Sinful Thoughts

[YoungCatholic86]

I realize there have been multiple threads on if thoughts are sinful and I fully recognize that they can.

I have long struggled with my thoughts. Sometimes, it is as if there is another entity within me (which very well could be Satan tempting me). I was wondering if I do not wish to dwell on thoughts but they remain in my head, am I accountable?

For example:

If I am in a situation where someone I do not personally care for is by me, malicious thoughts sometimes pop into my head. I will tell myself the thoughts are wrong (and would never act on them as they can be extremely cruel) and tell them basically to “go away” but the thoughts still remain for a while. The thoughts are not limited to mean behavior but have also objectified people.

I believe these thoughts are the products of past sins that I have committed (though the sins were not of the same magnitude that my thoughts are). My question that is weighing heavy on me is are these thoughts sinful and should I confess these thoughts if I do not wish them to be there? They cause me great sadness and I want to overcome them but I am not sure how to.

 

[EmeraldWings]

I realize there have been multiple threads on if thoughts are sinful and I fully recognize that they can.

I have long struggled with my thoughts. Sometimes, it is as if there is another entity within me (which very well could be Satan tempting me). I was wondering if I do not wish to dwell on thoughts but they remain in my head, am I accountable?

For example:

If I am in a situation where someone I do not personally care for is by me, malicious thoughts sometimes pop into my head. I will tell myself the thoughts are wrong (and would never act on them as they can be extremely cruel) and tell them basically to “go away” but the thoughts still remain for a while. The thoughts are not limited to mean behavior but have also objectified people.

I believe these thoughts are the products of past sins that I have committed (though the sins were not of the same magnitude that my thoughts are). My question that is weighing heavy on me is are these thoughts sinful and should I confess these thoughts if I do not wish them to be there? They cause me great sadness and I want to overcome them but I am not sure how to.

you can confess temptations in confession, we are actually encouraged to do so, because by confessing the temptation you weaken whatever strength it may have over you,
don’t be disturbed by temptations though, they are not bad in themselves, they are actually there for our good, because each time you resist a temptation you become stronger against it, and grow in holiness and love for God.
it doesn’t seem to me that you are consenting to these thoughts, but what you need to do first when a bad thought comes to mind is pray, always ask for Gods help and Our ladies intercession, along with the angels and saints, whenever faced with a temptation, no matter how big or small the temptation may seem, and then after praying, turn your thoughts to something else, but don’t stop trying just because it doesn’t work instantly, you need to have patience, and just remember, as long as you are fighting the thoughts, then you have not consented to them.
but i also think that you should talk about this with a good priest, even if it’s just in the confessional, if you have questions the priest is usually more than willing to help you.

i wanna recommend reading this book - archive.org/details/interiorpeace00leheuoft
it will help you to have peace in all your struggles and to have patience as you learn and grow in the spiritual life, it also has a nice section on scrupulosity, which i get the feeling you might have a bit of.

alright, i hope this helps, take care.

 

[devoutchristian]

we are actually encouraged to do so

No we’re not.

 

[odile53]

We’re not encouraged to confess temptations, but if we are in spiritual direction, which is much different, we’re encouraged to discuss the temptations and identify their root cause.

Some temptation we bring on ourselves, and the only way to avoid temptation is to stop putting ourselves in those situations where we know by experience we’re going to be tempted. You wouldn’t, for example, give an alcoholic the keys to a wine cellar, would you? In other words, if you sit in a barber chair long enough, sooner or later you’ll get a haircut. If your temptations are springing from something self induced like that, the only way you’ll get rid of the temptation is by “avoiding the near occasion of sin.”

Other temptations are somewhat best described as intrusive thoughts. We’re not looking for them, we don’t want them, but up they pop anyways. That’s because of our fallen nature, and because we have been given free will, we can choose, however difficult it is, to stop thinking about them. If you saw a pretty snake, started handling it, and then realized it was a deadly venomous snake, you’d drop it right away and get away from it, right? Same idea here.

I actually find that the best way for me to deal with the temptations of uncharitable thoughts toward others is to say a quick prayer for them, and then firmly turn my thoughts toward something else. Anything else: It can be religious in nature, or as mundane as trying to figure out how to get mold out of tile grout! The reason is this: We can’t think of two separate thoughts simultaneously. Our brains don’t work that way. Knowing this, you can exercise your will, and if you’re plagued by temptation, your will WILL get a Gold’s Gym style workout!

As far as being free of temptation, don’t expect that you’ll get any dispensation from temptation in this life, my friend: Even Jesus was tempted by Satan! All of the saints were tempted. Two of my favorite stories about saints who were tempted are St. Ignatius of Loyola: He was riding alongside a Moor, and the Moor was making disparaging remarks about Mary, the Mother of God. Ignatius, being fairly recently converted from being a soldier seeking glory in battle to a person of prayer, interiorly thought about killing the Moor, but decided to let his donkey make the decision as the two riders came to a fork in the road: According to the story, if the donkey followed the fork the Moor was taking, Ignatius would kill the Moor, but if the donkey took the opposite turn, Ignatius would let the Moor ride on unharmed. The donkey took the opposite road. Talk about temptation! Apparently, at that point, the donkey had more sense than the saint!

My other favorite story is about St. Therese of the Child Jesus, who found herself extremely annoyed about another nun in the chapel who would let her rosary beads click around, apparently quite loudly. St. Therese had to start “offering it up,” because she was nearly driven to distraction by the clicking of the beads. I had a coworker who used to douse herself in some of the cheesiest perfume known to man, and was the type of person who knew if she annoyed someone, she’d do that thing all the more. I frequently thought of St. Therese when I had to share a dressing room with this individual, and prayed to the Little Flower for help. Maybe St. Therese got herself involved: This woman finally ran out of that perfume, and found out the company had stopped making it. Praise God!

I have to smile when I think of such great saints as these struggling with such bizarre and unwelcome thoughts, ranging from merely annoying to downright homicidal! So if great saints were tempted, I figure I need to cut myself some slack, pray, and then resolutely turn my thoughts to something else—even if it’s tile mold!

God loves us: He gave us wills and intellects to love Him, and we can use them to get rid of temptations. You can do this if you try!

 

[Bookcat]

Depends in each case on the kind of thought (thoughts against another can be countered at times by positive acts of such as praying “Lord bless them”…) But in general when unwanted thoughts come -turn your attention elsewhere. When one is not seeking them or causing them etc one simply does not consent when they come and turn to other matters. The length of time they come to knock does not make them sinful. Temptations can be pesky.

They have been an age old problem. Know that the more one fears the thoughts the more likely they are to come… or said another way --the more a person stress about seeking to avoid the thoughts the more likely he will have a problem with them.

for example: for the next 10 seconds try NOT to think of an apple.

tick tock …

tick tock…

Ok what did you think of?

Most likely an apple.

So it is best to ignore them and just not consent and then turn your attention to some other good thing…for instance whatever you are doing.

Simply do not consent and move on…

Another point – thoughts can just happen --they are the stuff with which we think…it is up to us to consent and take them further or not. And just because they are REAL VIVID and almost “think themselves” does not mean per se that one has given ANY consent.

They can be annoying…but need cause no actual harm …

---

Another help…is the distinction of “first thoughts and emotions” (as Baur calls em) what they call the prima of the prima…“the first of the first” (as one of my Professors called em…he was a Dominican)…these are the first involuntary things that just come up…such are not sins. They can tempt one of course to sin…or one can then proceed to some sin…but they are the stuff of the mind and emotions which “happen to one” …and really the are opportunities for growing in virtue etc as well…

How to deal with these? First of relax…don’t scruple…don’t fear them…do not try to swat them all as the come…just simply turn to other things…or the thing you are doing…or to God…(of course do not consent)…but if you are too defensive against them…they may get worse actually…and confuse you more…instead turn to God or again other good things…accept that hey…somethings wild thoughts will come to you…

(and these can happen to all of us by the way…)

---

There is a story from the desert of the early Centuries of the Church where a younger hermit when to an older one with the problems of thoughts happening to him all the time…the older hermit told him to go outside open his cloak and catch the wind.

The younger hermit said such is not possible…

the older hermit replied --neither is it possible to stop all the thoughts that can come to you…your choice… is to consent or not…

 

[EmeraldWings]

No we’re not.

I’ve read from several of the Saints that confessing our serious temptations is a great means of overcoming them, though i am at fault for not being very clear when i merely said we’re encouraged to confess our temptations, i meant serious temptations, St. Philip Neri for example advised to confess temptations because by doing so the devil’s evil is exposed, and you gain strength over the temptation.
the priests from the FSSP have also spoken on the benefit of confessing serious temptations, though you’ll find the recommendation mostly mentioned in regards to temptations against the 6th and 9th commandments.

i also confess my own serious temptations in confession, and many of the priests i have gone to have told me that it is a good practice, so clearly there are many priests who know about it, and at least in my own experience, they also encourage it.

it’s certainly not necessary, but neither is confessing venial sins, we are only encouraged to confess venial sins because by doing so a portion of the temporal punishment is cancelled, and it helps us to grow is holiness, and also gives more peace of mind.

 

[VirtusTransitus]

It’s not what you think, it’s what you do with your thoughts.

I have the most inappropriate thoughts pop into my mind at the most unpredictable times. Even while praying, on occassion.

I find it almost amusing and use it as an opportunity to acknowledge that I’m being tempted constantly and must develop the habit of prayer to get through these moments.

Unless I were to thoroughly give in to the thought, it rarely lasts more than a few moments and usually gives me something good to pray about.

 

[Monica4316]

I realize there have been multiple threads on if thoughts are sinful and I fully recognize that they can.

I have long struggled with my thoughts. Sometimes, it is as if there is another entity within me (which very well could be Satan tempting me). I was wondering if I do not wish to dwell on thoughts but they remain in my head, am I accountable?

For example:

If I am in a situation where someone I do not personally care for is by me, malicious thoughts sometimes pop into my head. I will tell myself the thoughts are wrong (and would never act on them as they can be extremely cruel) and tell them basically to “go away” but the thoughts still remain for a while. The thoughts are not limited to mean behavior but have also objectified people.

I believe these thoughts are the products of past sins that I have committed (though the sins were not of the same magnitude that my thoughts are). My question that is weighing heavy on me is are these thoughts sinful and should I confess these thoughts if I do not wish them to be there? They cause me great sadness and I want to overcome them but I am not sure how to.

I have struggled with ‘intrusive thoughts’ too! and often still do. The advise I received is that - what do you do when you’re first aware of the thought? do you push it away, dwell on it, or consent? If you push it away right away and never want it, never dwell on with through choice or consent to it, then you did not sin. That’s what I was told… it could help you to speak to a priest! Be very clear with your confessor and open with him, then the enemy would have less power, if you keep close to the Sacraments. (don’t become scrupulous! that was my mistake)

If you did consent, then you should confess it I think.

If you don’t choose to dwell on them, don’t want them, and they STILL keep coming back over and over, then it’s not your choice. Sin is a choice… it’s not what happens to you.

This might help you (not just this chapter but the several next ones as well)

ccel.org/ccel/desales/devout_life.vi.iii.html

God bless!