To not share the Gospel - Mortal or Venial Sin

[Markie_Boy]

So is not sharing the Gospel Mortal or Venial sin. I can’t get my head around the idea that it’s not sin at all, so it has to be one or the other. (James 4:17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.)

 

[Vico]

So is not sharing the Gospel Mortal or Venial sin. I can’t get my head around the idea that it’s not sin at all, so it has to be one or the other. (James 4:17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.)

This is determined by a willful lack of charity in acts and omissions.

Giving personal witness to the faith, making contributions to the Church and to charities with time and money and prayer, and works of mercy, are forms of evangelizing.

CIC (Latin Canon law)
Can. 225
§1. Since, like all the Christian faithful, lay persons are designated by God for the apostolate through baptism and confirmation, they are bound by the general obligation and possess the right as individuals, or joined in associations, to work so that the divine message of salvation is made known and accepted by all persons everywhere in the world. This obligation is even more compelling in those circumstances in which only through them can people hear the gospel and know Christ.

§2. According to each one’s own condition, they are also bound by a particular duty to imbue and perfect the order of temporal affairs with the spirit of the gospel and thus to give witness to Christ, especially in carrying out these same affairs and in exercising secular functions.

CCEO (Eastern canon law)
14 All the Christian faithful have the right and the obligation of working so that the divine message of salvation may increasingly reach all peoples in every age and in every land.

 

[pianistclare]

IN what way?
Active ministry? Not all are called to such.
In our personal lives? Ye,s we’re all called t live the Gospel values.

Ascribing a “sinful” nature to such is not prudent.
There are times when we all evangelize, simply by being Catholic and not being ashamed to do so. It’s not always an “active” thing.

Denying the truth of Church publicly?
Ask Peter. He denied, realized his mistake, and was forgiven.

We can only hope that people realize the impact of their actions, or sometimes lack of action says about us and the state of our souls.

Interesting question.
But I would say that’s one for one’s confessor, on a case by case basis.

For me, as an educator, to deny a truth of faith, or simply fail to present it, is something I would certainly be held accountable for. Others, maybe not so much.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I’m not sure what you mean by “sharing the Gospel”. We are not required to go around actively preaching the Gospel or otherwise proselytizing, so there is no sin in someone choosing not to do so.

We are however required to live the Gospel in our daily life, so if we are going around actively denying some truth of the Gospel or failing to follow the teachings of Jesus, then I guess that’s a form of not sharing the Gospel.

 

[Markie_Boy]

To live the Gospel as best we can, for sure. But in some way sharing it as well, and in a way that we try to reach people. I believe if you don’t live it, you can’t share it.

But we are not to stop at just living it, and should share when the opportunity is there.

 

[Le_Bonvivant]

Well I don’t know, I once had this evangelical coworker who was blessing people and telling them Jesus loves them all day.

It all may come from a good heart but in the end it only annoyed people and defenitely he didn’t convert anyone this way.

Sharing the gospel, yes of course it’s good, but I think there are times when it’s not really wise to share it as well. I think we should do it at the right moments, when people are really interested in it and wish to know something.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

If you are definitely talking about “sharing the Gospel” in an evangelical type way, then the only time I can see “not sharing” being a sin is when someone wants information and you refuse to reach out to them/ don’t have time/ don’t want them sharing your faith/ don’t want to admit that you’re a member of the Church, etc. Or when you have some duty to the Church due to your vocation or other position to “share the Gospel” with others, and you shirk your responsibilities.

For example, as a Catholic parent you would have a duty to teach your children about being a Catholic, which would include teaching them about Jesus and the Gospel. Or if you were in a ministry that did missionary work then you would have a duty to share the gospel with others. In either case if you shirked that duty it could be a sin. Or if someone at work expressed an interest in Catholicism and you wouldn’t talk to them about the Gospel, etc. then that could be a sin.

But outside of those types of situations, it’s not like we’re required to go around doing a certain level of “sharing” with strangers, co-workers etc to avoid committing a sin.

 

[Markie_Boy]

For perspective - how would the Apostles in the first century have replied to this question?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

For perspective - how would the Apostles in the first century have replied to this question?

Do you mean with respect to themselves, or other people who weren’t called to be Apostles or associates of Apostles?
Because the Apostles were commanded by Jesus to preach the Gospel to all men, so if they didn’t do that they were directly disobeying Jesus/ not performing their duty. And the Apostle could choose other men to help them with the preaching. Jesus didn’t command everybody to preach, though.

vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p1s1c2a2.htm

 

[PJM]

So is not sharing the Gospel Mortal or Venial sin. I can’t get my head around the idea that it’s not sin at all, so it has to be one or the other. (James 4:17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.)

It would depend on one;s intention AND HS granted opportunity to share it

GBY

Patrick

 

[Faithdancer]

So is not sharing the Gospel Mortal or Venial sin. I can’t get my head around the idea that it’s not sin at all, so it has to be one or the other. (James 4:17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.)

I believe that if one has real faith one will be compelled to share the Gospel, or in general share one’s faith in Christ–the Gospel message–in whatever way it is most expedient and fruitful to do so. For some, this will be face to face, for some via social internet, for some via artistic expression, etc. I think that Stephen Curry shares his faith through his on court actions as well as in his tweets and his endorsements, for example. We don’t all have the audience he has, but must do what we can, when we can. And to answer your question, to never share one’s faith at all seems gravely disobedient of Christ’s instruction.

 

[Faithdancer]

Do you mean with respect to themselves, or other people who weren’t called to be Apostles or associates of Apostles?
Because the Apostles were commanded by Jesus to preach the Gospel to all men, so if they didn’t do that they were directly disobeying Jesus/ not performing their duty. And the Apostle could choose other men to help them with the preaching. Jesus didn’t command everybody to preach, though.

vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p1s1c2a2.htm

Quite true, re: preaching, I think. I just started formally preaching this past fall. Before that I shared my faith through choreography, then poetry (still doing that). But not everyone is called to preaching and as Paul tells us, we all have different gifts, equal in value, for building up the body of Christ.

 

[PJM]

I believe that if one has real faith one will be compelled to share the Gospel, or in general share one’s faith in Christ–the Gospel message–in whatever way it is most expedient and fruitful to do so. For some, this will be face to face, for some via social internet, for some via artistic expression, etc. I think that Stephen Curry shares his faith through his on court actions as well as in his tweets and his endorsements, for example. We don’t all have the audience he has, but must do what we can, when we can. And to answer your question, to never share one’s faith at all seems gravely disobedient of Christ’s instruction.

I absolutely agree my friend:thumbsup: The only thing I would add, it would be good if all we shared was actually GOD"S singular truths per defined issue.

GBY

 

[Faithdancer]

I absolutely agree my friend:thumbsup: The only thing I would add, it would be good if all we shared was actually GOD"S singular truths per defined issue.

GBY

I think any and all of the three Creeds are excellent guidelines, in this regard.