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PiousTemplar
Guest
I almost fell into temptation today. I was so unbelievebly close. I’m wondering, did I still mortally sin because I was thinking sexual thoughts? Or thinking of sinning?
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PiousTemplar
Guest
I read another thread saying that it’s a sin if you ‘entertain’ the temptation. I did meagrely (maybe more I don’t know how to measure) entertain the temptation, and I was tired. I feel so horrible right now. Ever since I quit Masturbation, which is my biggest record ever, a whopping
36 days! I feel I have just ruined it because of this.
Please Pray for me.
36 days! I feel I have just ruined it because of this.
Please Pray for me.
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odile53
Guest
Someone explained the difference between having a bad thought and entertaining a bad thought to me, and it was so good I thought I’d pass it on:
Having a bad thought is like coming home and finding a mouse in your kitchen. Your reaction is to chase the mouse away.
Entertaining a bad thought, on the other hand, would be more like going over to the mouse and petting it, scratching its ears, and rubbing its belly.
Hope that helps!
Having a bad thought is like coming home and finding a mouse in your kitchen. Your reaction is to chase the mouse away.
Entertaining a bad thought, on the other hand, would be more like going over to the mouse and petting it, scratching its ears, and rubbing its belly.
Hope that helps!
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PiousTemplar
Guest
Thanks for the advice - I think my reaction was to stand there and do nothing
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Scoobyshme
Guest
Another thought on the difference is whether you give consent to the thought. For example, you have a sexual thought. If you consent to the thought (“Yeah, boy! If I ever have half a chance to do that I’m gonna do it!”) then you’ve crossed the line into sin. If you reject the thought (“No, that’s wrong. I would never do that.”) then it’s just a temptation. Resisting temptation helps one grow in virtue, but we shouldn’t go around looking for temptations. We should stay as far away from them as we would from a fire if we’re carrying a gallon of gasoline! 
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EmeraldWings
Guest
Did you consent to the impure thoughts? or in other-words, did you take pleasure in them?
or did you try to fight it?
if you are fighting a temptation, then you are not sinning, although we should never try to “fight” temptations to impurity, but instead we must flee from them.
but to answer your question, yes, thinking or “fantasizing” on impure thoughts willingly is a mortal sin…although i can’t tell you that you have committed a mortal sin, that is really something you have to decide for yourself, or something you should ask your priest in confession,
but for some really excellent and useful advice on how to combat and overcome this sin, listen to this short sermon - audiosancto.org/sermon/20040725-Sins-of-the-Flesh-6th-and-9th-Commandments.html
and check out the other sermons listed under “purity”,
if you listen to the advice they give, then i’m sure you will overcome this problem in no time.
ok, hope this helps, take care.
J
JRKH
Guest
I like this…
To the OP.
First, I hope you did not wreck you 36 day record by any physical activity…
Second, don’t get too down on yourself for having the thoughts…
Yes you should avoid them and should immediately squelch them, but at the same time one must recognize that we don’t always meet the standards and goals we set. Sometimes we are tired or weak and don’t recognize the danger as quickly…
My take on this is that, IF you sinned it was venial. Once you got a handle on the issue you turned from the tempation. confess it the next time you go to confession and move on.
I applaud you for knowing how long you have resisted. To me overcoming these things is like dieting or quitting smoking or starting an exersize program. It takes time and we need to recognize, not just our failures, but our achievements. Only in this way can we maintain our hope.
In you rcase you maybe had a piece of cake that you should not have had, just don’t let it wreck you whole “diet”.
Peace
James
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PiousTemplar
Guest
Thanks guys, and I don’t really know what to think. I was tired, I was thinking of some impure thoughts ‘not all sexual’, but only meagrely. I was tired and now I can’t even remember barely what happened, I just feel really guilty.
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