What is the main reason you avoid sin?

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Jodi:
I am a 30 year old who is working on becoming a catecumin (sp) here hopefully next SUNDAY!!! .
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Congratulations! Sin is never free, even if you are soon to be baptized. One of the easiest ways to avoid sin is to never start (I am refering to some particular sin, not that anyone here is perfect).

For example, I am not a womanizer. The reason I do not commit this sin is neither love of God or pain of hell, but that it is so wrong I am not tempted. Some of us are so legalistic that when rules become ingrained in our heads we would no more break them than we would drive the wrong way down a one-way street.
 
I just don’t have the desire. I think it was Rob’s Wife said it would cause too much trouble. I agree. Plus my life is so busy with raising four kids… who has time to sin???

And pnewton, I gotta tell ya that I freaked when I read your post… I thought you had written, “I AM A WOMANIZER.” And I thought… oh say it isn’t so!!! I really like his posts! But when I read it again I see that you said you were NOT a womanizer. Opps. That’s better! 😃
 
Well, Hell is a scary thought, but I swear that I feel absolutely horrible when I sin. I hate to think that I have in some way harmed another. It nags at me until I can make it to Confession. I do my best not to sin out of love for others.

Eamon
 
carol marie:
IAnd pnewton, I gotta tell ya that I freaked when I read your post… I thought you had written, “I AM A WOMANIZER.”
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Thank you for not starting any rumors based on the initial reading. That’s the last reputation I need around here.
 
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AlanFromWichita:
I’m so sick of hearing people say I (or others) will go to hell if we do this, or if we do that, that I don’t even listen anymore. Nor do I worry about it. Threats of punishment is all we had before Jesus to keep people behaving like a bunch of trained rats. Human beings respond much better to higher callings to love.
Alan
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Hello Allen,

Are you angry at Jesus for His warnings of eternal damnation?

Please visit WARNING! Jesus Does Not Forgive All

NAB MAT 25:41Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

NAB REV 22:12

“Remember, I am coming soon! I bring with me the reward that will be given to each man as his conduct deserves. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End! **Happy are they who wash their robes so as to have free access to the tree of life **and enter the city through its gates Outside are the dogs and sorcerers, the fornicators and murderers, the idol-worshipers and all who love falsehood.”

NAB MAT 7:13

How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them. "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

**NAB MAT 13:47 **

The reign of God is also like a dragnet thrown into the lake, which collected all sorts of things. When it was full they hauled it ashore and sat down to put what was worthwhile into containers. What was useless they threw away. That is how it will be at the end of the world. Angels will go out and separate the wicked from the just and **hurl the wicked into the fiery furnace, where they will wail and grind their teeth. **NAB JOH 5:27

“The Father has given over to him power to pass judgment because he is Son of Man; no need for you to be surprised at this, for an hour is coming in which all those in their tombs shall hear his voice and come forth. Those who have done right shall rise to live; the evildoers shall rise to be damned.”

Peace in Christ,

Steven Merten
www.ILOVEYOUGOD.com
 
I’m not sure either option fits me. I would add a third option and say the thing that compells me most to be moral is my conscience. I suppose to an extent, my conscience is guided by my love for God and for other people. I definitely don’t have much of a fear of hell. I don’t know if that’s because I have so much confidence in my salvation or if it’s because I have doubts that there is a hell. I don’t think I have ever had much fear of hell.
 
Steven Merten:
Hello Allen,

Are you angry at Jesus for His warnings of eternal damnation?
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Dear Steven,

No.

I’m not angry about Jesus for telling us any of the truth.

I do not, however, believe that Jesus wished us to live in fear an anxiety because we’re always watching out that we might somehow step on a crack or something else that offends God and we’re going to go to hell and … and …

If we are to be motivated through threats of punishment, then Jesus really didn’t need to do his little passion play, because the OT law was perfectly capable of applying that threat.

Jesus came to give us the other half. The forgiving, merciful God who does not insist on exacting wrath on a humble sinner.

To keep focusing on the wrath of God when teaching children what’s right or wrong gives them the wrong message and makes them anxious and mentally unstable. For an experiment in what I’m talking about, next time you’re teaching a child to drive, every single time he does something wrong, make sure you remind him that we could have just died or been terminally injured and that driving a car is very serious. “Aaaagh! You crossed over the lane line when you turned! We’re all going to die if you keep up this carelessness!!!” Once in a while, it is important to tell the child how serious a responsibility driving is, but as a moment-by-moment motivator it just makes the child become a high strung psycho.

Alan
 
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puzzleannie:
because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because I love Thee, O God, who art all good and worthy of all my love
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DITTO!
 
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Hermione:
Please be honest here. I want to want to avoid sin out of love for God and fellow man, but the fear of Hell is so paralyzing and terrible that it overshadows every other aspect of my life.

After all, Hell is ETERNAL TORMENT.
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I suggest you read the book Everything You Wanted to Know About Heaven by Peter Kreeft. It helped me alot.

If you are truely living your faith by following all it teachings, which means following the ten commandments then dont keep dwelling on Hell. Of course you are human and will make mistakes. You will sin again, but that is why you go to confession. Put you trust totally in the Lord. I know it is easier said then done. I too have trouble with this at times. Believe me say your chaplet of Divine Mercy, pray the rosary and ask Our Lady to help you with this. She will get you through it you just have to trust in her and the Lord.
 
The thought of not getting into heaven seems too much to bear, and its a thought I’ve wrestled with for a long time. I have, for the time being, come to the conclusion that as long as my whole life is of service to Jesus then I’ll be happy whatever my eternal destiny turns out to be. 🙂
The thought of never meeting my Savior is a very painful one.
 
I agree with a few others, often it is just plain work to sin. It makes you unhappy and creates waves in your life, at the least. Or it involves doing something unfamiliar and breaking long-standing patterns or habits. That simple comfort motivation helps me stay out of trouble.

Other times it is pride. I’d have to accept myself as someone willing to do X, and that would sting, so I don’t do X. If I were to someday dump a glass bottle on the pavement and leave it there all shattered, well, then I’d be keeping company with all “those drunken, joy-riding morons” I’ve derided for most my life.:rolleyes:

With regard to issues of justice, I especially worry about possible injury or scandal to another. This is an intense motivator not to do some things, because it feels awful to hurt another person.

Other sins I don’t do because I don’t want to offend God. So if I am especially cognizant that a certain sin will do that, it is easy to avoid. These are usually big sins. It is hard to have an awareness that lounging around for a few minutes in the morning will specifically offend God. This type of behavior thus requires discipline to defeat, my biggest lack.

I’d love to say the biggest motivator is love of God for his own sake, but that’s a stretch to claim, so I’ll just say, “I wish”.
 
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puzzleannie:
because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because I love Thee, O God, who art all good and worthy of all my love
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All those “thou shalt nots” are there for a reason. Break the rules and there are earthly consequences.
 
Living in a positive way generally makes you go in that direction, living in a negative way makes sin easier.

Sin usually begets sin and it makes for a sort of habit to develop. If you use curse words it gets easier to use them.

As with anything doing something makes it easier to do it each time you do it. If I start a drug habit, I would be pretty hesitant to start doing it, but I am sure after the 3rd or 4th time it gets a lot easier to do. (unless you run out of money 🙂 )

Back to the point, living a Christian life shouldn’t be about being in fear all your life, having an all or nothing attitude is scary and depressing. I believe the Catholic view is a lot more comforting and fulfilling.

It is kinda like death, or money, or taxes, do you live in fear all your life about dying, or anything else? Why? What is the point?
Enjoy the faith,
the Church,
the life,
the air,
the food
God is a good god, rejoice in all the beauty he has given us.

I as a Catholic feel great as I am fed each weekend, or more times during the week. I have confession to keep me clean when I falter. I will do my best and trust in God’s mercy. (as long as I do, do my best and persevere). It is easier not to sin as I live as a Catholic. I have seen both sides and know you need constant reassurance and spiritual guidance.

I do sin, but I try very very hard not to, out of my love for God.
 
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AlanFromWichita:
I’m so sick of hearing people say I (or others) will go to hell if we do this, or if we do that, that I don’t even listen anymore. Nor do I worry about it. Threats of punishment is all we had before Jesus to keep people behaving like a bunch of trained rats. Human beings respond much better to higher callings to love.

Personally I think the act of contrition is poorly worded because although it says “most of all because they offend thee” it is worded so that it still sounds like an afterthought. Like, “Oh Yeah, God, I’m sorry for what I did because I might have gotten caught and you might punish me. Of course, though, I really obey you because I love you … tee hee hee.”

Just like my kids. I used to be very authoritarian until one of my children proved to me that if you don’t have their hearts, there will come a day when no amount of power trip will keep them in line. Threats and controls are meaningless. I can dangle scenes of hell, grounding, spankings with a belt, or whatever, and they write it off.

Besides, people are so quick to tell me I’m going to hell for this or that, often in ways that leave me no way out, that it all sounds like BS. God told us to think about things that are pleasant and to have no anxiety. That doesn’t sound like we are supposed to run around perpetually afraid of the cattle prod of eternal death…

BTW, thanks for the poll. It gave me a chance to vent on a pet peeve. I voted for the motivation through love, without reservation.

When I do right it’s out of love or worldly obligation or benefit. When I do wrong it’s out of selfishness. I regret it because I want to “be perfect as my Father in heaven is perfect” like Jesus says, because it means my love is imperfect.

Alan
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In a sense…again, in a sense, I agree with you. I don’t believe in the threat of hell. I do believe in hell but that isn’t the reason that I try not to sin. I love God and so it is for not hurting him or someone else that I try not to sin. Sin does offend God and so I don’t see anything poorly worded. Apologies are always an afterthought to something done wrong. If we had thought about it before we did it we wouldn’t have to apologize. The act of contrition is an apology.
 
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Hermione:
Please be honest here. I want to want to avoid sin out of love for God and fellow man, but the fear of Hell is so paralyzing and terrible that it overshadows every other aspect of my life.

After all, Hell is ETERNAL TORMENT.
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It is kind of a mix with me. I avoid sin because I know it is wrong and evil and I never want to be caught by it, but I also have fear for the loss of heaven and the pains of hell. Since it is not purely out of love for God, I put fear of hell. But, just so you know, that is not the whole thing.
 
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XxKatyxX:
The thought of not getting into heaven seems too much to bear, and its a thought I’ve wrestled with for a long time. I have, for the time being, come to the conclusion that as long as my whole life is of service to Jesus then I’ll be happy whatever my eternal destiny turns out to be. 🙂
The thought of never meeting my Savior is a very painful one.
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Welcome to the forum Katy. I hope you find it enjoyable and helpfull.
 
I didn’t vote as I avoid sin because I love God and because I’m afraid of Hell. It used to be just because I was afraid of going to Hell. Now, my faith is maturing and I feel God’s love for me and I want to please Him because I love Him.

God Bless
Giannawannabe
 
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Hermione:
Please be honest here. I want to want to avoid sin out of love for God and fellow man, but the fear of Hell is so paralyzing and terrible that it overshadows every other aspect of my life.

After all, Hell is ETERNAL TORMENT.
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As Catholics, we may not believe in an assurance of salvation, but if we live by God’s commandments and do not fall into mortal sin, or confess those sins when we do, we can be pretty sure we’re going to spend eternity with our Savior. Faith, hope and charity - have these and you will meet Jesus.
 
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