What all are sins

[Montie_Claunch]

I am converting (as many of ya’ll should know by now) and I was wondering what all constitues a sin? I know that Missing Mass, contraceptions (of various sorts), abortion, getting plastered, and a sort list of others but, I would like to know what all else is so I don’t fall into and really screw up in taking communion (after I am confirmed of coarse) in a state of mortal sin. Thanks and God bless.

 

[Madia]

This site might help:

catholic.org/frz/examen/examen.htm

I also recommend the following Catechisms:
scborromeo.org/ccc/ccc_toc.htm
catholicbkpub.com/ONLINE_CAT/DETAIL/b_detail.asp?IM_ISBN=089942242X&MC_ID=CE

Don’t let the fact that the second one is for grades 6-8 scare you away. It’s a pretty good overview of the Faith. It might be a bit outdated in some areas though (I think it might have been written before the Canon Law which says we can receive Holy Communion twice in one day if the second time is at a Mass we participate in.) Still, I recommend it.

 

[baltobetsy]

Just to clarify for you - you can never commit a sin unknowingly. You can do things that are wrong, but if you do not (1) know that they are sinful and (2) give your complete consent, you do not sin by doing them. If you later discover that what you have done is wrong, that does not then turn the previous act into a sin. However, if, once you know that something is wrong, you do it again, THEN you sin.

That said, it is very wise of you to want to know what things are wrong so you can avoid them. Good for you!

Betsy

 

[puzzleannie]

quickie; review the ten commandments and the beatitudes, finish up with Matt 25, the last judgement.

 

[Flopfoot]

Puzzleannie - do the beatitudes actually tell us anything about sin? I thought that they were guidelines and ideals, I didn’t think that not following them was a sin. Can you clarify for me?

Just to make a quick clarification on Betsy’s post. She said that if you don’t know that something is a sin then it’s not a sin for you. Well, there are some things which everyone is expected to know are sinful. These are the things that come under natural moral law, such as murder. Everyone, religious or not, child or adult, knows that this is wrong deep down in their conscience, even if they’ve never really thought about it on a ‘liminal’ level. So you can’t just go around claiming ignorance about all types of sins (not that I think you are a person who would do something like that, but anyways…)

Also, if you are coerced into doing something sinful, then your culpability (blame) is reduced but it is still a sin. For example, in the early Church, Christians were coerced into worshipping false gods (they were fed to the lions if they refused). The only right decision to make there is to be fed to the lions (ie, to be a martyr). If someone does worship the false gods in this case, then it is still a sin, but it’s not as bad as if someone worshipped false gods without the coercion or threat of death.

If you’re unsure about something, you can ask the apologists on this forum for help.

Btw, I second puzzleannie’s suggestion about the ten commandments being a good place to start. In fact, there is a section in the CCC which discusses the commandments in more depth which may be useful to you.

 

[awalt]

I second the reply saying to read and discern on the 10 Commandments. Also, read the Bible to understand what Jesus’ teachings were, because sins are both acts of commission as well as acts of omission - for example, failure to help someone in need is likely a sin (only God decides, but you get the idea I hope).

I second this premise because in any society the definition of sin is somewhat dynamic, or certainly it’s expanding over time. For example, I doubt 1000 years ago anyone walked around teaching “Abortion is a sin”, because only technology created the opportunity to commit this sin. The definition of sin is based on what is in your heart. This is why Jesus preaches so often to read and learn His word – in other words, ignorance is no excuse.

Living like Christ is not following a list - it’s truly living as Christ would live on this earth.

 

[Flopfoot]

Actually, awalt, I asked about sins of omission in another thread and no-one was able to give me a clear teaching on what they are.

You say that ‘only God decides’, but surely God would let us know what is and isn’t a sin - either as part of the repository of faith (Scripture and Tradition) or by natural moral law in our conscience, or both?

Ah, and don’t ‘diss’ the idea of following a list, either. Lists are very helpful to us. Like when we drive, the important thing is to drive safely. But how does one drive safely? Well, we follow this list of rules we have learnt. It’s the only way we can know what is and isn’t safe to do on the roads - some rules may be common sense but a lot of them, unless we had read or heard them, we wouldn’t know to follow them.

Similarly with trying to live a sinless life. We don’t know how to do this, unless we have a list of things to do and to not do.

 

[awalt]

Sins of commission are covered amply in the Bible – think of examples where you did not do something that would have shown love of God, love of neighbor, for example; there are many.

And I wasn’t dissing lists, I was saying that total reliance on them is a less rigorous path to the teaching of Christ. That is why part of Reconciliation includes a rigorous examination of conscience - and why every list you might find on the Internet is different.

 

[Flopfoot]

Think of examples when I did not do something that showed love of God, love of neighbour etc?

Isn’t that most of the time? Part of the day I spend praying, part of the day I spend helping others (well, on some days), and the rest of the day I guess I’m not really doing anything for God or for my neighbour. Does that mean that the rest of the time, I am sinning?

Jesus never seems to put a time frame on anything. He does say that thing about ‘I was hungry and you fed me’ (Matt 25:31-46) but He doesn’t say what happens to the people who sometimes do this and sometimes don’t. He also doesn’t say when or how much we have to do it - what if someone only ever did one kind thing in their life?

He also tells the parable about the master who gave talents to his servants. One servant never did anything, he was condemned. The others doubled their money. What about if the servant with 5 talents only managed to make one extra talent with them? What about if the servant who was given one talent quickly dug up the talent the day before the master came back and just made a bit of money with it then?

Can you see why I’m confused about when or how much of ‘not doing something’ is a sin? Like I said in my other thread, if it’s a sin then it’s a sin, there is no such thing as half a sin, so exactly when am I commiting a sin of omission?

Some examples, if you like…

• If I see a man who is hurt on the side of the road but someone else appears to be tending to him, and so I don’t go over and see if I can help him. Is this a sin.
• If I have a week off with nothing to do. 6 of those days I just sit around on the computer and/or playing music. 1 day I go help out at SVDP. Or what about, if all 7 days I was just on the computer and playing music?

I’ll think of some other examples later.
Any help with this is greatly appreciated.

 

[AlanFromWichita]

baltobetsy:

Just to clarify for you - you can never commit a sin unknowingly. You can do things that are wrong, but if you do not (1) know that they are sinful and (2) give your complete consent, you do not sin by doing them. If you later discover that what you have done is wrong, that does not then turn the previous act into a sin. However, if, once you know that something is wrong, you do it again, THEN you sin.

That said, it is very wise of you to want to know what things are wrong so you can avoid them. Good for you!

Betsy

Exactly right!

Just a quick note that these serious issues such as missing Mass are not actually mortal sins unless they meet the requirements Betsy cited. Those activities which may indicate mortal sin are called “grave matter” regardless of their sinfulness.

So a grave matter can be a sin, but a mortal sin must involve grave matter – if I am reading things right.

Alan

 

[hurst]

AlanFromWichita:

Originally Posted by baltobetsy
Just to clarify for you - you can never commit a sin unknowingly. You can do things that are wrong, but if you do not (1) know that they are sinful and (2) give your complete consent, you do not sin by doing them. If you later discover that what you have done is wrong, that does not then turn the previous act into a sin. …

Betsy

Exactly right!

Not exactly. That only applies to mortal sin. It could still be venial sin.

What does Holy Scripture mean by this?

Lev 5:17 If any one sin through ignorance, and do one of those things which by the law of the Lord are forbidden, and being guilty of sin, understand his iniquity, 18 He shall offer of the hocks a ram without blemish to the priest, according to the measure and estimation of the sin: and the priest shall pray for him, because he did it ignorantly: and it shall be forgiven him,

So it is possible to offend God through ignorance, and it still needs to be atoned for.

hurst