Rational worry or just scruples?

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I’ve received some good advice regarding my Spiritual issues and now I have a better understanding. However, I had the thoughts that I have to follow what my conscience is telling me and if I feel that something is a sin then I should follow it otherwise I risk committing sin. So I was really distressed at that time because I kept having thoughts like “you can’t ask other people for help. This is a sin (in relation to my context)”. Despite this thought and knowing that I have to follow my conscience, I still deliberately asked for help anyway despite thinking it might be sin (So essentially, even though this ISN’T a sin in itself, I committed sin of will by thinking it was a sin and doing it anyway). Essentially, the elements of full knowledge (I’m committing a sin) and deliberate consent (voluntarily doing it) are present.

It was through help that I managed to resolve my issues. However, now the question that’s been haunting me is whether I can apply the advice received, or whether that would be a sin because technically I obtained it by sinning (in this case, I thought asking for advice was sinful and STILL did it anyway. I didn’t sin through the act of asking for advice but I sinned through defying my conscience). So now I’m having doubts about what to do. Can I still apply the good advice given to me? Or do I have to pretend I never received the advice at all because I obtained it by sinning and thus I have to remain ensnared in the problem I’m facing (which was solved through the advice given to me)?

EDIT: The sin I committed – that I’m referring to – is not asking for advice; I know this isn’t sinful in itself at all. The thing is - my conscience was going bonkers that time, so I had these kind of thoughts. Despite thinking at that time that asking for advice might be sinful, I still wilfully did so anyway (I can confidently say this. I wasnt under duress or extreme emotion). So, the sin I committed is defying my conscience
 
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In order to sin, the matter has to be a sin in the first place. You can’t commit a non-sin and then it becomes a sin. Asking for advice is not a sin.
 
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Bro, 2 things.
  1. I know you’re looking for a Confessor. Do whatever you can to expedite that process.
  2. Scruples can often be symtomatic of OCD. Maybe look into psychological counseling or therapy.
Know that I am praying for you.
 
I’m aware asking for advice isn’t sinful in itself. The sin I committed here was that I defied my conscience, and chose to ask for help despite thinking it might be sinful. Being willing to commit a sin, is a sin (not to be confused with temptation, though. Being willing to commit a sin - as in, if I’m doubtful whether something is sinful or not, I still do it anyway which shows that I’m exposing myself to the risk of offending God. This is sin)
 
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Thanks Maximilian 🙂

I’m still trying to look for one, though not many Priests in my country (Singapore) are experienced with dealing with scrupulosity.
 
I am aware that asking for advice isn’t a sin. My conscience was going bonkers that time – looking back, I don’t even know why I believed those thoughts – and now I know for certain it isn’t sinful.
 
Zynxensar said:
I’ve received some good advice regarding my Spiritual issues and now I have a better understanding
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No, you don’t. You still don’t understand that you have compulsions, such as the compulsions driving you in this long winded explanation of a non-sin. you need spiritual care and you also need to talk to a mental health professional.
Zynxensar said:
However, I had the thoughts that I have to follow what my conscience is telling me and if I feel that something is a sin then I should follow it otherwise I risk committing sin. So I was really distressed at that time because I kept having thoughts like “you can’t ask other people for help.
Click to expand...
These are part of your compulsive thoughts. talk to your spiritual advisor and to a mental health professional. Obsessive, compulsive, and scrupulous thoughts are not rational thoughts.
 
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How do I tell if it’s really a scruple or something that actually might be sin? From what I’ve read up, a scruple is an unreasonable doubt which is often based on feelings and not reason. However, in my case I’m able to provide some “reasons” to support this thought. Essentially, the actions that the thought is driving me to are bizarre, but the root cause of it – the one which I’m worrying about – has a possibility of being an actual sin.

The root cause I’m speaking of is whether benefits gained through unjust means (I.e by sinning) will be another sin.

For examples like: stealing a watch, and then selling it, the person commits two sins - theft and selling the watch.

However, others aren’t so clear-cut. For example: in a queue, I cut in front of a person deliberately, knowing it is a sin, and order my food. I committed a sin by cutting in front of the person. I then go sit down to eat my food. Now, I do not commit an injustice against this person by eating my food, but do I commit an injustice against God? As in: I got the food through unjust means (cutting the queue), will I sin against God if I were just to eat the food after having attained it in such a way?
 
Cutting in line is not a grave matter. It might be a venial sin and rude, but cutting in line and causing a minor inconvenience is not a grave matter, in my opinion.

. Your OCD cannot make things sins. If you don’t do something irrational your OCD tells you to do, it is not a sin. IT IS NOT A SIN TO IGNORE OBSESSIVE THOUGHTS. I have OCD myself. The best way to deal with obsessive thoughts is to ignore them.
 
In the hypothetical scenario, it’s not the cutting queue part I’m worried about, but whether I would be committing a sin against God by eating the food that has been attained unjustly (by cutting queue), or whether I have to line-up and buy a new set of food. This doesn’t sound normal, nor logical to me, but I just can’t seem to convince my conscience otherwise
 
If you are doubtful that something is a sin, if you suffer from scrupulosity, you can assume that it is not. That is the advice handed down by Priests who have experience.
  1. If, before you perform or omit an act, you are doubtful whether or not it is sinful for you, you shall assume as certain that it is not sinful and shall proceed to act without any dread of sin whatever.
This commandment is also supported by Saint Alphonsus. In his advice to confessors he says, “Scrupulous persons tend to fear that everything they do is sinful. The confessor should command them to act without restraint and overcome their anxiety. He should tell them that their first obligation is to conquer their scruples. They should act against their groundless fears. The confessor may command the scrupulous to conquer their anxiety and disregard it by freely doing whatever it tells them not to do. The confessor may assure the penitent the he or she need never confess such a thing.”
 
I love that commandment, the thing is — Fr Santa in his book “Understanding Scrupulosity” said that those “Ten commandments for the Scrupulous” are intended specifically for the Sacrament of Reconciliation; I assume it means when we are trying to determine whether our sin was a sin or not and whether we need to confess it.

I don’t know if he’s changed it and said it can be applied to any situation now, though I really hope he did
 
Eating food is not a grave matter. Neither is cutting in line, although it is rude and obnoxious.

No more questions on the internet. You are doing yourself no good by trying to get a “fix” to help with your chronic anxiety caused by doubt. That only makes things worse.
 
The original version applied only to Confession. This is the newer form, which applies to other situations. Fr. Santa talks about it.

This clearly does not apply to Confession, but doing everyday things. An OCD thought might tell you doing laundry is a sin, but it is not, and you should go ahead and do your laundry without fear.
 
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That’s what I’m confused about. He states it here too, but nowhere does he state something like “This is specifically for Confession; doesn’t apply to everyday life!” But then in the next chapter which is the previous picture I posted, he says the Ten Commandments for the Scrupulous are specific to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
 
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