What is worse polygamy or Homosexuality?

[CRV]

In my post #24, I did say

all mortal sins lead to death of sanctifying grace in the soul, and in that sense there is no point in determining which mortal sin is graver than another

The discussion between ratio1 and myself about ranking sins all started back at post 27 I think, where in two questions were asked of posters, to which I replied, with the resultant discussion between us.

As it is in the current edition of the catechism #1858, it’s my opinion it is still relevant today, even to laymen.

 

[Genesis315]

The latter category of activity is worse in the Catholic tradition, as it is a sin that cries out to Heaven, which are so called because “their iniquity is so great and so manifest” as the Catechism of St. Pius X puts it. The CCC calls such acts “acts of grave depravity.” Polygamy is not categorized the same way.

St. Thomas explains in the Summa why this one is worse here:
http://www.newadvent.org/summa/3154.htm#article12

Compare with the treatment of polygamy here:
http://www.newadvent.org/summa/5065.htm

 

[VanitasVanitatum]

Then they aren’t engaging in homosexual activity. Ceasing to do something is not making that action right.

Likewise he isn’t engaging in polygamy when he has his first life. In fact everything you just said applies to polygamy too.

 

[twf]

The objective gravity does vary and will impact both purgatory, and for the damned, the severity of their punishments. The Church has always taught this. The penance we are assigned is meant to reflect the gravity of the sins we confessed (with the priest taking our own personal circumstances and mercy into consideration). I agree that we shouldn’t get hung up on ranking our grave sins, but I don’t think it’s completely unhelpful. For example…
Let’s say I struggle with porn, and am battling that sin. One day I resolve to commit this sin, but when I get to the computer I stop myself at the last minute. I’ve quite possibly committed a mortal sin simply by resolving to look at porn, and I must go to confession, but I may be able to take some solace in the fact that I stopped myself at the last minute.

Or more a more extreme example… if I commit adultery, the temporal consequences of that act may end up being the end of my marriage and potentially years of misery. If I have a lustful fantasy in my head, it’s still possibly a mortal sin, but the consequences are far less severe.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

The objective gravity does vary and will impact both purgatory, and for the damned, the severity of their punishments. The Church has always taught this.

Hell is Hell. You don’t want to go to Level 1 any more than you want to go to Level 7, if levels indeed exist.

As for purgatory, you’re supposed to focus on not going there at all, not on whether you’re going to get 2 years for having committed Sin A and only one year for Sin B. Plus, if you’re trying to get plenary indulgences, or the benefit of the Divine Mercy promise from Jesus, plenary is plenary. It doesn’t care how many years or levels of purgatory punishment exist for each sin.

This is a question that theologians perhaps like to think about. Fine, I leave them to it. For me as a practical reality, it is meaningless. I don’t worry that God’s going to give me X amount of time for Sin A and 2X amount of time for Sin B because I’m not supposed to be committing either Sin A OR Sin B. Avoid sin, period, which is what you’re supposed to be doing, and you don’t have to concern yourself with things you will never have a certain answer for anyway.

And trusting in God’s mercy means trusting all the way. If I try to live my life right, go to confession frequently, receive Eucharist frequently, do my plenary indulgences and the annual Divine Mercy devotion, etc then I trust God to take care of everything. EVERYTHING. I don’t need to care about the objective gravity of my past sins. I just need to try my very best to not commit sin, ANY sin, including venial sin, going forward.

All this dwelling on how much punishment for which sin is a dead end. It’s a useless waste of time. The Church may teach what it wants on the matter, I’m fine with whatever it says, but I still have zero reason to think about it. It’s not like I look at a sin and go, “Oh that’s not a very serious sin, objectively, let’s go commit it.”

 

[VanitasVanitatum]

I’m not talking about that. Perhaps it was unclear, but I was talking about what was in the quotes.

 

[CatholicELATeacher]

Moral theological ranking aside, there’s obviously no question which sin is more widespread and leading more souls to Hell today, even some inside the Church.
Not even close.

 

[Dolphin]

I don’t think the proper approach to sin is, which sin is worse? And how far can we do before it’s mortal? Sin can’t be quantified that easily I don’t think. We shouldn’t want to venially sin either because it makes God sad.

 

[thistle]

The objective gravity does vary and will impact both purgatory, and for the damned, the severity of their punishments.

The most severe punishment in Hell is eternal separation from God which everyone there suffers.