What causes some people to sin and not others?

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What causes one person to sin more then the next?

If I grew up and was taught a way of life that did not please god, is it my fault?

Basically, if some one goes to hell because of their actions, what made them choose to commit those sins? Were they born that way? Destined for hell? Or was it because of how they were brought up? That wouldn’t be fair would it?

Why is one man rewarded with a more pleasurable less sin full life because of how he was brought up then the next man?

I like to think of my self as a some what decent person. I grew up in a family that cherished their relationship with god. my best friend however wasnt. His family is catholic, but his parents divorced. his brother died in a car accident a few months ago. his mom lost her job and can barely support him.

Because of this he is beginning to turn away from God in frustration. is it his fault that this happened to him? Is it because he didn’t pray enough? If so, what caused him not to pray?

this was written from my phone, sorry for all the grammar mistakes.
 
Chrisgg said:
What causes one person to sin more then the next?

If I grew up and was taught a way of life that did not please god, is it my fault?

Basically, if some one goes to hell because of their actions, what made them choose to commit those sins? Were they born that way? Destined for hell? Or was it because of how they were brought up? That wouldn’t be fair would it?

Why is one man rewarded with a more pleasurable less sin full life because of how he was brought up then the next man?

I like to think of my self as a some what decent person. I grew up in a family that cherished their relationship with god. my best friend however wasnt. His family is catholic, but his parents divorced. his brother died in a car accident a few months ago. his mom lost her job and can barely support him.

Because of this he is beginning to turn away from God in frustration. is it his fault that this happened to him? Is it because he didn’t pray enough? If so, what caused him not to pray?

this was written from my phone, sorry for all the grammar mistakes.
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Here is my opinion on the questions. The cause of ones sins is always due to their own choices although as you have noted someone’s upbringing and various scandals that one is raised in can have the effects of exposing someone to additional temptation or not truly learning right from wrong or the love of God from their parents (their first and primary teachers of the faith) or from their other aquaintances.

The fact is that God places each of us where he chooses and our crosses that we must bare are custom fit to our individual needs. Not all of us are born into a family like St Terese, most of us are born into more sinful families and all families suffer in some way or another. It is very difficult to ever compare one’s sufferings vs anothers. It sounds like your friend has suffered a great deal early in life. How ever God has allowed this suffering for him. It likely has nothing to do with whether he prayed enough or was good enough etc. If you read the Book of Job, we are shown that we do not know everything that God has planned for us. In your friends instance, God is likely going to use this suffering for his eventual benefit. Whether it is a better ability to counsel others dealing with grief, or to talk to others struggling with suffering. We just don’t know what the future holds, God does.

I would continue to pray for your friend and his family. Pray as Jesus did that God’s Will may be done and that he may accept God’s will in his life. God’s judgment will take into account the upbringing etc that we recieved. If you read the parable of the servants who each started with a level of blessing 10 talents, 5 talents and 1 talents; each servant was responsible to do the best with which God had given him. God expects that of all of us. God’s judgment won’t punish someone unfairly.

God Bless!
 
Chrisgg said:
What causes one person to sin more then the next?

If I grew up and was taught a way of life that did not please god, is it my fault?

Basically, if some one goes to hell because of their actions, what made them choose to commit those sins? Were they born that way? Destined for hell? Or was it because of how they were brought up? That wouldn’t be fair would it?

Why is one man rewarded with a more pleasurable less sin full life because of how he was brought up then the next man?

I like to think of my self as a some what decent person. I grew up in a family that cherished their relationship with god. my best friend however wasnt. His family is catholic, but his parents divorced. his brother died in a car accident a few months ago. his mom lost her job and can barely support him.

Because of this he is beginning to turn away from God in frustration. is it his fault that this happened to him? Is it because he didn’t pray enough? If so, what caused him not to pray?

this was written from my phone, sorry for all the grammar mistakes.
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We are all born with some vices and some virtues which are present in varying degrees. Our preferences produce the outcome and we have freedom to change course based on the outcome. Free will charts the course we take.

Excerpts from Rafael Cardinal Merry Del Val’s Litany of Humility (www.ewtn.com) :
O Jesus meek and humble of heart, Hear me!
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved…
…
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I …
…
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…
 
Free will.

Trying to come up with factors that “made” someone sin is to deny the original premise that the will is free. :o
 
Welcome to CAF! 👋

You raise some difficult questions. Trying to get a handle on sin and human suffering is not easy.

First, God does not predestine anyone to hell. There are some Protestant sects that believe in predestination, but that has never been the Catholic view. God gives us free will and He wants all of us to choose Him.

When dealing with suffering, it helps me to remind myself that everything is gift. God doesn’t “owe” us anything. What I mean by that is that our very existence is a gift given by God. If our very being is a gift, how can we ever claim that we are “owed” anything? We can’t.

Why do some people seem to get a better portion than others? That is a mystery to be sure. But much of it is bound up in our free will and our ability to sin. Sin has consequences, and not just for ourselves. Your friend is experiencing the negative consequences of other people’s sins. This is why it is so important for us parents to do all we can to raise our children in a grace-filled environment. We want to make it easier for them (not more difficult) to choose the right path – to choose God.

God alone is the Just Judge. I am sure He factors many things into consideration at our Judgment Day. We don’t want to place ourselves in the position of judging someone else’s salvation. As the old saying goes, there but for the grace of God go I. None of us knows how we would behave if we were given someone else’s lot in life.

But then, for ourselves, we don’t want to make excuses. We are all sinners. We all have our crosses. We could play the “blame game” all the way back to Adam and Eve if we wanted to. But there comes a time when we must take responsibility for our own actions and our own life. Might our circumstances be more difficult than that of other people? Sure. But that doesn’t mean we turn our backs on God with impunity. Indeed, it is those difficult moments in life where we most need God. Turning our backs on Him is not going to make things any better.

The bottom line is, we ought to be compassionate towars others. We don’t want to judge the state of their eternal destination, but we want to always gently encourage them towards conversion. And conversion always begins with ourselves first.
 
MarcoPolo said:
Free will.

Trying to come up with factors that “made” someone sin is to deny the original premise that the will is free. :o
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I don’t think so. There are factors that cause sin and our Lord Himself acknowledges this fact: “Things that cause people to sin are bound to come. … (Lk 17:1a). Our free will is also manipulated by our carnal nature as confessed by St. Paul: “For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I work, I understand not. For I do not that good which I will; but the evil which I hate, that I do. If then I do that which I will not, I consent to the law, that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that there dwelleth not in me, that is to say, in my flesh, that which is good. For to will, is present with me; but to accomplish that which is good, I find not” (Rom 7:14-18)
 
Pitcharan said:
I don’t think so. There are factors that cause sin and our Lord Himself acknowledges this fact: “Things that cause people to sin are bound to come. … (Lk 17:1a). Our free will is also manipulated by our carnal nature as confessed by St. Paul: “For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I work, I understand not. For I do not that good which I will; but the evil which I hate, that I do. If then I do that which I will not, I consent to the law, that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that there dwelleth not in me, that is to say, in my flesh, that which is good. For to will, is present with me; but to accomplish that which is good, I find not” (Rom 7:14-18)
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Let me clarify. When I said “made” someone sin, I am talking about removing the person’s option to refuse the sin. If there is no choice, then there is no sin. In Scriptural terms, the cause I think you see in the Luke passage can refer to influence on a person. The Catechism speaks of circumstances that can impair a person’s will, for instance, that could extenuate a mortal sin to venial, but any sin demands the freedom to commit it, or else it is not sin. The Catechism also refers to the will as behind sin, as it’s "root."CCC#1853 Sins can be distinguished according to their objects, as can every human act; or according to the virtues they oppose, by excess or defect; or according to the commandments they violate. They can also be classed according to whether they concern God, neighbor, or oneself; they can be divided into spiritual and carnal sins, or again as sins in thought, word, deed, or omission. The root of sin is in the heart of man, in his free will, according to the teaching of the Lord: “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a man.” But in the heart also resides charity, the source of the good and pure works, which sin wounds.
 
MarcoPolo said:
Let me clarify. When I said “made” someone sin, I am talking about removing the person’s option to refuse the sin. If there is no choice, then there is no sin. In Scriptural terms, the cause I think you see in the Luke passage can refer to influence on a person. The Catechism speaks of circumstances that can impair a person’s will, for instance, that could extenuate a mortal sin to venial, but any sin demands the freedom to commit it, or else it is not sin. The Catechism also refers to the will as behind sin, as it’s "root."CCC#1853 Sins can be distinguished according to their objects, as can every human act; or according to the virtues they oppose, by excess or defect; or according to the commandments they violate. They can also be classed according to whether they concern God, neighbor, or oneself; they can be divided into spiritual and carnal sins, or again as sins in thought, word, deed, or omission. The root of sin is in the heart of man, in his free will, according to the teaching of the Lord: “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a man.” But in the heart also resides charity, the source of the good and pure works, which sin wounds.
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It is an undeniable fact that interior defilement (vice) can cause a person to commit sin against his/her will as it has enslaved the person. The person can however break-free from the slavery by seeking and receiving Grace. I reiterate what I said :
Pitcharan said:
We are all born with some vices and some virtues which are present in varying degrees. Our preferences produce the outcome and we have freedom to change course based on the outcome. Free will charts the course we take.
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Pitcharan said:
It is an undeniable fact that interior defilement (vice) can cause a person to commit sin against his/her will as it has enslaved the person. The person can however break-free from the slavery by seeking and receiving Grace. I reiterate what I said :
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I have no problem with that statement if by “cause” you mean exert powerful influence, and not manipulate as with a powerless puppet.
 
MarcoPolo said:
I have no problem with that statement if by “cause” you mean exert powerful influence, and not manipulate as with a powerless puppet.
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Unless one breaks-free by turning to God, he/she will remain a powerless puppet, desiring good but doing evil, whose road to hell is paved with all kind of good intentions on one side and all kind of evil deeds on the other side.

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. (John 8:35)
 
Chrisgg said:
What causes one person to sin more then the next?
.
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It’s a matter of self discipline. God will give you all of the Grace you need. Then you can do anything that you put your mind and will to.
 
Pitcharan said:
Unless one breaks-free by turning to God, he/she will remain a powerless puppet, desiring good but doing evil, whose road to hell is paved with all kind of good intentions on one side and all kind of evil deeds on the other side.

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. (John 8:35)
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Let me see if we’re on the same page here - is a person in the “puppet” state culpable for his sin?
 
MarcoPolo said:
Let me see if we’re on the same page here - is a person in the “puppet” state culpable for his sin?
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Culpability is applicable as soon as one realises that one’s actions are wrong. Helplessness is not the criterion for non-culpability but ignorance is. Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains." (John 9:41)

A person who is slave to sin like most of us are, has the option to turn to God who is the “help of the helpless”. Even if he/she doesn’t do so, God will woo the person in every way. If the person adamantly refuses to be saved, only then he/she dies. The ones who go to hell are the ones who are hell bent.
 
This still seems unclear to me.

Let’s just hypothetically say some one did a great deal of sinning and because of his actions he was not privileged to go to heaven.

What caused him to sin? Was it because he never took the time to find out who god really was? Why didn’t he invest his time in god, but the guy next to him did? Was it because the guy next to him was born differently? Was it because the guy next to him was brought up in a loving and believing family?

Basically… Why do some people sin more then others? What causes them to sin more? What does it all lead down to?

If two identical men are raised the exact same way. But one decides to find out about god, And the other decides to pursue the opposite of god. What caused the two men to act differently?

This has really been bugging me the past few months.
 
Chrisgg said:
This still seems unclear to me.

Let’s just hypothetically say some one did a great deal of sinning and because of his actions he was not privileged to go to heaven.

What caused him to sin? Was it because he never took the time to find out who god really was? Why didn’t he invest his time in god, but the guy next to him did? Was it because the guy next to him was born differently? Was it because the guy next to him was brought up in a loving and believing family?
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Interior defilement (vice) causes sin. Vice may be inherited or acquired.
Chrisgg said:
Basically… Why do some people sin more then others? What causes them to sin more?
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Because they are more defiled.
Chrisgg said:
What causes them to sin more?
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Their choice to indulge rather than struggle against.
Chrisgg said:
What does it all lead down to?
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God woos both the indulgent and the struggling sinners. Their freedom from vice is in God’s hands and they may receive it if they choose to respond positively to His loving overtures: “Sin is crouching at the door, hungry to get you. You can still master him”. (Gen 4: 7)
Chrisgg said:
If two identical men are raised the exact same way. But one decides to find out about god, And the other decides to pursue the opposite of god. What caused the two men to act differently? This has really been bugging me the past few months.
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Both exercised their free will to choose good and evil respectively and will face the respective consequences. Even the hell bound sinner is given the longest rope of chances during her/his earthly sojourn, to foretaste the consequence and change course.
 
What caused the person to be more defiled?

Why did the person choose to indulge rather then struggle against?

Why did the man that went the opposite direction of God refuse gods grace? What caused him to refuse? Free will did not cause his actions, it enabled them.

Maybe im blind but I still don’t feel like any one has given me an answer.
 
Chrisgg said:
What caused the person to be more defiled?

Why did the person choose to indulge rather then struggle against?

Why did the man that went the opposite direction of God refuse gods grace? What caused him to refuse? Free will did not cause his actions, it enabled them.

Maybe im blind but I still don’t feel like any one has given me an answer.
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No one has given you an answer, but this is Catholic Answers forum.
:rolleyes:
 
Chrisgg said:
What caused the person to be more defiled?
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Defilement may be acquired or inherited. The more or less degree in which one is defiled is an outcome of how he/she responds. After succumbing to a sinful urge, the person gets the opportunity to foretaste the consequence. If that does not deter the person and he/she chooses to enjoy sinful pleasure, then he/she grows in vice. If the consequent retributive suffering deters the person, then he/she tries to avoid sin and is led to seek God’s Grace to fully break-free from vice.
Chrisgg said:
Why did the person choose to indulge rather then struggle against?
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The sensual pleasure from sin attracts the person. If the person goes on that way, God provides opportunity to realise the emptiness of sensual pleasure and the truth of spiritual joy. A good imagery of this can be seen in the Parable of the Prodigal son (Luke 15). You may also read about the conversions of Saul the Pharisee (Acts 9) and the Jailer of Philippi (Acts 16). If the person avails God’s offer, he/she can break-free from vice.
Chrisgg said:
Why did the man that went the opposite direction of God refuse gods grace? What caused him to refuse? Free will did not cause his actions, it enabled them.
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Because of preferring carnal pleasure to spiritual joy.
Chrisgg said:
Maybe im blind but I still don’t feel like any one has given me an answer.
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All of us go through the blind phase before we receive the vision. You too will understand gradually and grow.
 
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