N
Neithan
Guest
What sort of sin is it when a person neglects their secular responsibilites for religious interests? Is it sloth? I’m a student and often, instead of doing homework for my classes, I read a Catholic book or go on the internet (this forum, for example) and read articles about Catholic subjects like theology, virtuous living, prayer practices etc.
Last semester when I was thinking about converting to Catholicism (I was only confirmed last August) often I would go on the internet and read article after article in the Old Catholic Encyclopedia at newadvent.org or the Summa Theologica or the Church Fathers, instead of writing my history/philosophy/economics paper. I did manage to get my schoolwork done, but it was usually late and I took a subsequent hit in my marks. But the result of all this extra-curricular study was that I became a Catholic… so was it sloth?
Thomas Aquinas identifies sloth as a vice which opposes our spiritual good… but if I’m neglecting to do my schoolwork which is about some obscure historical event or philosopher or economic theory and instead read about Catholic theology, am I really neglecting my spiritual good? I thought it might be imprudence, but how can it be imprudent to do something which is spiritually beneficial, and far more important when interpreted from the perspective of eternal welfare? I’m asking because secular society would certainly say it’s not good for me to just read up all the time on Catholicism, which I’m not studying in school, and neglect my actual schoolwork… but would the Church say so? Is it a sin of sloth?
Thanks!
Last semester when I was thinking about converting to Catholicism (I was only confirmed last August) often I would go on the internet and read article after article in the Old Catholic Encyclopedia at newadvent.org or the Summa Theologica or the Church Fathers, instead of writing my history/philosophy/economics paper. I did manage to get my schoolwork done, but it was usually late and I took a subsequent hit in my marks. But the result of all this extra-curricular study was that I became a Catholic… so was it sloth?
Thomas Aquinas identifies sloth as a vice which opposes our spiritual good… but if I’m neglecting to do my schoolwork which is about some obscure historical event or philosopher or economic theory and instead read about Catholic theology, am I really neglecting my spiritual good? I thought it might be imprudence, but how can it be imprudent to do something which is spiritually beneficial, and far more important when interpreted from the perspective of eternal welfare? I’m asking because secular society would certainly say it’s not good for me to just read up all the time on Catholicism, which I’m not studying in school, and neglect my actual schoolwork… but would the Church say so? Is it a sin of sloth?
Thanks!