What makes a thought Impure?

[jmr7]

Hi there,

I want to know what makes a thought impure. I am unsure whether or not my thoughts are impure. For instance, in the movie Capt. America there are scenes where a girl shoots bad guys. This comes back to me in thoughts and I wonder if it is impure to think about it. Just yesterday I was talking with my family and my sister was talking about how some of her friends were chasing squirrels in their basement and trying to kill them with brooms. This is not a sinful conversation, but when I think about it it can arouse me and I feel guilty. Someone told me recently not to listen to scrupulosity and to just go to communion because I need it. I feel like I want to recieve communion and take this advice, but if these thoughts really are impure, I don’t want to commit sacrilege. Yet I feel that I am resisting God’s help if I stay back from receiving him. Please just tell me if my thoughts would be classified as impure. Sorry if I am unclear. I want a straight answer but I don’t want to give away to much information. Please answer before 11:30am if you have the time, I want to go to 12:05 mass.

Your brother in Christ, jmr7.

 

[DL82]

A thought in itself can never be a mortal sin. For anything to be the kind of thing that would keep you from Communion, there has to be grave matter, full knowledge, and consent of the will. If a thought comes into your head, that is a temptation, not a sin. If it stays for a while, that still doesn’t make it a sin. If it arouses you, even though you try not to let it, still not a sin. There has to be consent. If you think about these things on purpose BECAUSE they arouse you, that would be a sin. It sounds to me as though you are nowhere near that.

If people you trust have told you not to be scrupulous, that’s probably good advice.

 

[jmr7]

A thought in itself can never be a mortal sin. For anything to be the kind of thing that would keep you from Communion, there has to be grave matter, full knowledge, and consent of the will. If a thought comes into your head, that is a temptation, not a sin. If it stays for a while, that still doesn’t make it a sin. If it arouses you, even though you try not to let it, still not a sin. There has to be consent. If you think about these things on purpose BECAUSE they arouse you, that would be a sin. It sounds to me as though you are nowhere near that.

If people you trust have told you not to be scrupulous, that’s probably good advice.

Thank you so much!!! Got to leave for mass now!