Occasions to sin

[Bookcat]

For example, if a person who knew that robbing a bank was wrong and wanted to do it, but once he got to the bank had a change of heart completely on his own (so nothing else factored into why he didn’t rob it) would this be a mortal sin?

Yes from what one said.

He chose to rob the bank- that was grave matter - and he made this choice with full knowledge and deliberate consent. He just later repented of it before it was carried into external action. He needs now to bring that mortal sin of deciding to rob a bank to confession.

That is not a question about a near occasion of sin. But of gravely sinful choice that was later repented of before carrying it into action.

Now that being said - one must take care not to confuse temptation with consent. All sorts of thoughts etc can be tempting without consent happening. With the person consenting to those thoughts that happened to him.

 

[Bookcat]

Say a person gets on a porn website, but then realizes it isn’t a good idea and logs off. I would lean towards maybe just a venial sin there, but what is your opinion?

Choosing to go to that site can yes be a mortal sin even if one did not carry it further into lustful thoughts- (one would examine with *three aspects *for committing a mortal sin…grave matter, full knowledge, complete consent–but take care to not be lead back to temptation). A confessor can assist one.

Now if you mean one clicked something by mistake - thinking it was good and then it turned out to be otherwise and right away left that site - that would seem rather to simply be a temptation that happened to one and one chose the path of virtue. Not sin.

 

[Vico]

I don’t think this applies to my scenario. I am basically saying a person just logs onto a site… without thinking anything inappropriate , and then logs off bc they realize it is wrong.

So you man that there was no intention only desire that was not acted upon when saying: “you want to masturbate and you get on a porn site”.

I suppose that I do not underatand how one get onto a port site by “logging on” unless it was intentional. What did you mean?

 

[Rbaker]

So you man that there was no intention only desire that was not acted upon when saying: “you want to masturbate and you get on a porn site”.

I suppose that I do not underatand how one get onto a port site by “logging on” unless it was intentional. What did you mean?

Haha to be honest I am not even sure anymore. I your previous answers and the answers of others have cleared everything up for me! I think i was just using a bad example for this one

 

[thistle]

I don’t think this applies to my scenario. I am basically saying a person just logs onto a site… without thinking anything inappropriate , and then logs off bc they realize it is wrong.

Are you saying that a person who deliberately logs into a porn site does not know that is wrong from the outset??

 

[Faxero]

Are you saying that a person who deliberately logs into a porn site does not know that is wrong from the outset??

Rbaker might be half-blind. If so, he must have mistaken the porn star’s breasts for donuts.

 

[Rbaker]

Are you saying that a person who deliberately logs into a porn site does not know that is wrong from the outset??

I was probably stretching it a little to try and make an analogy. I was trying to apply and example to a previous posters question, and I probably didn’t do a good job. Apologies

 

[JoeFreedom]

The planning of the serious robbery is a grave sin. As another example, preparing for fornication is also a grave sin, even though the grave act of fornication fails to occur.

Thought is sinful just as the act or omission is. Catechism:
1853 Sins can be distinguished according to their objects, as can every human act; or according to the virtues they oppose, by excess or defect; or according to the commandments they violate. They can also be classed according to whether they concern God, neighbor, or oneself; they can be divided into spiritual and carnal sins, or again as sins in thought, word, deed, or omission. The root of sin is in the heart of man, in his free will, according to the teaching of the Lord: "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a man."128 But in the heart also resides charity, the source of the good and pure works, which sin wounds.

This is a great response. It shows how if one were to “think” and “plan” and “envision” doing something sinful, then that person is indeed sinning. However, if a man who previously robbed banks, walked by a bank, and got tempted to rob the bank, but did not, has not sinned. The difference here is one is concocting the act in his/her head and dwelling on it, whereas the second constitutes a remote occasion and temptation. We cannot avoid banks, they are too common.

 

[Bookcat]

This is a great response. It shows how if one were to “think” and “plan” and “envision” doing something sinful, then that person is indeed sinning.

One can sin in ones thoughts without ANY plan of doing something external. The sin can be entirely internal. The person knowingly giving consent to the evil internally.

(different of course from some passing thought that is not consented to or some unwanted thought etc).

However, if a man who previously robbed banks, walked by a bank, and got tempted to rob the bank, but did not, has not sinned…

If it was a near occasion for him to rob the bank…that *could *yes be a sin.

(such as in his particular case he knows that just walking by a bank is going to lead him to robing it…)

(or he knowingly consented …and sinned in thought that way).