Hi everyone,
I was just wondering if a person with OCD and Scroupulosity should confess their blasphemous thoughts or not? Can a thought be a sin and is it worth confessing them or not? Do you confess blasphemous thoughts if you get them or not?
Thank you
First it is important to note that we can not give advice on OCD…
Second it is important to note of course that Scruples per se do not = OCD though one can experience both.
Now as to thoughts. Can thoughts be sins? Yes…
Mortal sin requires not only grave matter and full knowledge --but also complete consent.
So all sorts of thoughts can occur to one that one does not want --and there can be not even the *slightest sin *involved.
Ones confessor can assist one --bring your difficulties to him (not in detail of course) and it is important for one who struggles with scruples to have a regular confessor to guide them and give them principles etc in regards to their scruples.
Here is an article by Jimmy Akin of Catholic Answers jimmyakin.com/2005/04/a_crown_of_thor.html (but note that we are not permitted to advise treatment etc regarding OCD --so regards that see a professional – here is one site I saw advertised-- I saved for those who seek such: catholictherapists.com/
While Jesus makes it clear that one can sin in ones thoughts…just cause some lustful thought or other like thought happens does not mean that one has sinned…
What should we do with* unwanted* sexual thoughts or other “bad thoughts”…thoughts against God etc that just come to us? Those pesky temptations that can come …even though we are not seeking them or doing anything to bring them etc…
Are they mortal sins?
For a mortal sin one needs a grave matter …full knowledge AND deliberate consent!!!
A. If you do not want the thought…it the thought displeases you: it can be a sign actually that you did not give any consent or do not give full consent.
B. Even if you felt a temptation for the thought – and were drawn to it involuntarily —but rejected it and maybe even turned right to God : again a sign not full consent (if there was any).
C. But what if one has a tempting thought --say of a sexual nature and even hesitated for a moment…but then rejected it for one did not want to sin?: it can be partial consent perhaps (and thus a venial sin)-- or it may be no sin at all but rather a strong temptation that drew you but then you saw what was happening and turned away.
D. A temptation can even be very strong or the thoughts very often – but this does NOT mean one has consented!
Remember --for it to be mortal there must be that deliberate consent!
What to do? on the spiritual side–relax first of all and remember the above.
Next – know that the more one fears the thoughts the more likely they are to come… or said another way --the more a person stress about seeking to avoid the thoughts the more likely he will have a problem with them.
for example: for the next 10 seconds try NOT to think of an apple.
tick tock …
tick tock…
Ok what did you think of?
Most likely an apple.
So it is best to ignore them and just not consent and then turn your attention to some other good thing…for instance whatever you are doing.
Simply do not consent and move on…
Another point – thoughts can just happen --they are the stuff with which we think…it is up to us to consent and take them further or not. And just because they are REAL VIVID and almost “think themselves” does not mean per se that one has given ANY consent.
They can be annoying…but need cause no actual harm …
(Now difficulties with thoughts can happen to anyone…and has for centuries…nothing new!..but I will note too that “some” have a condition known as OCD (I knew someone with this once…it was a painful experience)…and thus should seek further professional help to work at overcoming it and to live a more peaceful life…)
(also some suffer from scrupulosity and ought to have a* regular confessor*)
Having responded to a number of persons with various degrees of scruples over time – I will note the following:
One must distinguish between a scrupulous conscience (though in a way it is more a “a conscience affected by scruples”) and a delicate conscience.
A ‘delicate conscience’ sees the finer distinctions and seeks very much to avoid even very small sins …and …who can judge normally between mortal and venial sin…when in doubt is able to make judgments overcoming his doubt by prudence or abide by good advice etc
As for scruples…or scrupulosity
A person who struggles with such take venial sin to be mortal…or non-sins to be sins…or are plagued by doubts…seeking an unreasonable kind of certainty…confesses all sorts of unneeded details…experiences unreasonable fears/anxieties about sins…seeing them or fearing them where they need not…is always or often worried about past confessions or how they said a thing in confession…if they fulfilled their penance or did this or that correctly etc etc…often involving what if-ing" in an excessive way.
Scruples can come in many and varied forms and degrees.
The French call it the doubting disease (though it is not a disease) for one has lot of problems knowing one knows…thus with doubt (or more often “apparent doubt”).
Of course there are degrees and it is possible for a person to have generally a delicate conscience or a normal conscience and still have a struggle with scruples in certain areas…or have very transient scruples such at the time of their conversion …or deeper conversion etc.
And a person may go from one to the other…
One combats scruples with a good regular confessor…(via a kind of obedience in all but of course manifest sin – so if the confessor says murder his secretary or use contraception --well then one needs a new confessor!)
by forming ones conscience…(with such as the Catechism etc)
and with the guidance of the confessor – acting against ones scruples…
possibly by him giving some general principles for the person to follow in their case.
Contra scruplos agendum est, et fixo operis pede certandum
(Act contrary to scruples and with a firm foot overcome them) (with the assistance of the confessor/spiritual director)
Overcoming ones scruples…ones fears… with a “firm foot”. Learning to act against them under the guidance of your confessor. Dismiss them. Not argue with them. (ie. ones confessor says…“unless you are certain you have committed a mortal sin…go to communion”…and you feel the fear and the doubts and the worries at the time of communion “but perhaps I committed one…?” you tell yourself “I am not certain of any mortal sins and my confessor told me to go” and you act against your fears and go to Communion!) etc
by prayer…
Thinking more on the love of God and true life in Christ…
etc
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