Our Habits can send us to Hell. But are we in control of our Habits?

[TheLittleLady]

the only way to willfully turn away from God is to commit an explicit mortal sin?

Willfully turning away from God is a grave sin.

 

[ProdglArchitect]

I know. The point I was trying to make was that venial sins, committed frequently enough and without repentance, can constitute a mortal sin and cut us off from God.

 

[esieffe]

ProdglArchitect:

The strength and addictive nature of that habit may diminish my culpability for each individual act, but that does not change the fact that soul is continuously shaped each time I engage in the act.

Off topic for just a moment, I found the devotion of the Three Hail Mary’s to be very successful in helping to break more than one addiction. I encourage anyone fighting one to try it.

Which leads to “my on topic comments.” I have nothing to back up this idea, but while suffering an addiction, the more you resist it, the more help you get in battling it, and I imagine, the weight of the sin is mitigated to some degree by that very resistance.

My experience has been, by pulling out all stops, battling on every front I can think of, the more successful you are. Relying on the fact only, that “I have an addiction, and it is difficult” wont carry the same water as a full fledged fight against, whatever it is.
.02

 

[esieffe]

I know. The point I was trying to make was that venial sins, committed frequently enough and without repentance, can constitute a mortal sin and cut us off from God.

Well, your right and wrong, but I normally like a lot of your posts. A 1000 venial sins would not equal the gravity of one mortal sin. You’re correct when you say that venial sins diminish our relationship with God.

 

[TheLittleLady]

A common cold will not kill most people, however, if your resistance is gone, or immune system depressed, it can.

Venial sin, unrepented and (as my mom would say “wallowed in” weakens our spiritual immune system.

 

[CRV]

venial sins, committed frequently enough and without repentance, can constitute a mortal sin

That isn’t correct. Venial sins committed frequently can lead to mortal sin. That’s why we are to do our best to ‘sin no more’. All sin offends God.
CCC1863 “Deliberate and unrepented venial sin disposes us little by little to commit mortal sin.” and “However venial sin does not break the covenant with God. With God’s grace it is humanly reparable. “Venial sin does not deprive the sinner of sanctifying grace, friendship with God, charity, and consequently eternal happiness.”” (Bold emphasis is mine).

 

[esieffe]

I think people are confusing habit with addiction here. They use to say “smoking cigarettes is a nasty habit.” Habits and addiction are often side by side. It used to be my habit to smoke after a meal. [Till God helped me quit in the nick of time. I hope.]

Just an observation.

 

[Kei]

It involves our cooperation with God’s Will. Virtue is more a habit than an act; likewise with vice. If we are cooperating with God’s will, then when we get the urge to pray or help a lady cross the street, then that is growing in virtue.
We are given sufficient grace to respond to the grace we are given. Ultimately, though, it is in a sense up to us to accept His Graces.

 

[Annie]

Here is an article which discusses Saint Mark Ji Tianxiang, an opium addict who never conquered his opium addiction, who was forbidden the Eucharist for 30 years because of his addiction, yet died a martyr and is canonized.

Several (at least) books about spiritual combat say that perseverance is key. To fall, and yet get back up and return to battle.

Perhaps with dispositions towards sin, whatever the source, the key is to persevere in growing in holiness.

We see things in black and white, God sees things in more colors that we even know about!

He will judge us completely, taking everything onto account.

Buy we must always turn towards Him, not turn away from Him.

Isn’t someone a greater saint who has more to fight against? If I fight against a gnat with an army, what kind of victory is that? But the gnat fighting an army, even tho he fails, is greater than the army.

 

[o_mlly]

To what extent are the habits we form actually our fault and under our control?

CCC#1791 … when a man “takes little trouble to find out what is true and good, or when conscience is by degrees almost blinded through the habit of committing sin.” In such cases, the person is culpable for the evil he commits.

One can mute the voice of conscience, aka His prevenient grace, by habitually rejecting His call to avoid evil, to do and be good.

 

[RealisticCatholic]

Sorry if I came off blunt and strong.

But anyway. Well, by definition Mortal Sin is that which is fundamentally different than venial sin. We need to be careful how we’re using these terms.

I’m trying to stick as closely as the Catechism and Aquinas use the term “Mortal Sin.” For Aquinas, it is not just mis-directing the means to our final end. (This is venial sin.) Rather, Mortal Sin is placing our end into something entirely contrary to our true end, God, the ultimate Good. Similarly, the Catechism is thinking of Mortal Sin as directly attacking charity, which is needed to see God in Heaven. Anyone who dies with the virtue of Charity will go to Heaven.

If we take away these terms “venial” and “mortal” for as second, then I would agree with you that someone could reject God through indifference or habit. But not if we are calling these venial. “Venial” just means excusable or pardonable.

 

[ProdglArchitect]

Well, your right and wrong, but I normally like a lot of your posts. A 1000 venial sins would not equal the gravity of one mortal sin. You’re correct when you say that venial sins diminish our relationship with God.

That isn’t correct. Venial sins committed frequently can lead to mortal sin . That’s why we are to do our best to ‘sin no more’. All sin offends God.
CCC1863 “Deliberate and unrepented venial sin disposes us little by little to commit mortal sin.” and “However venial sin does not break the covenant with God. With God’s grace it is humanly reparable. “ Venial sin does not deprive the sinner of sanctifying grace, friendship with God, charity, and consequently eternal happiness.”” (Bold emphasis is mine).

Sorry if I came off blunt and strong.

But anyway. Well, by definition Mortal Sin is that which is fundamentally different than venial sin. We need to be careful how we’re using these terms.

I’m trying to stick as closely as the Catechism and Aquinas use the term “Mortal Sin.” For Aquinas, it is not just mis-directing the means to our final end. (This is venial sin.) Rather, Mortal Sin is placing our end into something entirely contrary to our true end, God, the ultimate Good. Similarly, the Catechism is thinking of Mortal Sin as directly attacking charity, which is needed to see God in Heaven. Anyone who dies with the virtue of Charity will go to Heaven.

Sorry if I came off blunt and strong.

But anyway. Well, by definition Mortal Sin is that which is fundamentally different than venial sin. We need to be careful how we’re using these terms.

I’m trying to stick as closely as the Catechism and Aquinas use the term “Mortal Sin.” For Aquinas, it is not just mis-directing the means to our final end. (This is venial sin.) Rather, Mortal Sin is placing our end into something entirely contrary to our true end, God, the ultimate Good. Similarly, the Catechism is thinking of Mortal Sin as directly attacking charity, which is needed to see God in Heaven. Anyone who dies with the virtue of Charity will go to Heaven.

If we take away these terms “venial” and “mortal” for as second, then I would agree with you that someone could reject God through indifference or habit. But not if we are calling these venial. “Venial” just means excusable or pardonable.

I’ll be honest, I’m not sure I agree personally. I don’t see how living a life of indifference and constant sin could result in anything other than damnation, even if you never commit an actual mortal sin.

That being said, this is why we have the Magisterium, and I am a fallible man, so I will bow to Her wisdom.

 

[goout]

A Christian’s core disposition should be to embrace and pursue free responsibility, not to look for lesser dispositions.
Not knowing if one is culpable for addictive behaviors should not cause a person to capitulate responsibility and say " I can’t help it".
It should cause one to change the way one thinks (literally “repent”), and to embrace the responsibility to exercise good agency. ie…make good decisions, and appreciate the consequences of decisions.

Freedom and responsibility lead to love. Looking for less does not.