Please,please help - i did something terrible

[JRKH]

““One commits venial sin when, in a less serious matter, he does not observe the standard prescribed by the moral law…”(CCC 1862)
And since the two great commandments form the most basic standard of moral law, when we do unto others what we do NOT want them doing to us…we have sinned.”

I’m guessing you mean “Love one another” and “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” as the two commandments you’re referring to right?

I’m referring to Mt 22:36-40 where the two great commandments are give as Loving God above all else, and Love neighbor as yourself.
The so called “golden rule” is a restatement of the second of the great commands of Love.

I don’t see how looking at someones private information means you’re not loving them.

The key term in the above is “private”. How do you want others to treat YOUR Private things. To treat others things differently is to violate the second great command.

In fact, I’m guessing the student now loves his professor much more.

If something is sinful it remains a sin regardless of the outcome.

However, I’m guessing that he would not want the professor to know his feelings about him that he expressed in this posting, so in the second commandment, the professor now has the right to know what the student had thought of him prior to this incident.

Tit-for-tat does not apply. The professor has no more right to know the OP’s feelings than the OP had rights to invade the Prof’s privacy…

Ya know what, I’m just going to say that since everyone else thinks it is a sin, I guess it is a sin too. I wouldn’t feel comfortable with someone looking through my information to see if I had done something wrong, although I also wouldn’t consider their actions a sin.

Bingo…
Invading another person’s privacy is wrong - ergo it’s a sin - it may not be a mortal sin (depending upon the intent) - but it is a sin…
Unless you can show me some church teaching that nullifies the evidence I have provided.

Peace
James

 

[crumblymunky]

I don’t view your evidence as worthy of deeming this a sin though. Your view of privacy and mine are two different things, as is apparent. The only true privacy I believe in is in the confessional.

 

[JRKH]

I don’t view your evidence as worthy of deeming this a sin though.

Would you believe Jesus?
"So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets. - (Matthew 7:12)
Treating others as you wish to be treated is - according to our Lord Himself - the very summation of the law (which designates what is sin)…violate the law and you sin…treat others in a way that you would not wish to be treated…you violate the core of the law - you sin…
The sin might be serious - it might be light…but it IS sin…According to Our Lord.

Of course you still have not offered any scripture or other teaching to indicate that such behavior is NOT sin…
Until you do, I’m afraid I will have to go with what our Lord says on the matter.

Your view of privacy and mine are two different things, as is apparent. The only true privacy I believe in is in the confessional.

I suppose this could well be the case.
if you don’t mind people coming into your home or office and rifling through your things, reading your private letters, documents, notes, etc…Then I guess you would not see anything wrong with doing this to others.
However - in this view I’d say you are in a very small minority.

Peace
James

 

[crumblymunky]

I guess I am in the small minority then. Why someone would do it would be my concern, and that could be addressed while they are searching through my stuff.

“So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.”

The problem I have with verses like this is that you can justify any number of things based on them, since this is a very subjective verse. I maintain there is no concrete prohibition of looking at something private.

 

[JRKH]

I guess I am in the small minority then. Why someone would do it would be my concern, and that could be addressed while they are searching through my stuff.

Agreed - the reason for someone doing something is important.

“So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.”

The problem I have with verses like this is that you can justify any number of things based on them, since this is a very subjective verse. I maintain there is no concrete prohibition of looking at something private. I maintain there is no concrete prohibition of looking at something private

In isolation - it may be seen as a subjective verse…but taken in context…especially in the whole of Mt chapters 5,6 and 7 it is much less subjective. Christ calls us to a much higher level of thinking and behavior than simply following set in “concrete prohibitions”.
In fact we are called to perfection…(Mt 5:48)

May God continue to guide you on your journey.

Peace
James

 

[sonoftherosary]

will you guys please help me? I don’t know what I should do. I want to go to confession, but then I will still feel guilty … but at the same time, this professor has made me so sad in the few years, and he has bullied me so much, I don’t feel all too sad inside if I violated his computer or not.

please help me. my mind is all scattered, and I feel awful inside. I want to be right with God.

I want more than anything to be right with God. I’m scared that God is upset with me.

 

[clem456]

will you guys please help me? I don’t know what I should do. I want to go to confession, but then I will still feel guilty … but at the same time, this professor has made me so sad in the few years, and he has bullied me so much, I don’t feel all too sad inside if I violated his computer or not.

please help me. my mind is all scattered, and I feel awful inside. I want to be right with God.

I want more than anything to be right with God. I’m scared that God is upset with me.

You sinned in violating his privacy AND his trust (perhaps the over-riding issue here is trust). Confess it and move on. Your feelings of bullying do not justify the sin. Feelings are feelings.

When you go to confession, you may want to tell the priest what I bolded above. This issue of unhealthy fear may lead you to more sin. The act you committed is one of fear of the unknown, is it not? Confess and be reconciled to God, and move forward.

 

[clem456]

You are pulling our leg just a little, am I right?

““One commits venial sin when, in a less serious matter, he does not observe the standard prescribed by the moral law…”(CCC 1862)
And since the two great commandments form the most basic standard of moral law, when we do unto others what we do NOT want them doing to us…we have sinned.”

I’m guessing you mean “Love one another” and “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” as the two commandments you’re referring to right?

I don’t see how looking at someones private information means you’re not loving them. In fact, I’m guessing the student now loves his professor much more. However, I’m guessing that he would not want the professor to know his feelings about him that he expressed in this posting, so in the second commandment, the professor now has the right to know what the student had thought of him prior to this incident.

I wouldn’t say that the student should let the professor know, but that is up to his confessor. Ya know what, I’m just going to say that since everyone else thinks it is a sin, I guess it is a sin too. I wouldn’t feel comfortable with someone looking through my information to see if I had done something wrong, although I also wouldn’t consider their actions a sin.

And also with the abortions point, I don’t see how it applies since every good person is trying to get abortions illegalized. We know it is a sin, and thus we try to outlaw it. I feel like the only reason we outlawed invasions of privacy is because it is a necessary step in keeping people from having their lives ruined by slander and such, which are sins.

So while abortion is not illegal, it is a sin, but an invasion of privacy could be a sin, and is sometimes illegal. Also note that an invasion of privacy is usually only able to be taken to court when slander and negative effects result. If this isn’t standard, let me know.

 

[JRKH]

You sinned in violating his privacy AND his trust (perhaps the over-riding issue here is trust). Confess it and move on. Your feelings of bullying do not justify the sin. Feelings are feelings.

When you go to confession, you may want to tell the priest what I bolded above. This issue of unhealthy fear may lead you to more sin. The act you committed is one of fear of the unknown, is it not? Confess and be reconciled to God, and move forward.

THIS…Go to confession as soon as possible. Since it troubles you so much I suggest you call your priest and make an appointment.

Peace
James

 

[Ridgerunner]

will you guys please help me? I don’t know what I should do. I want to go to confession, but then I will still feel guilty … but at the same time, this professor has made me so sad in the few years, and he has bullied me so much, I don’t feel all too sad inside if I violated his computer or not.

please help me. my mind is all scattered, and I feel awful inside. I want to be right with God.

I want more than anything to be right with God. I’m scared that God is upset with me.

Go to confession. You ought to feel guilty about this. That’s part of your “temporal punishment due to sin”. Accept it. It’s normal, and it’s better that we feel guilty about having done wrong than that we don’t. If you’re lucky, you will feel a twinge about it every time you remember it throughout life. It is a grace that we remember our sins that way.

Meanwhile, possibly it would be a good idea to work on suspiciousness. When I was in college, I had one professor who was merciless to me. Nevertheless, he not only gave me an A for the course, but sought me out to compliment me besides. He had been tough on me simply to challenge me because he thought I had it in me to excel beyond the others. In grad school, I had a worse one. To my huge surprise, he then offered me a collaborative summer job working on a very complex project under a government grant. I took it, and he was hard on me then too. But it paid well, and was prestigious.

Likely that’s what your professor was doing. Get used to it. They will treat you worse in med school, and worse than that in internship and residency. And if you go to work in a clinic thereafter, the “senior super experts” will be even worse…for awhile. In medicine, you have to earn your stripes the hard way.

 

[Beryllos]

I started a thread inspired by one of the side discussions in this thread. Here is a link:

Catholic Answers Forums - Moral or theological basis for privacy rights

Maybe I should have written “information privacy rights,” but it’s too late to edit it now.

I was trying to find a solid argument for crumblymunky as to why it is not okay to snoop around someone’s computer. I have a feeling that some basic principle applies here, besides that it may be illegal. None of the Ten Commandments seems to relate directly to it. Searching the Catechism for the words “privacy” and “secret” didn’t turn up much.

Take a look if you’re interested in that side topic.

 

[InThePew]

The rational behind letters of recommendation being confidential (and often only disclosed after “use” with the permission of their author) is a practical one - referees will be less likely to be honest and open if they know that the person they’re writing about will be reading their letter. So in this case that rationale doesn’t apply since the professor wasn’t aware. That said, the act is still sinful because it breaches his privacy and personal space - looking at a document on someone’s computer is like going into their house when they’re away.

Perhaps also in here there’s a message about trusting God. It’s human nature to want a sign - to want confirmation that God’s going to do what we want Him to do, but a mature relationship between any two people (and especially with God) needs to have trust at its heart. Knowing God’s will for our lives is far from easy and letting go and trusting in Him is equally as hard. Nonetheless that’s what we’re called to do. yes, God could give us a sign but then we’d be less inclined to trust Him and more reliant on receiving confirmation of what’s going to happen in our lives.

So, to the OP I would say yes go to confession as a way of expressing your remorse for what you did, and your regret at not trusting in Him, but also be grateful to God for His goodness to you because the letter was positive after all.

 

[josigirl]

Hi,

I think that you have had great guidance in these posts. Going to confession the way to go. I feel that I need to add that you know that what is was that was wrong, no one really needs to tell you.

However, I just want you know assure yourself that when we sin against God, we are ashamed and feel hesitant to pray to him. but don’t ever feel like that. BELIEVE IN HIS LOVE FOR YOU!!! This was a major lesson for you to “TRUST IN HIM” without fail. Know that He will do what’s best for you. Know that He LOVES YOU so much that he sent His only Son to die for the remission of our sins.

He radiates this Love throughout all the scriptures, the prodigal son, the adulteress, and so many more. We will always fall short of His Grace but we must always do our utmost best to not repeat our sin. Like he said, “Go and sin no more”. It’s not impossible but we must persevere. FOR LOVE OF HIM and FOR HIM.

His love for us is seen through the Graces of our sacraments, a confession for you is Your Fathers’ gift to you. Exercise it and TRUST IN HIM, have FAITH IN HIM. LOVE HIM.

You mentioned you were scared to pray to him, fearing His punishment. Once you accept His Love, you will not worry about anything else. You must build this Trusting relationship with Your Father in Heaven because He Loves you so. He is a Father of Mercy and Love… Remember the prodigal son, did he punish his son?

Go to confession with a contrite heart, willingness to do penience, and to try to never repeat this sin again…TRUST IN HIM, LOVE HIM AND BELIEVE IN HIS LOVE FOR YOU…

My Lord, how you suffered for love of us…

I hope this helps God Bless you