What is the youngest a person can be and commit a mortal sin?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Thoughtfulone
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
God judges accordingly…and takes into account whatever needs be taken into account…including that which leads to reduced culpability…

Just because a person has hit the age of reason and does something that objectively is a grave matter…does not mean they have committed a mortal sin. One needs all three aspects. But the reality remains that mortal sin is a real possibility …even for children…though I would dare say 15 year olds are going to likely need more time in the confessional than an 8 year old…
 
I don’t know why any parent who believes this would dare catechize their children, knowing that they would essentially be making it easier for them to commit a mortal sin and go to hell. You can’t commit a mortal sin if you don’t know about such a thing.
 
Thoughtfulone said:
I don’t know why any parent who believes this would dare catechize their children, knowing that they would essentially be making it easier for them to commit a mortal sin and go to hell. You can’t commit a mortal sin if you don’t know about such a thing.
Click to expand...
That is genius. So, should the aim be to keep children blissfully ignorant of what their religion teaches if it saves them from the hell their religion is teaching them?
 
They are given true life in Christ in baptism…and must learn to love and do the good and avoid the evil.

Mortal sin is a reality. And so is true life of grace!

Now just cause they learn about it does not mean a 7…or 8 year old is going to ever commit commit a mortal sin at such an age…

But as they get older…such becomes more likely…
 
Although 7 was considered the canonical age at which persons were held accountable for their acts, the 1918 Code of Canon Law made a distinction between minors (under 21) and adults and excused anyone who had not attained the age of puberty from any penal laws, “for on account of the want of mature judgment they deserve leniency.” As one canon lawyer noted, the code demanded that persons under 14 “ought to be punished with medicinal-educational penalties rather than with censures or other vindictive penalties.” And more recently Catholic moral theology has raised serious questions about the ability of children and juveniles to commit a mortal sin. The late German moral theologian Bernard Häring argued that “small children or even pre-adolescents…are not normally able to commit a mortal sin: that is, to turn away from God and good in the very depth of their hearts and with so great freedom that they deserve not only the death penalty but everlasting death.”

americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=1473
 
lynx said:
That is genius. So, should the aim be to keep children blissfully ignorant of what their religion teaches if it saves them from the hell their religion is teaching them?
Click to expand...
What you don’t know can’t hurt you…

Why would someone teach their kids about something that will only bring them enormous ETERNAL pain? Why not just raise them in the protestant faith so that they learn to love Jesus without all the children burning in hell?
 
You seem to have a mistaken idea of what the requirements are to commit mortal sin, the details thereof are of each part of these, and what is necessary to go to Heaven.
 
Canonical penalties are just that. And the Church has very important cavats …even for adults…in their regard.

The fact that such is not applied in various things to those under a certain age does not mean that they can not commit a mortal sin.

But again just because they have reached the age of reason does not mean they are going to commit a mortal sin!

Not sure how many acts of adultery, murder, perjury or large theft they are going to be involved in …even just in the matter…

My point was is that such is possible. That while it may not be too likely …particularly with certain children…and there can always be various lacks in sufficent reflection and deliberate consent…as even there can be with adults…

It is a possibility.
 
Shin said:
You seem to have a mistaken idea of what the requirements are to commit mortal sin, the details thereof are of each part of these, and what is necessary to go to Heaven.
Click to expand...
I wish I DIDN’T know about it. I know all too well what is required to commit mortal sin. As Hamlet would say, “'Tis easy as lying.” If I were a Baptist, I wouldn’t have to worry about it.
 
Thoughtfulone said:
What you don’t know can’t hurt you…

Why would someone teach their kids about something that will only bring them enormous ETERNAL pain? Why not just raise them in the protestant faith so that they learn to love Jesus without all the children burning in hell?
Click to expand...
No we teach our children the 10 Commandments not out of fear of hell, but how to get them to heaven.

The Church, I repeat, has never said a specific person is in hell.

And the Sacrament of Pennance is available to children over the age of reason.
 
Thoughtfulone said:
I wish I DIDN’T know about it. I know all too well what is required to commit mortal sin. As Hamlet would say, “'Tis easy as lying.” If I were a Baptist, I wouldn’t have to worry about it.
Click to expand...
Ah, no. You do not have to be catechized about mortal sin, to have ever heard the words, “mortal sin”, to commit a mortal sin. That’s one mistake.
 
Mary_Gail_36 said:
No we teach our children the 10 Commandments not out of fear of hell, but how to get them to heaven.

The Church, I repeat, has never said a specific person is in hell.

And the Sacrament of Pennance is available to children over the age of reason.
Click to expand...
Ironically, it’s much easier to get to Heaven if you don’t know about any of this.

If the Church honestly believes that a small child can commit a mortal sin, then it only stands to reason that at least ONE child in the history of Christianity committed a “mortal” sin (such as disobeying his/her parents) and then died before his/her parents took him/her to confession without having that oh-so-elusive “perfect contrition”. So yes, if this were true, we can expect to see 7 year olds burning in fiery hell, screaming in agony for mercy that will never come.
 
See, correct me if I’m wrong…? I think your whole problem is with anyone at all being in Hell, and your emotional response to it, rather than the details which you are working with to support that feeling rather than instead studying to put that feeling in its proper place.

You’re thinking ‘innocent child’ in Hell, when all who are in Hell are the most unappealing folks frankly, because all sanctifying grace is lost and they are totally evil, whatever age they are.
 
Shin said:
Ah, no. You do not have to be catechized about mortal sin, to have ever heard the words, “mortal sin”, to commit a mortal sin. That’s one mistake.
Click to expand...
Well you have to know that it is “grave matter”. Most people are completely unaware that things like masturbation, homosexuality, lying, pre-marital sex, lust, missing church on Sunday etc. are grave matter if they are not Catholic, so yeah, it makes it pretty difficult to go to hell unless you murder somebody or some such thing.
 
Shin said:
See, correct me if I’m wrong…? I think your whole problem is with anyone at all being in Hell, and your emotional response to it, rather than the details which you are working with to support that feeling rather than instead studying to put that feeling in its proper place.

You’re thinking ‘innocent child’ in Hell, when all who are in Hell are the most unappealing folks frankly, because all sanctifying grace is lost and they are totally evil, whatever age they are.
Click to expand...
Look at a child who has willfully disobeyed his parents and tell me that because of this he is totally evil. I’m sure lots of people on this site are not currently in a state of grace. Are they totally evil? How absurd.
 
Thoughtfulone said:
Look at a child who has willfully disobeyed his parents and tell me that because of this he is totally evil. I’m sure lots of people on this site are not currently in a state of grace. Are they totally evil? How absurd.
Click to expand...
Listen to me, I was talking about them -in- Hell.
 
Shin said:
Listen to me, I was talking about them -in- Hell.
Click to expand...
Well, I would imagine that being cast into eternal hellfire for disobeying your parents and not eating your vegetables one night would do that to you.
 
Thoughtfulone said:
Ironically, it’s much easier to get to Heaven if you don’t know about any of this.

If the Church honestly believes that a small child can commit a mortal sin, then it only stands to reason that at least ONE child in the history of Christianity committed a “mortal” sin (such as disobeying his/her parents) and then died before his/her parents took him/her to confession without having that oh-so-elusive “perfect contrition”. So yes, if this were true, we can expect to see 7 year olds burning in fiery hell, screaming in agony for mercy that will never come.
Click to expand...
I’m sure the Church knows if children can commit mortal sins. Priests listen to confession.

But the Mercy of Jesus is something you are totally discounting.

If a child can commit mortal sin, that same exact child can be filled with remorse and want to be reconciled.
 
Mary_Gail_36 said:
I’m sure the Church knows if children can commit mortal sins. Priests listen to confession.

But the Mercy of Jesus is something you are totally discounting.

If a child can commit mortal sin, that same exact child can be filled with remorse and want to be reconciled.
Click to expand...
Let’s just hope it’s “perfect contrition” because if that kid’s parents are like mine and don’t take him to confession, it’s eternity in hell for him.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top