Modesty

[Atomagenesis]

I disagree, because 95% of drivers go at least 5 mph over and I have never heard of a police officer pulling someone over for going 40 in a 35. There is an unwritten exception to the law that is understood by all people!

 

[tdcharles]

I disagree, because 95% of drivers go at least 5 mph over and I have never heard of a police officer pulling someone over for going 40 in a 35. There is an unwritten exception to the law that is understood by all people!

Yep. My driving school taught me that cops usually allow drivers to go up to 9 miles over the speed limit.

 

[Kepha]

Oh okay. So it's against the law to not go with the flow of traffic?

Every situation is different. Somtimes going with the flow if it is moderately over the speed limit can lead to less accidents, however if the flow is exessively speeding, i think it would be safer to slow down. Speeding is also breaking the law and Christ wants us to obey the law as long as it is not doing anything against basic human rights we all deserve.
However, I'm not sure if that would constitue a mortal or a venial sin.

 

[Ave Maria]

Well see, a friend told me that the Catechism says to drive safely. But if you can drive safely at just 5 mph over the speed limit then why would it be a sin to go just 5 mph over the speed limit? I'm honestly quite confused. I don't want to sin but I don't want to back up traffic a mile back either which is what would happen around here if I stayed under the speed limit all the time.

 

[SOGFPP]

I disagree, because 95% of drivers go at least 5 mph over and I have never heard of a police officer pulling someone over for going 40 in a 35. There is an unwritten exception to the law that is understood by all people!

I've done it.... every cop I worked with has done it... don't mean to be rude, but in this particular case I think experience counts more than opinon.

Then, do you know if it is possible to get a ticket for driving to slow if your going the speed limit? Because my driver's ed. teacher told me that you can. And what states were you an officer in?

Yes it's possible... to maintain the "flow of traffic" means to maintain a safe speed BELOW the speed limit (that's why it's called speed LIMIT) that is not so slow as to impede other drivers....

.... you can also get a speeding ticket for going the speed limit! How? It's called "Speed to fast for conditions".... on a rainy, snowy day going the speed limit may be unsafe and you could receive a citation.

I was a police officer in MA/CO/TX and in the Army.

Scott

 

[MariaRegina]

**Ahem**.... as a former police officer, I've got to say that this is false... (in the 4 states I worked in at least)... the speed limit is the speed limit.. period.

Officer's call.

I've seen an officer pull over several cars at a time - all for speeding.

 

[Ave Maria]

I've done it.... every cop I worked with has done it... don't mean to be rude, but in this particular case I think experience counts more than opinon.

Yes it's possible... to maintain the "flow of traffic" means to maintain a safe speed BELOW the speed limit (that's why it's called speed LIMIT) that is not so slow as to impede other drivers....

.... you can also get a speeding ticket for going the speed limit! How? It's called "Speed to fast for conditions".... on a rainy, snowy day going the speed limit may be unsafe and you could receive a citation.

I was a police officer in MA/CO/TX and in the Army.

Scott

Hmmm, I guess I should keep it below the speed limit or at least try to. I just wonder if it'd be a mortal or veniel sin to speed?

 

[Ave Maria]

Mardi Gras is a Catholic festival right? If so, why is so much sinful behavior allowed at a religious festival?

 

[SOGFPP]

Hmmm, I guess I should keep it below the speed limit or at least try to. I just wonder if it'd be a mortal or veniel sin to speed?

For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must together be met: "Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent."

I think if you were speeding past a bus with it's lights on or on a street loaded with pedestrians it would be a mortal sin... otherwise, not ... I'd say.

 

[MariaRegina]

Hmmm, I guess I should keep it below the speed limit or at least try to. I just wonder if it'd be a mortal or veniel sin to speed?

Think of it this way ....


If Christ was sitting in the passenger seat, what would you do? Continue to speed (just a little) or slow down and obey the laws?

...

Now take that a step further .... and realize

Christ is within you 24/7 365 days a year.

 

[SOGFPP]

Think of it this way ....


If Christ was sitting in the passenger seat, what would you do? Continue to speed (just a little) or slow down and obey the laws?

What a wonderful way of thinking about it! I may never speed again

 

[bostonlass]

The church doesn't run Mardis Gras.......the celebration is in anticipation of the beginning of Lent...kind of like eat up and celebrate while you can since you'll be fasting and such for the next forty days.

People who do sinful things at Mardis Gras aren't doing them with the full blessing of the church. It's like any other day...some people will be sinful and some people won't. It's called free will.

 

[MariaRegina]

All sin seriously offends God.

Would you drink just a little poison?

 

[MariaRegina]

What a wonderful way of thinking about it! I may never speed again

Thanks. It took me a long time to realize this ... but one day my confessor drove it home and I repented sincerely with tears thanks to the Holy Spirit. ... I think He was working over time.

 

[Ave Maria]

The church doesn't run Mardis Gras.......the celebration is in anticipation of the beginning of Lent...kind of like eat up and celebrate while you can since you'll be fasting and such for the next forty days.

People who do sinful things at Mardis Gras aren't doing them with the full blessing of the church. It's like any other day...some people will be sinful and some people won't. It's called free will.

Well yeah I know about the free will. I wasn't trying to be smart or anything with this post. I was honestly curious. I'm sorry if I offended you somehow.

Is Mardi Gras an official Catholic holiday or is it just something a bunch of people came up with in preparation for Lent?

 

[Ave Maria]

What a wonderful way of thinking about it! I may never speed again

Wow me either! Or at least I'll try not to.

 

[Ave Maria]

Think of it this way ....


If Christ was sitting in the passenger seat, what would you do? Continue to speed (just a little) or slow down and obey the laws?

...

Now take that a step further .... and realize

Christ is within you 24/7 365 days a year.

Excellent point Aria!

 

[Maggie893]

Sin is not relative to whether we "feel" like we're sinning or to whether we determine the effect it might have on others. Nor should we comparing ourselves to others behavior to determine the morality of an action. If perfection is God and we use pure white as His color, and pure evil is Satan and we use pure black as his color. Why would comparing yourself to gray make you pure white? It only makes you think your gray is better than their gray. We should be comparing our gray to God's pure white and striving for that.

I'm not a police officer and I don't pretend to be but the signs say, Maximum speed XX and Minimum speed XX. In Maine we also have signs that say, Slow down in inclement weather. These are the laws that are in effect to keep people safe. My understanding is that they are established based on crash tests, engineering assessments of roadways and prudence on behalf of the department of transportation and the state lawmakers.

With those things in mind I don't see how anyone can look at going over the maximum speed limit as anything less than breaking the local law. I won't say that I don't do it either but I know it's not right and I certainly wouldn't tell a police officer that he can't fine me because I was only Xmph over the maximum. This is a confession item for me all too often.

As to it's gravity, we go back to the three conditions for a sin to be mortal:

"Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent."

Is it a grave matter? Well if the law of the land thinks that the maximum safe speed on the road is 65 because over that more accidents or more severe accidents occur, then I'd say it's grave matter.
Do you know you are speeding? If you look at the posted limit and you look at your speedometer, then I'd say you have full knowledge.
Are you deliberately consenting to sin? If you know you are over the posted limit and you continue to speed then my guess is yes you are deliberate consenting to sin.

Obviously, not knowing the speed limit or not being aware of your own speed would move it from mortal to venial.

If I'm off base here someone stop me but it seems logical to me.

 

[MariaRegina]

I think we have to avoid scrupulosity also.

Once I was in a torrential downpour during an El Nino year.

The cars ahead of me on the freeway were obviously very timid drivers who were afraid of rain, so they were all driving in close caravans (tailgating each other). I knew that this was a dangerous situation, so I had two choices:

Increase my speed to get around the caravan by going over to the fast lane to the left.

Stay in the slow lane on the right and possibly suffer an accident.

In California, the traffic seems to move too slow (dangerous) or too fast (extremely dangerous). There seems to be no other choices offered. And now we have road rage and drive by shooters. Pray for us.

I chose to increase my speed and moved into the fast lane with all the speed demons.

As we passed several slow caravans, we heard the news that there was a horrible pileup involving those caravans. BTW: the local airport and many roads were flooded.

My son was kept busy praying the Jesus Prayer beside me as I drove. My husband was also praying for me at home and was very worried because of the many reports of traffic accidents occurring on the same route that I had chosen.

 

[Irenaeus]

There may be cases when the law of love supercedes regular governmental law; yes, we must try to follow it at all times, but there may be exceptions, in my mind. For example, if there is a Priest who needs to speed because of a dying person who needs Extreme Unction, or maybe if you are late for work for no fault of your own.

I think there are moral principles involved which could influence the gravity of this.