For Catholics only: Is this a mortal sin?

[Robbie_James_Francis]

Thats simple untrue. Stealing may or may not be a grave matter, (I've been drinking and I'm having trouble coming up with another example, sorry)

Oh, drinking, theres one: maybe it not a sin, maybe its a venial sin, maybe its mortal.

Which its is is sort situationally dependent, and partial dependent on whether a grave matter is invovled.

The chruch itself give a list of circumstances that need to taken into account that would midiagte the practice, so why the beef this always being mortal ?

I have a theory but no one really cares, so I won't go into it.

Charlie....no-one is saying that masturbation is always a mortal sin, because we must look at the culpability based on consent and knowledge. But we are saying that it is always grave matter. The gravity is not affected by either of the other two, but whether or no the sin is mortal rests on all three.

With drinking, you can drink too much and put yourself at risk, which is grave, or in moderation, which is not. Wuth stealing, you can steal a lot from a homeless person out of spite, which is grave, or you can steal a little from a rich man to feed your family, which is not. What is the qualifier for masturbation being grave sometimes and not other times?

 

[Rising_Suns]

Please just tell me if this is a mortal sin: masturbation. Just a yes or no and if so, then please tell how. I honsetly don't see why God would care about somebody quietly masturbating in their room as He would somebody going out and raping a girl because they didn't releive their sexual tensions. I wouldn't think it would be a mortal sin, just a venial one.

Is it?

Masturbation is a grave matter, so if done with full consent and knowledge it becomes a mortal sin. Anyone who says that masturbation is not grave matter does not understand the teachings of the Church.

Masturbation is intrinsicly evil, and therefore never permissible under any circumstance. One simply cannot touch in good moral conscience. It is impossible.

Blessings,

-Davide

 

[garydench]

Not automatically a mortal but if undertaken with full consent and with full knowledge, then I cannot see how it can be any other. While many priests now consider it a venial sin, it is not up to individuals but the Church to interpret and discern whether or not God considers something to be a mortal sin. Certainly during adolescence with the millions of hormones zipping around inside us (particuarly males) then there might be a lesser degree of consent and control, but either way it should still hbe confessed before a priest, just in case.

 

[rnmomof7]

This is the DENOMINATION SPECIFIC FORUM

That means that the discussion are to be closed to others outside that faith .

Because this thread was started by a Catholic I am going to specify that in the title all others please do not post in it

 

[Robbie_James_Francis]

This is the DENOMINATION SPECIFIC FORUM

That means that the discussion are to be closed to others outside that faith .

Because this thread was started by a Catholic I am going to specify that in the title all others please do not post in it

Thank you.

 

[Robbie_James_Francis]

Masturbation is a grave matter, so if done with full consent and knowledge it becomes a mortal sin. Anyone who says that masturbation is not grave matter does not understand the teachings of the Church.

Masturbation is intrinsicly evil, and therefore never permissible under any circumstance. One simply cannot touch in good moral conscience. It is impossible.

Exactly.

 

[CrystalBrooke]

uh...yeah its a mortal sin. if you want to relieve sexual tension, wait til you get married. just bc you do it in private doesnt make it any less of a mortal sin than if you were to kill someone in your own room...in private. God can still see it.

 

[New_Found_Faith]

I think arguing about this is a form of masturbation in itself.

Are you serious? If not I apologise, sarcasm is hard to detect on the internet. But if so that's simply ridiculous.

Anyway I've got a question: If someone masturbates once on say a Monday, and they can only go to confession on a Saturday, does it make a difference whether they touch everyday during that week until confession? If they go to hell anyway for commiting one sin they shouldn't care if they commmited the same sin over a million times.

 

[pax]

Anyway I've got a question: If someone masturbates once on say a Monday, and they can only go to confession on a Saturday, does it make a difference whether they touch everyday during that week until confession? If they go to hell anyway for commiting one sin they shouldn't care if they commmited the same sin over a million times.

This is a very dangerous way of thinking.

There are many different acts of contrition, but here's the one I like best:

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended thee. I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell, but most of all, because they offend you, my God, who are all good and worthy of all my love and I do firmly resolve by the help of your grace to confess my sins, to do penance, to sin no more, to avoid the near occasion of sin, and to ammend my life AMEN.

Love of God should be the motivating action behind our contrition, not only fear of Hell (not that imperfect contrition is a totally bad thing). By saying, "I'm not in a state of grace I may as well sin until I can go to confessioin," you are committing the additional sin of presumption. Presuming on God's mercy without real contrition is another sin that needs to be confessed. Confession requires sorrow for sins or else it is not valid. When we sin we try to pick the pieces back up and start over again, just because you aren't in a state of grace doesn't mean God has totally forgotten about you.

What if you died between Monday and Saturday? If (God forbid) someone were to die in the state of mortal sin I think God's mercy would be much more accessible to someone who wanted to amend their life and had been preparing all week for a holy confession than to someone who totally ignored his guilt and wasn't going to worry about confession until Saturday.

 

[New_Found_Faith]

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended thee. I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell, but most of all, because they offend you, my God, who are all good and worthy of all my love and I do firmly resolve by the help of your grace to confess my sins, to do penance, to sin no more, to avoid the near occasion of sin, and to ammend my life AMEN.

So why would masturbation offend God? It's an offense against one's own chastity, no?

What if you died between Monday and Saturday? If (God forbid) someone were to die in the state of mortal sin I think God's mercy would be much more accessible to someone who wanted to amend their life and had been preparing all week for a holy confession than to someone who totally ignored his guilt and wasn't going to worry about confession until Saturday.

Not according to the Catechism. If you break all three and die in a state of mortal sin; you go to hell. Period. Maybe hell is worse for the guy who did it more than once but it's still hell for the guy who did it once and wasn't sorry about it, right?

 

[pax]

So why would masturbation offend God? It's an offense against one's own chastity, no?

It offends God because it's a sin.

Not according to the Catechism. If you break all three and die in a state of mortal sin; you go to hell. Period. Maybe hell is worse for the guy who did it more than once but it's still hell for the guy who did it once and wasn't sorry about it, right?

I don't know about that one. If you are killed as you are driving to confession you have the intention to confess and I believe God sees that. I do believe that if you are truly repentant for your sins at the moment of death God won't hold it against you that there isn't a priest available to hear your confession.

If you have perfect contrition for your sins (you are sorry because you realize how much you have offended God and out of love for him you repent. You also intend to go to confession ASAP) your mortal sins are forgiven right there. That is in the catechism. Mortal sins can be forgiven through perfect contrition as well. On a side note, you shouldn't go to communion without confession even if you do believe you have perfect contrition...sometimes we aren't the best judges of the depth of our own repentence.

 

[New_Found_Faith]

It offends God because it's a sin.

Is it? If it doesn't offend God it isn't a sin. Why does it offend God, then?

know about that one. If you are killed as you are driving to confession you have the intention to confess and I believe God sees that. I do believe that if you are truly repentant for your sins at the moment of death God won't hold it against you that there isn't a priest available to hear your confession.

If you have perfect contrition for your sins (you are sorry because you realize how much you have offended God and out of love for him you repent. You also intend to go to confession ASAP) your mortal sins are forgiven right there. That is in the catechism. Mortal sins can be forgiven through perfect contrition as well. On a side note, you shouldn't go to communion without confession even if you do believe you have perfect contrition...sometimes we aren't the best judges of the depth of our own repentence.

My question was if they guy who dies with a single unrepentant mortal sin, does it matter if he commted the sin one or multiple times?

 

[pax]

Is it? If it doesn't offend God it isn't a sin. Why does it offend God, then?

I don't really get what you mean. All sin offends God.

My question was if they guy who dies with a single unrepentant mortal sin, does it matter if he commted the sin one or multiple times?

The punishment in Hell could be different if both would be unrepentant, but yes a single unrepentent mortal sin will condemn someone. Your original question had the person sinning daily even though he intended to go to confession the entire time. Delaying repentance is never a good idea.

 

[PetertheRock]

The rapist will receive a greater punishment in Hell, but both sinners will be there.

I am glad to know God made you judge of who is in Hell.

 

[PetertheRock]

Well, "gravely disordered" is something this is badly out of wack.

"grave matter" is something really important.

Like the coolant temperture on your car might be registering the wrong temperture by 100 degrees (gravely disordered) but the car still runs rights

But if the engine suddenly blows a piston rod through the block - grave matter.

See, not the same.



I;m not getting into some sick twisted discussion about whether masturabation is good deed or something. I am defending the stand the its not automatically a mortal sin.

I have had 2 priests tell me that it is not a mortal sin. I would take the word of priests over some yahoos on a message board who pretend to be God and know who is in Hell and who is going to Hell.

 

[PetertheRock]

uh...yeah its a mortal sin. if you want to relieve sexual tension, wait til you get married. just bc you do it in private doesnt make it any less of a mortal sin than if you were to kill someone in your own room...in private. God can still see it.

That's easy to say when you already are married. But when God hasn't blessed someone in their 30s with a wife or girlfriend what is a guy to do? The sex drive is real and the sexual tension, if not relieved will lead to other sins more than masturbating will.

I will quote one of my priests, "I am sick of people confessing masturbation. I don't want to hear it anymore. It's not a mortal sin."

 

[PetertheRock]

Now...do I believe masturbation is a sin? Yes. Of course I do. But like my priest said, I do not believe it is a mortal sin. But it is still a sin and all sin separates us from God. Therefore, whoever struggles with this sin should make an effort to stop. I also believe in going to confession for this sin. My Monsignor told me after I confessed masturbation and also confessed recieving Holy Communion unworthily because I thought it was a mortal sin, that I should not be afraid to recieve communion after commiting this sin because God's grace will work through Holy Communion and help me stop committing this sin.

I believe masturbation is on the same level as profanity, which is another sin I must work on. I also believe the clause in the Church's teaching about social factors applies because for someone who struggles with this sin, all they see in society is sex, sex, and more sex. Everything from the news to sports, to ads, to something like walking down the beach during summer, basically everything in American culture has to do with sex. Unless you cut yourself off from the world altogether you are bombarded with sex, sex, and more sex.

Our society is so perverse today it's considered freedom of expression to have a painting of a naked person hanging from your window where everyone can see it but you can't hang the 10 Commandments or a Nativity scene where people can see it.

Now, even though I used the quote from the priest I know about him not wanting to hear people confess masturbation I do not agree with him. It is at the very least a venial sin and even venial sins need to be confessed. If he has a problem hearing people's confession then he shouldn't be a priest...actually, he left the priesthood and he died a few years ago God rest his soul.

 

[pax]

But like my priest said, I do not believe it is a mortal sin.

Nearly all sins against the sixth commandment qualify as "grave matter." When done with full knowledge and full consent, it is a mortal sin.

From the Baltimore Catechism:

A. We are commanded by the Sixth Commandment to be pure in thought and modest in all our looks, words, and actions.

We should be most careful about this Commandment, because almost every violation of it is a mortal sin. For example, if you steal only a little, it is a venial sin; for in stealing the greatness of the sin will depend upon the amount you steal--. but if you do a real bad action. or think a real bad thought against the Sixth Commandment, it will be a mortal sin, no matter how short the time. Again, we have more temptations against this Commandment, for we are tempted by our own bodies and we cannot avoid them: hence the necessity of being always guarded against this sin. It enters into our soul through our senses, they are, as it were, the doors of our soul. It enters by our eyes looking at bad objects or pictures; by our ears listening to bad conversation; by our tongue saying and repeating immodest words, etc. If then, we guard all the doors of our soul. sin cannot enter. It would be foolish to lock all the doors in your house but one, for one will suffice to admit a thief, and we might as well leave them all open as one. So, too, we must guard all the senses--, for sin can enter by one only as well as by all.

If lustful thoughts can be considered mortal, I think masturbation definitely qualifies.


My personal opinion is that for most people there are enough mitigating factors to make it a venial sin (lack of psychological maturity, force of habit, etc...), however I never leave that judgement up to myself anymore (especially since mitigating factors can be a very convenient shield to hide behind...humans have a tendency to rationalize their behavior and not see sin where it exists). Better safe than sorry.

I have had 2 priests tell me that it is not a mortal sin. I would take the word of priests over some yahoos on a message board who pretend to be God and know who is in Hell and who is going to Hell.

It's not unheard of for priests to make errors. To believe it's not a mortal sin I would need documentation from some kind of authoritative source. In my experience, these "yahoos" on a message board are fairly knowledgable about Church teachings. They also generally have plenty of documentation to back up their positions. Come to think of it, I know at least two priests who have said it was a mortal sin.

 

[A Brother In Christ]

Please just tell me if this is a mortal sin: masturbation. Just a yes or no and if so, then please tell how. I honsetly don't see why God would care about somebody quietly masturbating in their room as He would somebody going out and raping a girl because they didn't releive their sexual tensions. I wouldn't think it would be a mortal sin, just a venial one.

Is it?

did Jesus Christ die for all/ your sins or not?

Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputed righteousness without works, 7 Saying, blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not count sin.

romans 6:15 what then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.


King David was a murder and adulturer..yet God calls him righteous....

Gal 5:17for the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 since if ye be lead of the spirit ye are not under law.

Gal 5:19-21 works of the flesh ...uncleaness...is masturbation


Gal 5::22-23 ..fruits from the Spirit

Gal 5:25 since we live in the Spirit let us walk in the Spirit.


if you want just catholic do to denominations...called catholics

 

[Rising_Suns]

But like my priest said, I do not believe it is a mortal sin.

Masturbation is a sin of grave matter, so it can qualifiy as a mortal sin if done with full knowledge and consent.

Blessings,

-Davide