C
chevalier
Guest
False oaths or intentional blasphemies put aside, so far it seems most posters agree that exclamations calling Our Lord’s name in vain are no sin if there’s some need for help - and they can’t be a sin if there’s no consent (involuntary use), up to venial if it’s habitual and negligent.
The situation, however, becomes complicated when it comes to using the Lord’s name in anger, perhaps as if a course. In such cases, the tone of the voice may even be contemptuous, i.e. as if we need to call God when someone is being obnoxious or doesn’t understand what we’re telling him, or is otherwise a nuisance, and as if it’s God’s duty to prevent such things from happening to us. If we were to analyse it thoroughly, it would probably come close even to contempt of God or His name, rather than mere irreverent use.
And here’s a concrete case: suppose a person is about to use the Lord’s name in vain. A moment of reflection comes just in time to avoid doing it. In anger, the person decides still to call God’s name in order to show someone how silly his question is, knowing it’s wrong and irreverent, but too far gone in the desire to point out the silliness of something, that he still does it - despite knowing it’s irreverent, although without directly intending to blaspheme or dishonour God. Perhaps something akin to intentionally committing a mortal sin.
But since respect for the Lord’s name is grave matter, goes directly against the commandment (unless we maintain that only false oaths go against the commandment), the “act” was consented to, the Lord’s name was uttered deliberately as a way of showing disgust with the silliness of another person’s behaviour, does this actually fulfil the criteria for mortal sin?
I’m not giving my opinion because that’s the kind of sin against the second commandment which happens to me the most often of all, so I wouldn’t be objective. And part of the reason is that I’ve done that since my last confession, so I’m probably going to confession with it before I read many replies, anyway. But I thought it could be a good idea to ask others since I often fall into scrupulosity.
The situation, however, becomes complicated when it comes to using the Lord’s name in anger, perhaps as if a course. In such cases, the tone of the voice may even be contemptuous, i.e. as if we need to call God when someone is being obnoxious or doesn’t understand what we’re telling him, or is otherwise a nuisance, and as if it’s God’s duty to prevent such things from happening to us. If we were to analyse it thoroughly, it would probably come close even to contempt of God or His name, rather than mere irreverent use.
And here’s a concrete case: suppose a person is about to use the Lord’s name in vain. A moment of reflection comes just in time to avoid doing it. In anger, the person decides still to call God’s name in order to show someone how silly his question is, knowing it’s wrong and irreverent, but too far gone in the desire to point out the silliness of something, that he still does it - despite knowing it’s irreverent, although without directly intending to blaspheme or dishonour God. Perhaps something akin to intentionally committing a mortal sin.
But since respect for the Lord’s name is grave matter, goes directly against the commandment (unless we maintain that only false oaths go against the commandment), the “act” was consented to, the Lord’s name was uttered deliberately as a way of showing disgust with the silliness of another person’s behaviour, does this actually fulfil the criteria for mortal sin?
I’m not giving my opinion because that’s the kind of sin against the second commandment which happens to me the most often of all, so I wouldn’t be objective. And part of the reason is that I’ve done that since my last confession, so I’m probably going to confession with it before I read many replies, anyway. But I thought it could be a good idea to ask others since I often fall into scrupulosity.