Some people are not suited to being Christian

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goodcatholic

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I am referring to those who suffer mental afflictions such as Religious Scrupulosity. Overly anxious types who are easily stressed by concepts such as eternal damnation. Their mind is drawn obsessively to some dogmas which can really create panic and fear. The fear of having unforgiven mortal sin at their death for instance.
Perhaps God takes a more lenient stance towards these types of people?
 
I disagree. Everyone is suited to being Christian. Scruples can affect people regardless of faith. I think Catholicism is a wonderful sanctuary for those who suffer from scruples as we have
  1. Canon Law, essentially hard guidelines to judge a situation with
  2. Confession, a solid, physical way to know you are forgiven rather than relying on feelings
  3. Belief in an Infinitely Loving God, God is Love. He came down from Heaven and suffered for us. He freely offers forgiveness. Forgiveness! So many times.
  4. Separation between mortal and venial sin, so you don’t have to think every single sinful thing you do is going to cause damnation.
 
God will only judge and know someone’s soul perfectly.

We’re all called to be Christian, because there is a God that truly loves us more than we can possibly imagine and wants to share that with us. But scrupulants do need guidance and special care has to be given in their approach to faith. I suffered bouts of it but also dated someone who suffered from it horribly. There’s a lot of good resources and support groups out there that I found pretty helpful.

 
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Every single human being is called to be Catholic as it’s the true religion. How God deals with each individual in regard to the personality is another subject I lack the knowledge to discuss.
 
Yes, It is a problem you can’t deny. And it affects people of many different faiths. All major faiths have the scrupulous. It can affect those who have no religion as well, but in this case it is called moral scrupulosity.

In this case, a strong and dogmatic, hard labels can be good. The issue with scruples is the grey and intrusive thoughts.

Scrupulosity is in general religious or moral OCD. Doctor of the Church St Alphonsus, if I recall correctly, suffered from scruples and believed it to be a good thing at the beginning of the Christian life.
 
Hello.

Some Christians are not suited to being people, yet God has a purpose for them and loves them more than we or they can ever know.

Just curious what made you ask your question. Is it a solvable problem? Can any of us know the heart of another and ultimately decide who’s suited for what? Is this something any of us have a right and/or ability to judge?

My two cents.
 
Everyone is called to be a Christian- it’s easier for some than others. The scrupulous have a heavy cross to bear, but they must bear it, no different than anyone else.
 
All due respect, I’m not sure you understand what scruples are.

It is an insistent worry that x is a sin. Even something that is harmless and not sinful.
It can be an insistent thought (religious OCD, intrusive thoughts, etc). Something, say, against God, or a thought of doing x that you know is immoral.

The Catholic Church, as I explained in my first post on this topic, has very many helpful ways to help those suffering with it through the Grace of God.
 
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Kei said:
All due respect, I’m not sure you understand what scruples are.
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With all due respect (gotta love the way people use this euphemism)
obsessives obsess about anything. But when fear mongering Catholics emphasise dogma such as eternal damnation and mortal sin, it exacerbates their problem.
 
Maybe, but I think most Catholics with scruples care about offending God in the slightest bit over eternal damnation, else I don’t see why to care so much.

There’s other things to focus on if it’s really bothering you, but the final judgement and your death is probably a good thing to keep in the forefront of your mind as you make decisions throughout your life.
 
goodcatholic said:
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Kei:
Scruples can affect people regardless of faith.
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Religious scrupulosity is a problem you cant deny.
And dogmatic, insistent Christian advice can make it worse.
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A scrupulous person will have trouble in any religion. And if they had no religion, they will still have issues with school, work, dating, etc.

Real scrupulously is a form of OCD, and the people who have cronic scrupulously (not just a limited period of scrupulously) are most likely OCD.

At least in Christianity, they are taught that they have a God who loves them.
 
I think Catholics can get pretty heavy handed about matters of sin and hell because they’re trying to compensate for the fact that these are things that average Catholics and parishes do not discuss, ever. The only time I’ve ever heard Catholics in my family discuss sin and hell, they treat it like a joke. So I suspect some people feel the need to counter balance that and overcompensate.

There has to be a balance. Right now a lot of people claim Catholicism but act like sin and hell don’t exist at all (lax conscience) and the problem with scrupulants is that they tend to have the opposite problem and obsess over it (overactive/scrupulous conscience).

One of the keys to battling scrupulosity is forming a correct conscience.
 
Agathon said:
What, may I ask is wrong with scrupulosity?
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Real scrupulosity (not a period of scrupulosity) is a form of OCD, and can cause the person mental anguish if they don’t have a spiritual director and a therapist.
 
Hello.

As I understand scrupulosity, it is a form of pride. A person thinks their assessment of sin is preferable to that of God’s. I could be wrong though.

Just my two cents.
 
crenfro said:
Hello.

As I understand scrupulosity, it is a form of pride. A person thinks their assessment of sin is preferable to that of God’s. I could be wrong though.

Just my two cents.
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No. That’s not correct. Scrupulosity is a form of OCD.:

Now some people, when learning to form their consciences develop temporary symptoms of scrupulosity, but once they properly understand sin and mercy, they are fine.

But real scrupulosity also manifests itself in obsessive compulsive ways.

For example: they just finish confession and a thought quickly flashes though their mind, causing them to get back in the confession line
 
phil19034 said:
At least in Christianity, they are taught that they have a God who loves them.
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For them to stay Christian, they need to be mentored by sensitive Catholics who don’t reinforce negative punishments by a powerful God.
 
phil19034 said:
For example: they just finish confession and a thought quickly flashes though their mind, causing them to get back in the confession line
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That’s it. They classically ask “what if…” questions to the nth degree. “What if I get run over by a car now? Will I be in state of grace?”
 
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