Can an Atheist Commit Mortal Sin?

[Francis]

I dunno about that. If someone's mother tells her son that he is not allowed to jump on the bed, and then he does, he gets in trouble, right? But, if he has a friend over, and they both do, doesn't the mother tell the child's friend that it's okay, since he didn't know the rules? Atheist know the rules, but they don't KNOW them, if you catch my drift. I really don't know how to say it... Peace.

 

[Makaveli]

I dunno about that. If someone's mother tells her son that he is not allowed to jump on the bed, and then he does, he gets in trouble, right? But, if he has a friend over, and they both do, doesn't the mother tell the child's friend that it's okay, since he didn't know the rules? Atheist know the rules, but they don't KNOW them, if you catch my drift. I really don't know how to say it... Peace.

If we take that line of reasoning to its logical conclusion...

I dunno about that. If someone's mother tells her son that he is not allowed to murder, and then he does, he gets in trouble, right? But, if he has a friend over, and they both do, doesn't the mother tell the child's friend that it's okay, since he didn't know the rules?

You could, of course, argue that jumping on the bed is a matter of private concern while the prohibition of murder is a well-known binding moral edict, but the point still stands that ignorance does not absolve anyone of anything. If I went to Italy and murdered someone, I can't just say "oops, my bad, I didn't know you prohibited murder; I didn't read the statutes!"

 

[maximus-Aurelius]

Regardless if they believe or not they are still going to be held accountable.
We are all created in Gods image, including on how we conduct ourselves, because God is good.

 

[Jordan St. Francis]

We maintain that, regardless of one's personal beliefs, there are certain acts which are objectively and gravely contrary to human dignity. To fail to recognize them as such means that one has perverted their innate moral sense.

 

[blackout]

and yet murder in the armed forces is acceptable? right?
(you have to know which beds you can jump on)

birth control not. masterbation not. homosexuality not.
(and which beds you can't...)

and of course a whole SLEW of sacramental do's and don'ts
unto mortal sin...

most catholics don't even know and follow their own rules.
How and WHY would you expect anyone else to?

 

[Jordan St. Francis]

Personally, I do not believe that every offense listed as mortal sin in, say, the Catechism is really innately as such. The Church's teaching authority, at times, is driven to be more precise than is possible (characteristic of Rome). I believe the Eastern Church is less stringent in its legalism in this regard.

The basic concept of mortal sin, however, is preserved in both branches of the Christian Tradition.

 

[blackout]

Personally, I do not believe that every offense listed as mortal sin in, say, the Catechism is really innately as such. The Church's teaching authority, at times, is driven to be more precise than is possible (characteristic of Rome). I believe the Eastern Church is less stringent in its legalism in this regard.

The basic concept of mortal sin, however, is preserved in both branches of the Christian Tradition.

Ok, well if you don't even expect CATHOLICS to uphold their own church's teachings on mortal sin....

I certainly assumed that by mortal sin, the original RC poster of this thread
meant mortal sin as defined by the Catechism of the Roman Catholic church.

I can't think what else the OP would be talking about?

 

[Jordan St. Francis]

Mortal sins are those which break off the channel of grace between a person and God and severely threaten the eternal salvation of their souls. I maintain this category of sin exists irregardless if one has faith in God.

What we put under that classification is, IMO, open for discussion within the Church.

 

[blackout]

The basic concept of mortal sin, however, is preserved in both branches of the Christian Tradition.

The basic concept of mortal sin IS that CERTAIN sins are mortal.
The same authority that preserves the concept of mortal sin,
ALSO tells you WHICH sins those are.
Nowhere in the catechism is anyone given the option to pick and choose.

 

[Jordan St. Francis]

The same authority that preserves the concept of mortal sin,
ALSO tells you WHICH sins those are.
Nowhere in the catechism is anyone given the option to pick and choose.

I am not interested in "picking and choosing", but I would be careful about statements like that. Tradition is not merely preserved by the Magisterium but by the entire People of God in whom the whole Deposit of Faith gestates and unfolds from its seminal implantation. Tradition is not a product of the Magisterium, nor is it under its ownership. Tradition always emerges out of the whole Church, this is what makes it Catholic, what makes it universally binding.

I give my assent to the teaching authority of the Church, of course, but not without the assent also of conscience (as no Catholic should), and not without the view in mind that the content of the Faith is never totally grasped at any specific moment by any person or Church structure- it lives in the whole Church.

 

[blackout]

I am not interested in "picking and choosing", but I would be careful about statements like that. Tradition is not merely preserved by the Magisterium but by the entire People of God in whom the whole Deposit of Faith gestates and unfolds from its seminal implantation. Tradition is not a product of the Magisterium, nor is it under its ownership. Tradition always emerges out of the whole Church, this is what makes it Catholic, what makes it universally binding.

I give my assent to the teaching authority of the Church, of course, but not without the assent also of conscience (as no Catholic should), and not without the view in mind that the content of the Faith is never totally grasped at any specific moment by any person or Church structure- it lives in the whole Church.

ok. fair enough.
Far be it for me to tell someone how to interpret their own thing. :flirt:
Really! haha....

Thank you for being so gracious with me in your forum.

~V~

 

[Francis]

I dunno about that. If someone's mother tells her son that he is not allowed to murder, and then he does, he gets in trouble, right? But, if he has a friend over, and they both do, doesn't the mother tell the child's friend that it's okay, since he didn't know the rules?

Well, there are extreme cases, but i get your point. But even though we all have consciences, do we all listen to them? And if not, is it ALWAYS our fault that they haven't been nurtured? There are some things we all know are wrong, but then, there are some we don't. Can they be held accountable for these? Peace!

 

[RomCat]

Yes. Every man has the Natural Law implanted
in his/her very being by God. It doesn't matter
whether you believe in God or not. In addition,
just the act of refusing to believe may be a
mortal sin.

 

[logician]

Yes. Every man has the Natural Law implanted
in his/her very being by God. It doesn't matter
whether you believe in God or not. In addition,
just the act of refusing to believe may be a
mortal sin.

This statement is patently false.

 

[Father Heathen]

Yes. Every man has the Natural Law implanted
in his/her very being by God. It doesn't matter
whether you believe in God or not.

So what do we need the bible for?

 

[RomCat]

The Bible is one of the means that
God reveals Himself and His commandents
to us. You will find the Moral Law as well as
the Natural Law contained in Scripture.

 

[Father Heathen]

The Bible is one of the means that
God reveals Himself and His commandents
to us. You will find the Moral Law as well as
the Natural Law contained in Scripture.

But I thought you said it was already written on every man's heart?

 

[Francis]

The Bible is for clarification and teaching. Basically, our consciences don't have the whole Bible in them. We instinctively know some basic things, but yeah... And also, i think that people who don't know cannot commit mortal sin. It is written in the Catechism specifically that you HAVE to know that it's a mortal sin for it to be a mortal sin. Peace!

 

[logician]

The Bible is for clarification and teaching. Basically, our consciences don't have the whole Bible in them. We instinctively know some basic things, but yeah... And also, i think that people who don't know cannot commit mortal sin. It is written in the Catechism specifically that you HAVE to know that it's a mortal sin for it to be a mortal sin. Peace!

So you believe in eternal punishment by an unforgiving god?

 

[Francis]

Meh, kinda. I think that it's a little bit more complicated than that, though. Peace!