Occasion of sin question

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D0UBTFIRE

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Okay, I’m still new to this. I’m not perfectly clear on what the definition of “occasion to sin” is. From my understanding, “near occasion of sin” is when we put ourself in a situation that we’re likely to sin. So what does that mean for situations that are precarious but that we KNOW we won’t commit the sin it tempts us to? If you’re not really likely to sin under certain circumstances, yet you’re tempted to under such circumstances, is that then not considered “occasion of sin”?

Sorry for being so technical, I just need some clarity. It seems that the words “probable” or “likely” are very important in the definition of “near occasion of sin”…
 
If I were a person who could steal an item from a store when no one is around then going to a store by myself could be a near occasion of sin. But for me, since that is not the case, going to a store by myself is o.k… In order for a situation to be a near occasion of sin it would have to be a weak point in your character. So, if you are in situations whereby you know that no temptation exists then that cannot be defined as a “near occasion of sin”. Does that make sense? In other words, I could be around hundreds of women and there is no chance that I would cheat on my wife. So even at a party or whatever there is no “near occasion of sin” since my character dictates otherwise. For some men it could be a huge “near occasion of sin”…teachccd
 
teachccd said:
If I were a person who could steal an item from a store when no one is around then going to a store by myself could be a near occasion of sin. But for me, since that is not the case, going to a store by myself is o.k… In order for a situation to be a near occasion of sin it would have to be a weak point in your character. So, if you are in situations whereby you know that no temptation exists then that cannot be defined as a “near occasion of sin”. Does that make sense? In other words, I could be around hundreds of women and there is no chance that I would cheat on my wife. So even at a party or whatever there is no “near occasion of sin” since my character dictates otherwise. For some men it could be a huge “near occasion of sin”…teachccd
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Okay, that makes sense. If there is no temptation then there is no near occasion of sin. How about though in a situation where there IS temptation? For example, there are situations where I am tempted to steal. I can here the little voice in my head saying “ooooh, you could take that, no one is looking”. However, I really would NEVER do it. I’m not saying that I don’t sin but that every time I’ve ever been tempted to steal money or merchandise I’ve always controlled the temptation. Thus, I can conclude that although I am tempted to do it, I am not likely to do it. This idea of being “likely” to sin, is that at all important in the definition of “near occasion to sin”? That was sort of my original question.
 
D0UBTFIRE said:
Okay, that makes sense. If there is no temptation then there is no near occasion of sin. How about though in a situation where there IS temptation? For example, there are situations where I am tempted to steal. I can here the little voice in my head saying “ooooh, you could take that, no one is looking”. However, I really would NEVER do it. I’m not saying that I don’t sin but that every time I’ve ever been tempted to steal money or merchandise I’ve always controlled the temptation. Thus, I can conclude that although I am tempted to do it, I am not likely to do it. This idea of being “likely” to sin, is that at all important in the definition of “near occasion to sin”? That was sort of my original question.
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O.K. I do understand your question. I would have to say that, of course, we live in a world that is full of temptation. So, in reality, no matter where we go or what we do there will be some temptation. One could be at Mass and be tempted by someone of the oppostite sex and fall into a lustful mindset.

I think that if I know that a certain situation may CAUSE me to sin then I should avoid that situation. If I know that whenever I go on a video website where I could view inappropriate material instead of the good stuff then I should go to a website that has no bad videos.

You cannot consider a situation as a “near occasion of sin” if you have never committed a sin while in that situation. I know that I will never cheat on my wife, ever. So there will never be any time or place that will be a “near occasion of sin” for me to cheat on my wife. So I would have to say that if you are absolutely sure that no sin will come from a certain situation then that cannot be a “near occasion of sin”. By definition only it would be contradictory. I hope that this helps. Perhaps there are others who can chime in to help you better. God bless and have a great day…teachccd
 
teachccd said:
O.K. I do understand your question. I would have to say that, of course, we live in a world that is full of temptation. So, in reality, no matter where we go or what we do there will be some temptation. One could be at Mass and be tempted by someone of the oppostite sex and fall into a lustful mindset.

I think that if I know that a certain situation may CAUSE me to sin then I should avoid that situation. If I know that whenever I go on a video website where I could view inappropriate material instead of the good stuff then I should go to a website that has no bad videos.

You cannot consider a situation as a “near occasion of sin” if you have never committed a sin while in that situation. I know that I will never cheat on my wife, ever. So there will never be any time or place that will be a “near occasion of sin” for me to cheat on my wife. So I would have to say that if you are absolutely sure that no sin will come from a certain situation then that cannot be a “near occasion of sin”. By definition only it would be contradictory. I hope that this helps. Perhaps there are others who can chime in to help you better. God bless and have a great day…teachccd
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Thank you very much, that definitely does help me understand what “near occasion of sin” means!
 
teachccd said:
You cannot consider a situation as a “near occasion of sin” if you have never committed a sin while in that situation. I know that I will never cheat on my wife, ever. So there will never be any time or place that will be a “near occasion of sin” for me to cheat on my wife. So I would have to say that if you are absolutely sure that no sin will come from a certain situation then that cannot be a “near occasion of sin”. By definition only it would be contradictory. I hope that this helps. Perhaps there are others who can chime in to help you better. God bless and have a great day…teachccd
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Here’s what saints have said about remote occasions of sin:
St. Alphonsus:
St. Francis of Assisi, speaking of persons who have
the fear of God, gives an excellent advice concerning
remote occasions: he says that for persons who fear to
lose God, the devil, in the occasions, does not at first
excite them to grave faults ; he begins by attaching
them with a hair, which afterwards, in time, may
through his suggestions become a chain, and he thus
succeeds in dragging them into mortal sin.
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“There but for the grace of God go I” someone has said while watching a criminal. We can’t assume that “No matter WHAT, I will never sin in that way”. We have to be humble and not always think we are stronger than OTHERS who might fall when WE would not.

I think it takes common sense and God’s help to avoid being either too scrupulous or too lax about “avoiding the remotest chance of sin”.
 
nkbeth said:
Here’s what saints have said about remote occasions of sin:

“There but for the grace of God go I” someone has said while watching a criminal. We can’t assume that “No matter WHAT, I will never sin in that way”. We have to be humble and not always think we are stronger than OTHERS who might fall when WE would not.

I think it takes common sense and God’s help to avoid being either too scrupulous or too lax about “avoiding the remotest chance of sin”.
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While I could not agree more with your post, I do hold that there are characteristics that people uphold whereby they will not commit certain sins. I know that I will never rob a bank. I’ve been out of work and the idea that I could just take money might sound attractive but no bank would ever have to worry that I would rob it. I would never cheat on my wife. That is ingrained in my character and I know that I could be around dozens of women and I would never cheat on my wife. I am not above others in thinking that I am stronger than others but since I don’t drink being around alcohol would not be a “near occasion of sin” since drinking is not in my character. Now I do have my weaknesses whereby it is in my best interest to avoid certain situations.

I see your last comment as being most prudent and that is why this issue is so individual and only the individual can know what is a near occasion of sin for him/herself…teachccd 🙂
 
I’ve read that it would be impossible for most to live their lives without entering remote occasions. So, it’s good that it’s not a sin, although drawing the line is hard for me sometimes.
 
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