Why is scrupulosity wrong?

[LawyersGunsAndMoney]

Maybe this will help.

Imagine you have someone who has OCD, and they’re obsessively washing their hands. Like, not just at normal times, but like every five minutes they’re scrubbing their hands to the point of being chapped and bloody. When someone advises that person to stop, they turn around and ask “What? Why are you against hygiene? Hygiene is a good thing.”

Scrupulosity is a mental illness in the same way. It’s people who are so freaked out by everything that it paralyzes them.

 

[Glennon_P]

Imagine you have someone who has OCD, and they’re obsessively washing their hands. Like, not just at normal times, but like every five minutes they’re scrubbing their hands to the point of being chapped and bloody. When someone advises that person to stop, they turn around and ask “What? Why are you against hygiene? Hygiene is a good thing.”

That’s a great analogy.

 

[JMMJ]

People always say that you need to seek help with scrupulosity but does anyone know of any church teachings or verses from the bible that imply we shouldn’t constantly be in fear of sin or constantly trying to become the “perfect Catholic”.

Is this the way you believe a loving God wants any of us to go through life here on Earth?

 

[esieffe]

Tagd

Nothing wrong with being a devoted Catholic, a serious Catholic, but think of it this way, constant fear may indicate a distrust in God’s mercy. Lord Jesus Christ I trust in you. That is from the Divine Mercy Novena.

Do your best and put your trust in the Lord. Making yourself miserable, if that is what your doing isn’t going to help. How you be an effective example for others if your a nervous wreck? [Im not saying you are] Having said all of this I have wondered about your question myself, and I am sharing that conclusion.

I hope this helps.

 

[Pug]

It only takes a single mortal sin for your soul to be lost forever

Normally it would also take refusing to repent afterwards for years and years until you die.

For acceptance into heaven aren’t we required to be as perfect as possible?

Remember about Purgatory. For those of us who are less saintly during life, we will probably go there for purification before goint to heaven.

I can’t put my finger on why, but I’m wondering if you are having a struggle with a repeated serious sin, one that you can’t seem to kick, or that perhaps you have been taught that some sin is a serious sin, but you question if you were correctly informed.

 

[Hoosier-Daddy]

I get your confusion. We should always try to be Holy and improve any way we can. And indeed saints have practiced piety that we would consider scrupulous in some cases. BUT when we find this on the CAF we are seeing either an illness that tortures the person very similar to OCD extracting all logic from the simplest situations and self accusation of a person that is indeed not only “wrong” but of the devil.

The second kind is less common but I have seen it on the boards, one of "look how holy I am that I am obsessing over this small thing. This also carries with it a judgement of others.

People can genuinely think if they accidentally say a rosary wrong and maybe forget a hail Mary they are damned. Or they can also condemn others by showing or “bragging” about their own “strictness” when it comes to the faith.

Just employing scruples is not a bad thing, in fact we are called to.

Here is the difference.
A person wants to give up meat on Friday’s all the time all meat. This is a good practice.
The person posts or worries that they flossed on a Friday and some meat from the previous dinner was accidentally swallowed and now they feel like they should go to confession before Mass…

Being “scrupulous” as we use the term is wrong because it is not the Truth and defies logic and tortures the person… this is wrong.