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alt101
Guest
where do they come from and why? and how do u get rid of them?? 
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where do they come from and why? and how do u get rid of them??
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Linda_Marie
Guest
Scrupulosity is a religious form of OCD and is a terrible burden for one suffering from it.
Try Scrupulous Anonymous for help.
I also recommend discussing it with your confessor, if it is you who are suffering. Try to go to the same priest every time and obey what he tells you to do to the letter - doing neither less nor more than he prescribes. Your confessor is the primary source of help in cases like this.
Try Scrupulous Anonymous for help.
I also recommend discussing it with your confessor, if it is you who are suffering. Try to go to the same priest every time and obey what he tells you to do to the letter - doing neither less nor more than he prescribes. Your confessor is the primary source of help in cases like this.
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alt101
Guest
thanks! i checked out the site…
one thing that i can’t seem to find an answer for, is where does being scrupulous come from? is it just a manifestation of doubt, or is there more to it?
i just wonder what causes a person to be/become scrupulous.
one thing that i can’t seem to find an answer for, is where does being scrupulous come from? is it just a manifestation of doubt, or is there more to it?
i just wonder what causes a person to be/become scrupulous.
L
Linda_Marie
Guest
Personally, I think that it is caused, at least in part, by a misunderstanding of the doctrine of: “We are saved by Grace through faith and works.” and vulnerable stage in which we are susceptible to obsessive behaviours. (something I think we all suffer from in one way or another) And, don’t forget the author of confusion, satan. He wants us so tangled up that we don’t know if we are coming or going. We’re much easier pickings that way.
Read what the Catechism has to say. Don’t rely on hazy memory of being taught it in school or on what others, perhaps non-Catholics, have told you.
Then come back here with your questions. There have been a number of threads about scruples so the answers you are looking for may already be there. Just do a thread search on scruples or scrupulous, or on faith and works.
I think the trick is to be able to discern the difference between scruples and a genuine pricking of your conscience.
Read what the Catechism has to say. Don’t rely on hazy memory of being taught it in school or on what others, perhaps non-Catholics, have told you.
Then come back here with your questions. There have been a number of threads about scruples so the answers you are looking for may already be there. Just do a thread search on scruples or scrupulous, or on faith and works.
I think the trick is to be able to discern the difference between scruples and a genuine pricking of your conscience.
M
mommyof4
Guest
Excellent advice, Linda Marie. I would also recommend the book by Fr. Thomas Santa, Understanding Scupulosity. It is a wonderful book, designed to help the scrupulous Catholic.
K
Kathrin
Guest
Talking about OCD in general… a lot of it is physiological, thoughts getting stuck in a kind of brain loop…
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alt101
Guest
wow. i never heard of it described as thoughts getting stuck in a brain loop before lol i think that’s an excellent way to describe it though.
M
Matt_Collins
Guest
Before I go any further, I want to say that I agree with everything all previous posters to this thread have said. I’d also like to offer the following thoughts, modified from a post I made on a similar thread several weeks ago. While there are certainly psychological disorders that can lead to scrupulosity, there are spiritual reasons for it, too.
I think there are three fundamental lies the devil uses, and all other lies are just various combinations of these three fundamental ones:
What I mean is this… God is a loving God, who sent his only Son to Earth to die for us. He’s not up in heaven trying to find ways to keep us out. Quite the contrary. He’s up there trying to find ways to bring us in. Just today, at a Mass of the Holy Spirit, I heard the Gospel reading where it says that Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world, but to save it!
There are no trick questions on this test we’re taking here on Earth. God gives “partial credit” (actually, almost full credit) just for answering the question and grades heavily “on the curve.” He doesn’t care whether or not you’re smart enough to come up with the right answer. He only cares if you try. And you don’t even have to try perfectly.
The only people who go to hell are those who make a fully informed, free decision to go there instead of heaven. By definition, it is not possible to commit a mortal sin by mistake, or through honest forgetfulness, or while asleep, or even while half asleep.
God’s not waiting for us to trip up so that He can catch us while were down. If He wanted to send us to hell, He wouldn’t need wait for us to trip up, and He certainly wouldn’t have bothered to be crucified.
There is also a little bit of lie # 3 in scrupulous thinking. This takes the form that we think we are the real judge of the state of our souls, and even more, that we are the source of our own forgiveness.
The proper reaction, once we see how lies #2 and 3 are playing out in our mind, is to affirm the three fundamental Truths:
Rather, He will greet us the way He greeted the Prodigal Son. He will run out to meet us, kill the fatted calf for a feast, put a ring on our finger, and put us in a place of honor.
God is our Father. He loves us. He is desperately trying to find ways to bring us home. He is not setting traps for us. Yes, we can reject Him, but only if we do so intentionally. And if we do that, then by definition we will know it.
We should throw ourselves on God’s mercy, rather than on His justice. Remember that no matter how good we are in this life, we will be saved not because of how good we are, but because of how good HE is. We can’t merit heaven. It is a gift, and we can either accept or reject it. But it remains a gift. And no matter how unworthy we are, He will offer us this gift because he loves us more than our own parents do.
I highly recommend a book called “I Believe in Love.” It is a spiritual retreat based on the teachings of St. Therese of Lisieux. It is available from Amazon. It will help you come to see how much God loves us and how pleased He is with even the smallest effort we make to please Him. For people who suffer from scrupulosity, it is a magnificent balm.
I think there are three fundamental lies the devil uses, and all other lies are just various combinations of these three fundamental ones:
- There is no God.
- God doesn’t love you.
- You are God.
What I mean is this… God is a loving God, who sent his only Son to Earth to die for us. He’s not up in heaven trying to find ways to keep us out. Quite the contrary. He’s up there trying to find ways to bring us in. Just today, at a Mass of the Holy Spirit, I heard the Gospel reading where it says that Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world, but to save it!
There are no trick questions on this test we’re taking here on Earth. God gives “partial credit” (actually, almost full credit) just for answering the question and grades heavily “on the curve.” He doesn’t care whether or not you’re smart enough to come up with the right answer. He only cares if you try. And you don’t even have to try perfectly.
The only people who go to hell are those who make a fully informed, free decision to go there instead of heaven. By definition, it is not possible to commit a mortal sin by mistake, or through honest forgetfulness, or while asleep, or even while half asleep.
God’s not waiting for us to trip up so that He can catch us while were down. If He wanted to send us to hell, He wouldn’t need wait for us to trip up, and He certainly wouldn’t have bothered to be crucified.
There is also a little bit of lie # 3 in scrupulous thinking. This takes the form that we think we are the real judge of the state of our souls, and even more, that we are the source of our own forgiveness.
The proper reaction, once we see how lies #2 and 3 are playing out in our mind, is to affirm the three fundamental Truths:
- There is a God.
- God loves me.
- I am not God, but rather, His child.
Rather, He will greet us the way He greeted the Prodigal Son. He will run out to meet us, kill the fatted calf for a feast, put a ring on our finger, and put us in a place of honor.
God is our Father. He loves us. He is desperately trying to find ways to bring us home. He is not setting traps for us. Yes, we can reject Him, but only if we do so intentionally. And if we do that, then by definition we will know it.
We should throw ourselves on God’s mercy, rather than on His justice. Remember that no matter how good we are in this life, we will be saved not because of how good we are, but because of how good HE is. We can’t merit heaven. It is a gift, and we can either accept or reject it. But it remains a gift. And no matter how unworthy we are, He will offer us this gift because he loves us more than our own parents do.
I highly recommend a book called “I Believe in Love.” It is a spiritual retreat based on the teachings of St. Therese of Lisieux. It is available from Amazon. It will help you come to see how much God loves us and how pleased He is with even the smallest effort we make to please Him. For people who suffer from scrupulosity, it is a magnificent balm.
M
mommyof4
Guest
Wonderful post, Matt.
L
Linda_Marie
Guest
Thank you for that, Matt.
W
wcknight
Guest
For all folks dealing with scruples, here is what a priest recently told us during mass. “Don’t worry. ALL worries comes from the devil !! Jesus is more concerned with our salvation than we are. SO rest assured that when you take your last breath, you will join Him in Heaven.”
He then told us a story of how when he was hearing confessions at a convent. Some one came in and in the middle say " Oh S***, I forgot to mention something… Oh Jesus, I just cursed… Oh my God,… I just used the Lord name in vain… Oh well, I didn’t think I was cut out to be a nun anyway…"
When we get so tied up that we work ourselves into a nervous wreck, we have really gone too far. Place your trust in the Lord. We need to do our best but we are human. We will fail and when we fail go to confession, but you don’t have to remember every little sin, tell what you remember and move on, The ones you forget to mention are covered anyway. Just don’t try to hide any big sins.
He then told us a story of how when he was hearing confessions at a convent. Some one came in and in the middle say " Oh S***, I forgot to mention something… Oh Jesus, I just cursed… Oh my God,… I just used the Lord name in vain… Oh well, I didn’t think I was cut out to be a nun anyway…"
When we get so tied up that we work ourselves into a nervous wreck, we have really gone too far. Place your trust in the Lord. We need to do our best but we are human. We will fail and when we fail go to confession, but you don’t have to remember every little sin, tell what you remember and move on, The ones you forget to mention are covered anyway. Just don’t try to hide any big sins.
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