Presumption thought a sin?

[cjcapta]

Is the sin of Presumption similar to lust in that if you think about it you have still committed a sin? Let’s say you thought “Oh, I can just confess this in confession later since I’ve committed this sin before and I’m already going to confess it,” but your stop yourself from committing the sin. Have you committed a sin? And if so, is it a venial sin or a mortal sin?

 

[DexUK]

It depends on whether or not you assent to the concept of the presumption that you had in your mind.

If you thought about it and then dismissed it, then nothing has happened.

As far as I can tell, you’ve got up until the point at which you commit the sin in order to change your mind. I would say that the commission of the sin then sets in stone the sin of presumption.

Others may disagree with the above.

As far as committing multiple sins of the same type with some already ‘on the score sheet’, well I’d say the same applies. You exacerbate the sin at that point since you ought to be resisting sin no matter whether or not you’re already in need of Confession. The phrase “in for a penny, in for a pound” should not apply.

 

[Pug]

Is the sin of Presumption similar to lust in that if you think about it you have still committed a sin? Let’s say you thought “Oh, I can just confess this in confession later since I’ve committed this sin before and I’m already going to confess it,” but your stop yourself from committing the sin. Have you committed a sin? And if so, is it a venial sin or a mortal sin?

You are not describing a sin-free situation, but I don’t think you are talking about presumption at the core. I’ll give you a quote from a sound moral theology manual: Nor is it presumption to plan to repent even as one sins; presumption is not a plan to repent but a substitute for repentance.
I’m assuming you planned to repent from your description, so it is not presumption.

Your logic is not sound, though. Every moment we have is a gift that we can use to love and follow Christ. You have a moment there to do it, to turn to Jesus, and you are not doing it by saying that phrase you quoted. You have a great opportunity right at that moment to deny yourself, take up your cross, etc. Sort of like a gift of love for Jesus.

 

[cjcapta]

You are not describing a sin-free situation, but I don’t think you are talking about presumption at the core. I’ll give you a quote from a sound moral theology manual: Nor is it presumption to plan to repent even as one sins; presumption is not a plan to repent but a substitute for repentance.
I’m assuming you planned to repent from your description, so it is not presumption.

Your logic is not sound, though. Every moment we have is a gift that we can use to love and follow Christ. You have a moment there to do it, to turn to Jesus, and you are not doing it by saying that phrase you quoted. You have a great opportunity right at that moment to deny yourself, take up your cross, etc. Sort of like a gift of love for Jesus.

So then what would the sin be called?

 

[Pug]

So then what would the sin be called?

Sorry for the delay in response. I’ve been offline for weeks.

Resolving to repent is not a sin. It is something we all ought to do. The line of reasoning that worries me is to think that you’ve already done the sin once this week and will already have to confess one instance of that sin, so you are tempted to reason that a second instance of that sin doesn’t matter, other than you’ll have to confess two instances of that sin at Saturday confession. I think this is an avenue of reasoning that tempts us, but it is a false way to reason.

Additional instances of the same sin do matter. Each additional sin carries consequences and harm. Things that are sins are called sins for a reason, and that reason is tied to what men are, what our minds and hearts are, and how we work inside and out, and how we value other people. Sins are fundamentally harmful to us. As a simple example, we learn by doing and tend to form habits. So doing something over and over is going to lead to even more doing of that thing. If it is a sin, doing it again and again is going to form our habits and inclinations in the wrong direction. It weakens our will to struggle to do right.

You have an opportunity when an instance of that sin appears before you again. The opportunity you have is to refuse the sin, and so align your attitudes and habits and goals against doing it and the things that are like it. You have the opportunity to choose for God and choose for being upright. Don’t give in to reasoning that says it doesn’t matter what you do until Saturday confession comes around. Sin does matter. Allowing yourself to think more sin doesn’t matter is not going to help you in fighting the good fight. It might lead to despair, eventually.