Why is getting drunk a mortal sin?

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FuzzyBunny116

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The only reason I can think of is its an “exscuse” to reduce culpibility for more heinous crimes.
 
becuase it is willingly surrendering your god-given freedom. you ahev no right to damage your own life or freedom.
 
The Catechism says:

2290
The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine. Those incur grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own and others’ safety on the road, at sea, or in the air.

2291
The use of drugs inflicts very grave damage on human health and life. Their use, except on strictly therapeutic grounds, is a grave offense. Clandestine production of and trafficking in drugs are scandalous practices. They constitute direct cooperation in evil, since they encourage people to practices gravely contrary to the moral law.
 
people do stupid things when they’re drunk, God knows I have in the past.

There have been so many times when you hear about girls getting raped while drunk, or people sleeping together while drunk and not remembering anything, or people fighting or killing eachother because they were so out of it. When you’re drunk nothing is off limits. I’ve seen some stupid things among friends, REALLY STUPID things!

I don’t know why people like to drink to the point where they don’t remember anything, what’s the fun in that? I can see how this might be seen as the norm with some teenagers. But when you see ADULT 20 something’s and 30 something’s drunk, I can do nothing but shake my head.
 
Remember, also, what our Lord said. There are several times in the new testament where we are told to be “sober and vidgelent” if we are drunk, are we opening ourselves to the Holy spirit??? I don’t think so! I once heard that drugs and extreme alcahal use are conduate for deamons. all your defenses are down which leaves you right open to eveil inflouance.
 
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Steven87:
people do stupid things when they’re drunk
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When I got drunk, I would get very sleepy and go to sleep. Did I commit a mortal sin by getting drunk? If so, do I need to confess this from a quarter of a century ago (haven’t even touched alcohol in decades)?
 
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Steven87:
people do stupid things when they’re drunk
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When I got drunk, I would get very sleepy and go to sleep. Did I commit a mortal sin by getting drunk? If so, do I need to confess this from a quarter of a century ago (haven’t even touched alcohol in decades)?
 
Is it? I didn’t know that. So having a few glasses of wine on New Year’s and getting a little “buzz” is a mortal sin? Or is it just getting completely hammered? Didn’t Jesus turn water into wine, give wine to the disciples and drink it Himself? The Catechism quote refers to “drugs”. I wonder if this includes alcohol? Coffee??
I’m going to hell…:eek:
 
having a few glasses of wine isn’t sinful as long as you aren’t being gluttonous about it. I know I’ve drank to access before and have gone to confession for it. there isn’t a number. you need to discern for yourself how much is too much. that goes for anything. what if you sat and ate a whole cake??? wouldn’t that be sinful also?
 
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FuzzyBunny116:
The only reason I can think of is its an “exscuse” to reduce culpibility for more heinous crimes.
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Ever knew someone who died of alcohol poisoning? I have.
 
It really depends on how “drunk” you get. If you get relaxed and goofy, then no problem. But if your free will gets seriously impared,then it is a mortal sin. I think that the idea of getting a bit buzzed as being a sin was hoited upon us by puritanical Protestants and is not really part of Catholic teaching. History can attest to this.
 
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BlindSheep:
Uh oh…:eek: I’m in trouble! 😃
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Did you honestly not know it was sinful to gorge yourself on food. (especially sweet things)

Gluttony is the sin.

Confession is the answer.

👍

Confess it, and then leave it in the past.
 
I’m not so sure getting drunk is a mortal sin. I think it is ill advised, self destructive, grossly irresponsible and can very easily lead to much more serious sin, but I don’t remember ever having anyone say it was specifically a mortal sin in and of itself.

I don’t drink at all, even socially or occasionally. I never developed a taste for alchohol on any level.

I find drunks to be some what offensive but not always so. I think they may pose a danger to themselves and to others IF they truly can not control themselve when smashed. And if they become violent or they drive, I think they do commit a mortal sin.

On the other hand, alchoholism has been identified as a disease, and people suffering from a disease (such as dementia, depression or schidzophrenia -sp?) are not usually accountable for their actions.

I’m not up on canon law but it is not widely known IF drunkeness has been declared to be a mortal sin or not.
 
Again, I’ll point to gluteny which is one of the seven capatil sins

You are saying that alcahal addiction is a desease, so drunks might not be accountable for their actions. but it is a self caused desease is it not? what about addiction to pornogrophy lust, another of the seven capatil sins what if that “deseased” porn addict goes out and attacks some woman on the street? is he at fault? or is his desease? I think our culture of “everything is a desease” has caused us to lose accountability. it’s a whole new verson of “the devil made me do it”. but just like how we have to say “yes” to Jesus, we have to say “yes” to the devil in order for him to controle us.

So if someone is guilty of being glutonus with alcahal (something which I am familiar) than they should recieve the abundant grace that is waiting for them in confession. I know it was powerful for me! We should be looking at it from God’s perspective and not from our own. if it’s seriously damaging to the soul, than it’s a mortal sin. God hates when we hurt ourselves because He loves us.
 
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SueKrum:
Again, I’ll point to gluteny which is one of the seven capatil sins

You are saying that alcahal addiction is a desease, so drunks might not be accountable for their actions. but it is a self caused desease is it not? what about addiction to pornogrophy lust, another of the seven capatil sins what if that “deseased” porn addict goes out and attacks some woman on the street? is he at fault? or is his desease? I think our culture of “everything is a desease” has caused us to lose accountability. it’s a whole new verson of “the devil made me do it”. but just like how we have to say “yes” to Jesus, we have to say “yes” to the devil in order for him to controle us.

So if someone is guilty of being glutonus with alcahal (something which I am familiar) than they should recieve the abundant grace that is waiting for them in confession. I know it was powerful for me! We should be looking at it from God’s perspective and not from our own. if it’s seriously damaging to the soul, than it’s a mortal sin. God hates when we hurt ourselves because He loves us.
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Not sure if alcholisim is “self-inflicted”. I would think you may get some arguments about that. I’m not that up on the issue to debate it.

I don’t excuse anything. BUT I don’t have that problem nor will I judge those who do.

Folks who are gluttonous, willingly do so. I’m not sure that applies to the alchoholic. One drink and they physically can not stop.
 
You’re right, but they didn’t wake up an alcahalic. they started drinking at some point of their own free acord and it becomes out of controle. My husband’s father is an alcahalic, but I’m sure when he was 15 years old, he was not one. He became one as a result of his own actions. now I know a lot of people say that some people are “born that way” and I can’t argue that because I’m not a psychologest, but our tendancies don’t rule us. God made us in HIs immage with a free will and with a concience to know what is right and what is evil. it’s our society that has messed up the formation of that concious. in my opinion anyway.
 
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wcknight:
I’m not so sure getting drunk is a mortal sin. I think it is ill advised, self destructive, grossly irresponsible and can very easily lead to much more serious sin, but I don’t remember ever having anyone say it was specifically a mortal sin in and of itself.

I don’t drink at all, even socially or occasionally. I never developed a taste for alchohol on any level.

I find drunks to be some what offensive but not always so. I think they may pose a danger to themselves and to others IF they truly can not control themselve when smashed. And if they become violent or they drive, I think they do commit a mortal sin.

On the other hand, alchoholism has been identified as a disease, and people suffering from a disease (such as dementia, depression or schidzophrenia -sp?) are not usually accountable for their actions.

I’m not up on canon law but it is not widely known IF drunkeness has been declared to be a mortal sin or not.
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If I understand the CCC correctly, there is NOTHING that is declared to be *objectively * a mortal sin. There are many things that are declared to be objectively “grave matter” or “grave offenses” but gravity is only one of the requirements for a mortal sin. Full knowledge and full consent are also required. I would tend to think that in many, possibly most cases, that full consent is not present since alcohol is one of those things that just “creeps up” on you. Of course if one is aware of that tendency and chooses to ignore it anyway, the culpability would be greater. Even then however, addictions and compulsions can decrease culpability.

Regardless, none of us has the ability to declare anything that anyone does to objectively be a mortal since since we cannot know the heart and mind of any other person. We often don’t even know in oourselves, as evidenced by the frequent thread postings of “Did I commit a mortal since when I ?” I think this is quite likely why Jesus was able to say about those who nailed him to the cross (whom many of us would declare to be in mortal sin): Forgive them Father for they know not what they do.

I suspect this is also, at least in part, why the Catholic Church has never proclaimed anyone to have been condemned to hell. We cannot know one’s mind at the time, or certainly their state or what repentance might have occured prior to their death.

Peace,
 
Sir Knight:
When I got drunk, I would get very sleepy and go to sleep. Did I commit a mortal sin by getting drunk? If so, do I need to confess this from a quarter of a century ago (haven’t even touched alcohol in decades)?
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Since it doesn’t seem that you were aware that it is a mortal sin, you didn’t commit one.

I would like to hear more about this gluttony thing, though. OK, so I’ve never had a whole cake, but I do sometimes eat to the point of being stuffed. Oh, shoot… :o :rolleyes:
 
I’m surprised no one has pointed out the most obvious answer as to why drunkeness is indeed a mortal sin: St. Paul says so! Look in 1 Cor 6:
**Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

**
 
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