Can a Christian sin without knowing?

[RileyG]

Killing invaders is not a sin. Killing one another is a sin and I am certain they have a process on how to deal with those who break their laws. But we are not talking about isolated peoples, we are talking about people like you and me who are Christians.
What I am trying to get at is this ; the Hebrew translation for sin is "missing the mark." Sin is not merely a failure to live up to a moral code, but is a conscious rejection of God's will and a deliberate action against Him. If one is unaware of the mark, they simply can not miss it. So there is no such thing as sinning out of ignorance. So far no one has given me an example of it.
Blessings

Thank you. I agree in order to truly miss the mark it must be voluntary.

Well said.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

Killing invaders is not a sin. Killing one another is a sin and I am certain they have a process on how to deal with those who break their laws. But we are not talking about isolated peoples, we are talking about people like you and me who are Christians.
What I am trying to get at is this ; the Hebrew translation for sin is "missing the mark." Sin is not merely a failure to live up to a moral code, but is a conscious rejection of God's will and a deliberate action against Him. If one is unaware of the mark, they simply can not miss it. So there is no such thing as sinning out of ignorance. So far no one has given me an example of it.
Blessings

Catechism:

1860 Unintentional ignorance can diminish or even remove the imputability of a grave offense. But no one is deemed to be ignorant of the principles of the moral law, which are written in the conscience of every man. the promptings of feelings and passions can also diminish the voluntary and free character of the offense, as can external pressures or pathological disorders. Sin committed through malice, by deliberate choice of evil, is the gravest.

IV. Erroneous Judgment

1790 A human being must always obey the certain judgment of his conscience. If he were deliberately to act against it, he would condemn himself. Yet it can happen that moral conscience remains in ignorance and makes erroneous judgments about acts to be performed or already committed.

1791 This ignorance can often be imputed to personal responsibility. This is the case when a man "takes little trouble to find out what is true and good, or when conscience is by degrees almost blinded through the habit of committing sin." In such cases, the person is culpable for the evil he commits.

1792 Ignorance of Christ and his Gospel, bad example given by others, enslavement to one's passions, assertion of a mistaken notion of autonomy of conscience, rejection of the Church's authority and her teaching, lack of conversion and of charity: these can be at the source of errors of judgment in moral conduct.

1793 If - on the contrary - the ignorance is invincible, or the moral subject is not responsible for his erroneous judgment, the evil committed by the person cannot be imputed to him. It remains no less an evil, a privation, a disorder. One must therefore work to correct the errors of moral conscience.

1794 A good and pure conscience is enlightened by true faith, for charity proceeds at the same time "from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith."

The more a correct conscience prevails, the more do persons and groups turn aside from blind choice and try to be guided by objective standards of moral conduct.

 

[Hoping2]

I was wondering if this is possible

No, it is not possible to commit a sin without knowing.
James writes..."But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (James 1:14-15)
Sin requires temptation, lust, enticement, and conception.
All that cannot occur without your knowledge.

 

[RileyG]

Catechism:

1860 Unintentional ignorance can diminish or even remove the imputability of a grave offense. But no one is deemed to be ignorant of the principles of the moral law, which are written in the conscience of every man. the promptings of feelings and passions can also diminish the voluntary and free character of the offense, as can external pressures or pathological disorders. Sin committed through malice, by deliberate choice of evil, is the gravest.

IV. Erroneous Judgment

1790 A human being must always obey the certain judgment of his conscience. If he were deliberately to act against it, he would condemn himself. Yet it can happen that moral conscience remains in ignorance and makes erroneous judgments about acts to be performed or already committed.

1791 This ignorance can often be imputed to personal responsibility. This is the case when a man "takes little trouble to find out what is true and good, or when conscience is by degrees almost blinded through the habit of committing sin." In such cases, the person is culpable for the evil he commits.

1792 Ignorance of Christ and his Gospel, bad example given by others, enslavement to one's passions, assertion of a mistaken notion of autonomy of conscience, rejection of the Church's authority and her teaching, lack of conversion and of charity: these can be at the source of errors of judgment in moral conduct.

1793 If - on the contrary - the ignorance is invincible, or the moral subject is not responsible for his erroneous judgment, the evil committed by the person cannot be imputed to him. It remains no less an evil, a privation, a disorder. One must therefore work to correct the errors of moral conscience.

1794 A good and pure conscience is enlightened by true faith, for charity proceeds at the same time "from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith."

The more a correct conscience prevails, the more do persons and groups turn aside from blind choice and try to be guided by objective standards of moral conduct.

Indeed. Some people sin and they don’t care. They think as long as they’re a good person, they will go to heaven.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

Indeed. Some people sin and they don’t care. They think as long as they’re a good person, they will go to heaven.

And some do not have the emotional intelligence to realize they are hurting other people.

 

[RileyG]

And so do not have the emotional intelligence to realize they are hurting other people.

Correct

 

[Jerry N.]

Leviticus 4:2-3 indicates that there are unintentional sins. I would assume this would include things like accidentally eating forbidden food. However, the person who ate it has sinned. This is a little different from unintentional sin, but not by much. However, was I guilty of sin when I was two years old and hit my brother in the nose with a fire truck? Is it different now when I accidentally insult somebody?

 

[RileyG]

Leviticus 4:2-3 indicates that there are unintentional sins. I would assume this would include things like accidentally eating forbidden food. However, the person who ate it has sinned. This is a little different from unintentional sin, but not by much. However, was I guilty of sin when I was two years old and hit my brother in the nose with a fire truck? Is it different now when I accidentally insult somebody?

You are aware the difference between right and wrong as an adult. That’s the difference.

 

[Jerry N.]

You are aware the difference between right and wrong as an adult. That’s the difference.

As an adult, I know insulting somebody is wrong, but the insult was unintentional. So I committed a "sin" I was unaware of. I suppose one could say that the apology was proof that I sinned, but I wonder if it was an act against God.

 

[RileyG]

As an adult, I know insulting somebody is wrong, but the insult was unintentional. So I committed a "sin" I was unaware of. I suppose one could say that the apology was proof that I sinned, but I wonder if it was an act against God.

If it wasn’t voluntary, I’m going to say no.