clearly not a mortal sin. (Hitting your thumb with a hammer and saying “gosh darn,” is not a mortal sin.) And someone, normally a couple of someones, tells them to be sure to mention it in Confession.

If it isn’t a mortal sin, there is no NEED to mention it in Confession. Yes, you can, but “be sure to mention it?” Why?

From a practical standpoint one should mention it because one is having a hard time discerning mortal and venial sin and the best person to help with that is one’s confessor. And if one is also suffering from scruples then the confessor needs to be able to help with that. And because honestly no one should feel comfortable telling someone else something is NOT a mortal sin. That power lies with the Church in the Sacrament of Confession.

The safest answer all the way around is
“mention it next time you are at confession” Because we should not say “nope not a mortal sin for you” or “you need help with your scruples”

That is not our place and honestly I don’t think people (especially on this site) understand the seriousness of telling others when NOT to go to confession. I don’t want blood on my and my children s hands.

 

[babochka]

Beg to differ. The Commandment is to “Honor thy Father and Mother.” Parents are legitimate authority and are to be obeyed except when they command something sinful. One may make a case that not cleaning their room or not doing their homework is a venial sin when asked to do so by the parent but the commandment still stands. If a parent tells them that not going to Church on Sunday or not making one’s Easter duty is no big deal, that is contrary to what the Church teaches.

There are varying degrees of gravity, even in violating the commandments. In most examinations of conscience, gluttony, excessive drinking, gossip and anger are sins against the 5th commandment. So are, obviously, abortion and euthanasia, as well as contraception and sterilization. They are clearly not of equal gravity.

 

[maryjk]

From a practical standpoint one should mention it because one is having a hard time discerning mortal and venial sin and the best person to help with that is one’s confessor. And if one is also suffering from scruples then the confessor needs to be able to help with that. And because honestly no one should feel comfortable telling someone else something is NOT a mortal sin. That power lies with the Church in the Sacrament of Confession.

The safest answer all the way around is
“mention it next time you are at confession” Because we should not say “nope not a mortal sin for you” or “you need help with your scruples”

That is not our place and honestly I don’t think people (especially on this site) understand the seriousness of telling others when NOT to go to confession. I don’t want blood on my and my children s hands.

Second grade Sunday school teachers spend months, every year, talking about what is and what is not a sin. It isn’t much different than what goes on here.

 

[KendraDZ1902]

I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for this to become what is and isn’t mortal thread. Or what is needed to be said in confession.

 

[KendraDZ1902]

From a practical standpoint one should mention it because one is having a hard time discerning mortal and venial sin and the best person to help with that is one’s confessor. And if one is also suffering from scruples then the confessor needs to be able to help with that. And because honestly no one should feel comfortable telling someone else something is NOT a mortal sin. That power lies with the Church in the Sacrament of Confession.

The safest answer all the way around is
“mention it next time you are at confession” Because we should not say “nope not a mortal sin for you” or “you need help with your scruples”

That is not our place and honestly I don’t think people (especially on this site) understand the seriousness of telling others when NOT to go to confession. I don’t want blood on my and my children s hands.

But there are things that just aren’t a mortal sin. Not everything we do in life is sinful, or a mortal sin.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

But there are things that just aren’t a mortal sin. Not everything we do in life is sinful, or a mortal sin.

Of course. Now how does that idea contradict what I said. The BEST advice anyone could give is if you are unsure, take it to confession. Let a spiritual director address the education of ones conscience and let the Church use the idea of “Fathers” and Confessors and Shepherds. Let the office of the confessional be the place where one determines mortal vs venial. Or mortal vs scrupulous. Are you equipped to either bind or lose? Or even to counsel one’s conscience? And even if you are, are you willing to advise someones eternal soul from the anonymity of the internet? Would you want to?

All that “do not judge” hullabaloo goes the other way too.

Is there better advice to someone on these boards asking about mortal sin than “take it to your confessor”? I have yet to see it.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Second grade Sunday school teachers spend months, every year, talking about what is and what is not a sin. It isn’t much different than what goes on here.

As far as church teaching goes I agree. No argument from me here. I am the first one to point out grave matter or such on all the endless ABC, masturbation, skipping Mass threads. But as far as what needs to be taken into a confessional? I am not a priest.

In youth ministry it tears my heart when a teen comes to me, and tells me something they have never told anyone else, or confesses in an emotional moment. I MUST make sure they understand that a priest is the appropriate remedy for their sin, venial or mortal. I can tell them what the Church says makes a sin mortal or not but only a “professional” has the power to do anything about it. They are also the ones to best deal with potential scruples. I may know vaguely about them and how they manifest themselves but I have not been trained to counsel about them. For this very reason God gave Peter the power to bind and loose. Not me.

So, I will say again. The best advice is to take it to confession.

 

[KendraDZ1902]

Of course. Now how does that idea contradict what I said. The BEST advice anyone could give is if you are unsure, take it to confession. Let a spiritual director address the education of ones conscience and let the Church use the idea of “Fathers” and Confessors and Shepherds. Let the office of the confessional be the place where one determines mortal vs venial. Or mortal vs scrupulous. Are you equipped to either bind or lose? Or even to counsel one’s conscience? And even if you are, are you willing to advise someones eternal soul from the anonymity of the internet? Would you want to?

All that “do not judge” hullabaloo goes the other way too.

Is there better advice to someone on these boards asking about mortal sin than “take it to your confessor”? I have yet to see it.

Not one time has my confessor told me that such and such was mortal, venial or scrupulous. They told me I shouldn’t think that way or something of that nature, but never once have I been told that what I have done was a specific type of sin. That’s why we have an examination of conscience. So we can determine which is which. Right? I know what mortal sin is and when I do it, I confess it. I just don’t have a big problem doing it. It rarely happens.

 

[mommamaree]

Not one time has my confessor told me that such and such was mortal, venial or scrupulous. They told me I shouldn’t think that way or something of that nature, but never once have I been told that what I have done was a specific type of sin. That’s why we have an examination of conscience. So we can determine which is which. Right? I know what mortal sin is and when I do it, I confess it. I just don’t have a big problem doing it. It rarely happens.

This is my experience as well. In confession, if I confess a doubtful sin, or if I say that I committed a sin but was unsure if it was mortal or not, they absolve me of the sin, but do not offer specific counsel (other than one occasion when my priest told me an action I had taken was good and not a sin at all). However, they give free booklets on confession to everyone, with an extremely thorough examination of conscience. THAT is where I have done most of the work in forming my conscience with respect to types of sin and culpability: in the prep work, not in the confessional.