Are there degrees of sin

[Brother Bread]

I often hear "Sin is sin". but killing is worse than stealing candy.Will not God punish one more than the other.

 

[Chrystal-J]

I don't know much about that, but perhaps that's where purgatory factors in.

 

[judechild]

You are right, there are degrees of sin. On the positive side, there are also degrees of love. This is one area where the distinctions of Catholicism are very consummate with life. We intuit that some sins are worse than others, and the Church categorizes our intuition in the form of mortal and venial sin; I imagine you are familiar with that distinction. All sin is evil, but some sins are more damaging and destructive than others.

Similarly, we also intuit acts of love being different in degree; all are good, and some are more helpful and life-giving than others. That is where the idea of "merit" comes in, whereby our actions have value and meaning for the building up of the Kingdom of God and our neighbor. The greatest act of love is altruistic: "There is no greater love than this: to lay down one's life for a friend." self-sacrificing love is the ultimate act of unity with God Himself, who gave His own life for human persons. Hence, because of a very incarnational understanding of morality, the Church offers helpful distinctions between mortal and venial sins, and between love and the love present in heroic virtue.

 

[WarriorAngel]

As St John explained - sins unto death and sins not unto death.

Yes some are worse than others...
The sins that are deadly are the 7.
[And they are the ones that lead to disobeying the laws of God - 10 commandments] because they lack love for God and others.



Pride is excessive belief in one's own abilities, that interferes with the individual's recognition of the grace of God. It has been called the sin from which all others arise. Pride is also known as Vanity.

Envy is the desire for others' traits, status, abilities, or situation. Coveting. Can lead to many sins of bearing false witness.

Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than that which one requires.

Lust is an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body.

Anger is manifested in the individual who spurns love and opts instead for fury. It is also known as Wrath.

Greed is the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual. It is also called Avarice or Covetousness.

Sloth is the avoidance of physical or spiritual work.

 

[facingeast52]

I personally think that murder is a worse sin that lying about eating the last cooky..

 

[New Legacy]

I often hear "Sin is sin". but killing is worse than stealing candy.Will not God punish one more than the other.

God is not about 'punishing' sin. He wants to heal us of the sins which separate us.

Some sins, and are knowledge and willingness to participate in them harm us more than others.

 

[football5680]

Sin is sin but there are different degrees.

If you see a Christian brother or sister sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death. (1 John 5:16-17)

 

[Athanasias]

I often hear "Sin is sin". but killing is worse than stealing candy.Will not God punish one more than the other.

Yeppers. Some sin is mortal or unto spiritual death and some is not see 1 John 5:16-17

 

[AMDG]

Yeppers. Some sin is mortal or unto spiritual death and some is not see 1 John 5:16-17

Yep. Agree. Some sins are like a "total break" while others are like a "hairline fracture". Obviously the "total break" is worse than the "hairline fracture" and both require healing.

 

[facingeast52]

Yep. Agree. Some sins are like a "total break" while others are like a "hairline fracture". Obviously the "total break" is worse than the "hairline fracture" and both require healing.

I like the way you put that..