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Soler
Guest
As a general rule, what should one do when one wants to do something but is afraid that it might be sinful?
Thanks.
Thanks.
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Julian0404
Guest
Follow the lead of your conscience, which is telling you NO, and don’t proceed. If the temptation exists, go to confession and ask the priest if the action you desire would be considered a sin.
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EmeraldWings
Guest
always ask yourself in situations like that, “What would God think of this?” or “What would God want me to do?” or “Would Jesus do this?”
always think of the life of Christ and try to imitate Him, and if you’re just not sure, it certainly doesn’t hurt to just not do it or wait till you can find out.
and also just pray, God will guide you when you ask.
if you want to lead a good life, there are a few basic things to do,
pray, practice all your virtues, read good catholic books(lives of the saints, writings of the saints, books on virtue and the Christian life) frequent the Sacraments, and really learn to know yourself(your sins, your temperaments, your weaknesses, all that stuff)
ok, hope this helps, tc.
always think of the life of Christ and try to imitate Him, and if you’re just not sure, it certainly doesn’t hurt to just not do it or wait till you can find out.
and also just pray, God will guide you when you ask.
if you want to lead a good life, there are a few basic things to do,
pray, practice all your virtues, read good catholic books(lives of the saints, writings of the saints, books on virtue and the Christian life) frequent the Sacraments, and really learn to know yourself(your sins, your temperaments, your weaknesses, all that stuff)
ok, hope this helps, tc.
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Sophia86
Guest
Is there something in particular that you are unsure of as to whether or not it may be sinful?
Something that you may question doing maybe somewhat unethical, but not necessarily a sin. Others may be a palpable, mortal sin. Such a thing though should be pretty obvious. Conventionally I would go with your gut instinct. Intrinsically you should know if what you are wanting to do is wrong.
In short, how you feel about what you are doing should reveal the answer to your own question.
“I know only that, what is moral is what you feel good after, and what is immoral, is what you feel bad after.” - Ernest Hemingway.
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shondrea
Guest
First step is to understand your concince. Do you have a normal sense of right and wrong, or are you of the scrupulous variety? This is very important. Often, you just hear, if your consciounce says it’s wrong, it’s wrong! But for many people, this is not good advice, because to someone like myself who is on the scrupulous side, if I avoided all the things I feared were sinful, I’d never get out of bed in the morning, and THEN I’d freak about the sin of sloth. Can’t win.
If you have a normal conscience, you can ask about a specific moral here or search in the forums. You can address the catechism or the Bible. Often, though, you’re talking about things in your everyday life that may not be specifically addressed. So ask yourself, is this deed going to damage myself or someone else? Is doing this deed directly in opposition of a moral I know exists? Or is it merely an activity that I need to explore with caution? One that is perfectly fine to do, but can be done in a sinful way? (like dating and courtship)
If you’re scrupulous and in doubt, you can’t just “not do it,” because you won’t do anything, ever, in your life. A scurpulous person is often well versed in church teachings, but has an inability to apply them to their lives. They can take any action, no matter how trivial or harmless, and twist it, read into it and mangle it into a grevious mortal sin they commit every single day of their lives. If this is more like you, you need to speak with a priest
If you have a normal conscience, you can ask about a specific moral here or search in the forums. You can address the catechism or the Bible. Often, though, you’re talking about things in your everyday life that may not be specifically addressed. So ask yourself, is this deed going to damage myself or someone else? Is doing this deed directly in opposition of a moral I know exists? Or is it merely an activity that I need to explore with caution? One that is perfectly fine to do, but can be done in a sinful way? (like dating and courtship)
If you’re scrupulous and in doubt, you can’t just “not do it,” because you won’t do anything, ever, in your life. A scurpulous person is often well versed in church teachings, but has an inability to apply them to their lives. They can take any action, no matter how trivial or harmless, and twist it, read into it and mangle it into a grevious mortal sin they commit every single day of their lives. If this is more like you, you need to speak with a priest
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Bookcat
Guest
Depends on what one means when on says “is afraid that it might be sinful”.
For example:
This could be a real doubt. One that is positive…
Or if one has a difficulty with scruples…it can be just a scruple…an unfounded fear.(or a person can have a transitory scruple about something)
Or it can be s negative doubt…a slight doubt or simply an unfounded doubt.
In the first example one needs to do various things before one can act normally…such as inform ones conscience…then reason it out if one has the principles involved…pray…particularly for the help of the Holy Spirit…seek good advice…or even (if it is not something that is for example endangering someone or something like that) one can even make use of a reflex principle perhaps…and other such good means to solve the doubt…
In the second and third …these are to be dismissed …particularly the first. And for the first…they should follow their confessor etc.
In all things – prudence…
vatican.va/archive/catechism/p3s1c1a6.htm
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Bookcat
Guest
From the Catechism with emp added:
III. TO CHOOSE IN ACCORD WITH CONSCIENCE
1786 Faced with a moral choice, conscience can make either a right judgment in accordance with reason and the divine law or, on the contrary, an erroneous judgment that departs from them.
1787 Man is sometimes confronted by situations that make moral judgments less assured and decision difficult. But he must always seriously seek what is right and good and discern the will of God expressed in divine law.
1788 To this purpose, man strives to interpret the data of experience and the signs of the times assisted by the virtue of prudence, by the advice of competent people, and by the help of the Holy Spirit and his gifts.
1789 Some rules apply in every case:
III. TO CHOOSE IN ACCORD WITH CONSCIENCE
1786 Faced with a moral choice, conscience can make either a right judgment in accordance with reason and the divine law or, on the contrary, an erroneous judgment that departs from them.
1787 Man is sometimes confronted by situations that make moral judgments less assured and decision difficult. But he must always seriously seek what is right and good and discern the will of God expressed in divine law.
1788 To this purpose, man strives to interpret the data of experience and the signs of the times assisted by the virtue of prudence, by the advice of competent people, and by the help of the Holy Spirit and his gifts.
1789 Some rules apply in every case:
- One may never do evil so that good may result from it;
- the Golden Rule: "Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them."56
- charity always proceeds by way of respect for one’s neighbor and his conscience: "Thus sinning against your brethren and wounding their conscience . . . you sin against Christ."57 Therefore "it is right not to . . . do anything that makes your brother stumble."58
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Bookcat
Guest
From the Catechism (my emp added):
1806 **Prudence **is the virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it; "the prudent man looks where he is going."65 "Keep sane and sober for your prayers."66 Prudence is “right reason in action,” writes St. Thomas Aquinas, following Aristotle.67 It is not to be confused with timidity or fear, nor with duplicity or dissimulation. It is called auriga virtutum (the charioteer of the virtues); it guides the other virtues by setting rule and measure. It is prudence that immediately guides the judgment of conscience. The prudent man determines and directs his conduct in accordance with this judgment. **With the help of this virtue we apply moral principles to particular cases without error and overcome doubts about the good to achieve and the evil to avoid. **
1806 **Prudence **is the virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it; "the prudent man looks where he is going."65 "Keep sane and sober for your prayers."66 Prudence is “right reason in action,” writes St. Thomas Aquinas, following Aristotle.67 It is not to be confused with timidity or fear, nor with duplicity or dissimulation. It is called auriga virtutum (the charioteer of the virtues); it guides the other virtues by setting rule and measure. It is prudence that immediately guides the judgment of conscience. The prudent man determines and directs his conduct in accordance with this judgment. **With the help of this virtue we apply moral principles to particular cases without error and overcome doubts about the good to achieve and the evil to avoid. **
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Bookcat
Guest
Shondrea has some good points in her post…
A person who has a difficulty with scruples needs to follow he confessor…and the principles he give him…(only in the case where he would tell him something manifestly wrong…like ‘contraception is ok’ …would this not be good)
A person with scruples will be ‘doubtful’ about many things…or at least in certain areas of life. But these doubts are not real doubts…they are more fears. So they need to learn to resist such…to stand firm against them…with the help of their confessor…such sources as the Catechism…various principles for scruples etc…
This for a person with scruples or a tendency there too…is PART of PRUDENCE …for they need this advice (and part of prudence can be seeking the right advice) and need to make use of the principles given them so they may set aside their scruples…and be able to live by their ‘real and informed conscience’ not the fears that cling to them…
They will still need to use “prudence” but for them that prudence will involve particular things…but with time this can become more connatural…more second nature …and thus prudence will be more agile in directing them to how to live the true and the good by the Holy Spirit…
A person who has a difficulty with scruples needs to follow he confessor…and the principles he give him…(only in the case where he would tell him something manifestly wrong…like ‘contraception is ok’ …would this not be good)
A person with scruples will be ‘doubtful’ about many things…or at least in certain areas of life. But these doubts are not real doubts…they are more fears. So they need to learn to resist such…to stand firm against them…with the help of their confessor…such sources as the Catechism…various principles for scruples etc…
This for a person with scruples or a tendency there too…is PART of PRUDENCE …for they need this advice (and part of prudence can be seeking the right advice) and need to make use of the principles given them so they may set aside their scruples…and be able to live by their ‘real and informed conscience’ not the fears that cling to them…
They will still need to use “prudence” but for them that prudence will involve particular things…but with time this can become more connatural…more second nature …and thus prudence will be more agile in directing them to how to live the true and the good by the Holy Spirit…
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shondrea
Guest
Thanks for the back-up, Bookcat!
One more thing about doubting and scruples, OP. Scurpulous doubters doubts their doubts. Sound like a ring? Well, it’s easier to understand, really.
A scrupulous person may be about to do an activity or make a choice. Their inner voice tells them, you shoudn’t do this…is MIGHT be a sin…it could be wrong…Now, if the scrupulous person has started to aknowledge they are scrupulous, you might say the prudent thing to do is to set aside the doubts, because they are unfounded. And the scrupulous person may do just that. They may tell their doubts, away with you! You’re silly!
But theeeen…the voice says, You aren’t reeeeally doubting. You just want to CONVINCE yourself that you’re doubting, make yourself BELIEVE you’re scrupulous, so you don’t have to listen to your conscience! You’re trying to make yourself feel better about doing something that could be sinful!
Scruples are fun.
One more thing about doubting and scruples, OP. Scurpulous doubters doubts their doubts. Sound like a ring? Well, it’s easier to understand, really.
A scrupulous person may be about to do an activity or make a choice. Their inner voice tells them, you shoudn’t do this…is MIGHT be a sin…it could be wrong…Now, if the scrupulous person has started to aknowledge they are scrupulous, you might say the prudent thing to do is to set aside the doubts, because they are unfounded. And the scrupulous person may do just that. They may tell their doubts, away with you! You’re silly!
But theeeen…the voice says, You aren’t reeeeally doubting. You just want to CONVINCE yourself that you’re doubting, make yourself BELIEVE you’re scrupulous, so you don’t have to listen to your conscience! You’re trying to make yourself feel better about doing something that could be sinful!
Scruples are fun.
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Bookcat
Guest
your welcome.
good description of what can happen with scruples.
there can be sort of an existential difficulty to know one knows…or at least to trust that one does. The conscience is overrun by fear…
Which is why it is good to have a confessor and to learn to stand firm against the scruples “with a firm foot” as one writer noted…to turn doubt against doubt even
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