Mortal sins?

[Machiavelli]

Which acts are regarded as mortals sins?

What exactly does this mean?

What happens if you can't remember committing mortal sins?

 

[Irenaeus]

Machiavelli,

A mortal sin is a grave offense against God's law done with full knowledge of what you are doing and a consent of the will to do that thing.

There are several acts regarded as mortal sins, almost all mortal sins stem from a serious violation of both the natural law and/or God's divine revealed law. The surest teacher of what is a mortal sin is the new Catechism, which draws from 2,000 years of Scripture and Apostolic Tradition, and the moral theology that comes from them both. The Catechism comes from the Magisterium, which we believe is an infallible expositor of the deposit of faith handed down to us from the apostles.

Many mortal sins can be found in the Ten Commandments and the Moral law in the Five Books of Moses. Many of those commandments which command the physical death of someone often prefigures and symbolizes that such acts kill the soul, as mortal sin does, seperating it from it's life, which is in God.

If you can't remember committing mortal sin, don't worry about it. Be sure your conscience is as informed as possible and be at peace about it.

 

[stray bullet]

Which acts are regarded as mortals sins?

What exactly does this mean?

What happens if you can't remember committing mortal sins?

Irenaeus did a good job of covering this. Since you are asking the Catholic section, I figure you probably want to understand it and its relevance from the Catholic perspective.

Mortal sins are basically like times we've walked away from God. We can think of venial sins as times we have walked back a few steps. It is quite different to lose your temper than it is to cheat on your spouse when you know how wrong it is.

For us Catholics, we can be completely forgiven of these sins by confession. We see a priest and to him admit we committed them, we have a desire to never do these sins again and a true regret for them. Just because you are a Christian doesn't mean you are going to stop from committing mortal sins. People might find themselves slipping up a few times, even after they have been baptized in their faith.

I think confession is wonderful because it doesn't leave Christians feeling they have slipped up since become Christians, so it doesn't matter as much if they do it again. In other words, "I got drunk after becoming a Christian, so I feel like doing it again isn't as horrible". Confession, to me, is sort of a re-baptism, a place and time to start over.

It doesn't matter if you can't remember all the times you have committed mortal sins. All that matters to us is a regret for it and a desire to never commit them again.

 

[Machiavelli]

Ahh, thanks for your answers. Actually, I was of the impression that the concept of "mortal sins" was an exclusively Catholic phenomenon. Typically speaking, Protestants just see all sins as being pretty much the same.

I know there have been times that I have wanted to go to Confession, but unfortunately, I'm a Protestant, so I guess I'm not allowed.

 

[stray bullet]

Ahh, thanks for your answers. Actually, I was of the impression that the concept of "mortal sins" was an exclusively Catholic phenomenon. Typically speaking, Protestants just see all sins as being pretty much the same.

Well, Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans and Lutherans believe in mortal sin and confession. You are likely to find other Christians who believe in mortal sin, because it has been a traditional concept.

I know there have been times that I have wanted to go to Confession, but unfortunately, I'm a Protestant, so I guess I'm not allowed.

Maybe someone can elaborate more on this, but that isn't necessarily true. I am not Catholic (that is, a member of the Catholic Church), but I went to confession for the first time recently and it was perfectly fine. I do know that in order to receive confession, you need to be baptized, but you don't need to be a member of the Church yet. I have no idea how it works out in your situation though, you can always ask.

I am glad to have it though. It was like going to God about our relationship, admitting what I did wrong, that I was sorry and wanted to start over. It is a whole different experience from when I was a protestant and said I was sorry and asking forgiveness in prayer. Here before God and man I was humbling myself and seeking complete forgiveness for my worst sins and making a commitment to leave it behind. Having confession in my life isn't easy for me as a human, but is great for me as a Christian.

 

[Machiavelli]

I believe that I was actually baptised in a Catholic Church as a baby, when my mother was still Catholic. I don't know if this is significant.

I wonder about all the kinds of the sins that Priests hear - it must be a rather extensive list.

 

[stray bullet]

I believe that I was actually baptised in a Catholic Church as a baby, when my mother was still Catholic. I don't know if this is significant.

Well, there is only one baptism in the eyes of Church. In that sense, we are all Catholic. However, I had no idea how confession works for people not in the process of rejoining the Church. I imagine many priests would probably love to help, but I am not sure how official Church policy holds.
If you really do feel pulled to it, you should consider looking into it, might even let them know you were baptized in the Church. I remember going to confession and realizing how happy that probably made God- to realize His son (me) wanted to come back to Him like that... I imagine He would love any of His children doing the same.

I wonder about all the kinds of the sins that Priests hear - it must be a rather extensive list.

So many that I am sure the priest that heard me this weekend probably couldn't recall them if he tried. As interesting as that might be, I think it would also be the hardest part of their job.

 

[Aaron-Aggie]

Maybe someone can elaborate more on this, but that isn't necessarily true. I am not Catholic (that is, a member of the Catholic Church), but I went to confession for the first time recently and it was perfectly fine. I do know that in order to receive confession, you need to be baptized, but you don't need to be a member of the Church yet. I have no idea how it works out in your situation though, you can always ask.

Can. 959 In the sacrament of penance the faithful who confess their sins to a lawful minister, are sorry for those sins and have a purpose of amendment, receive from God, through the absolution given by that minister, forgiveness of sins they have committed after baptism, and at the same time they are reconciled with the Church, which by sinning they wounded.


The basic requiments for absolution taken from above would be
1. Baptisim. Obvousliy sincec baptism cleanses all sins there is not a spitrual cleaning need for absolution before hand. Now there can be psyhlocigal benfits so many priest will hear your confession before your planed bapitism with you haveing the understanding the absolution will come as part of baptisim not confession.

2. One must be sorry for those sins and have a purpose of amendemnt
3. Part of that attnent to amend is an attnet to be reconciled with the Church.

So while stray is not an offical member of the church, he has already demistrated is desire to reunite with God and his Church. So absolution is availbe to him to help him make the journey of reuniting.

Absolution to someone who has no desire to reunite with the church would not be valid for several reason. Mainly the priest has no authoirty over them because they have yet to submit to the authoirty provided by god to the church in such matters.