When do thoughts become sin?

[LotusCarsLtd]

I was recently watching TV when a rather violent movie came on. The particular scene in question involved a criminal who tied an associate to a chair and then proceeded to inject him with potassium to cause him to die of a heart attack, all while the criminal’s other associate looked on (doing nothing except to complain and later attempt to revive the man who had been injected). I will admit that it was a rather disturbing scene.

The thought of the scene popped into my head a while later, and I indulged the thought, thinking of what I would do if I was present in the room at the time (pull a pistol on the criminal and shoot him before he could harm the man who was tied down). I started thinking of the best way to approach the matter if I was there.

I then realized that this wasn’t a wholesome thought and banished it from my mind, only to have a similar thought several minutes later (which I also briefly indulged in).

Looking back on the incident I realized that these thoughts were wrong and it was wrong for me to indulge them, but I am unsure if they were mortal sins or not.

Under what circumstances are indulged thoughts sinful (especially mortal), or are indulged thoughts not capable of being mortal? I am also unaware if I was aware of the gravity of the offense at the time I indulged the thoughts; I may have been half aware but I cannot remember clearly anymore. I just want to see if it was wrong for me to receive Communion today.

Pax Tecum.

 

[Ruthie]

If the thoughts tempt you to actually do what you are fantasizing about, (that is, find a crime in progress and shoot the perp) and you dwell on them long enough to strengthen that temptation, then you should probably take them to confession.

I doubt that they are mortal sin, but that’s between you and your confessor.

I doubt you are the only person who has this kinds of thoughts. In fact, I know you’re not! I have similar thoughts, quite often. I laugh at myself and call them my “Ruthie the hero” fantasies.

God bless you,

Ruthie

 

[baltobetsy]

How can it be a sin to go over in your mind how to handle a difficult and disturbing moral situation? As long as it’s an intellectual exercise and not some perverse way of attaining pleasure, it does not seem wrong at all to me.

Betsy

 

[Starwynd]

Because it’s temptation. There is no difference between thinking the sin and doing the sin, they are both one and the same.

 

[redrosetea]

It sounds to me that you were looking for a sloution to a problem and came up with the way God wants you to behave

If doesn’t sound like you thought murder was a solution…we all are faced with situations that we must use our moral training to handle

I don’t think you were entertaining thoughts of actually murdering this man

 

[baltobetsy]

Because it’s temptation. There is no difference between thinking the sin and doing the sin, they are both one and the same.

Temptation to what? Thinking and doing what sin? OP was considering a difficult situation and trying to find the ideal way to behave in that situation. Where is the sin?

Betsy