SINS AGAINST FAITH

Sins against Faith

 In general, any sin against Faith is a refusal to submit to God’s dominion and will, either due to proud self-sufficiency or rejection of God’s invitation. Lack of trusting self-surrender is a mixture of proud aloofness and attachment to self. Thus atheism is the rejection of God as interfering in man’s autonomy. So also secularism which is the preoccupation with merely worldly values, with no vertical reference to God as actively interested in man’s welfare. One also sins against Faith by neglecting to know, profess, spread and safeguard the Faith, or neglecting to work for the unity of Faith among Christians.

Credulity consists in accepting or defending doctrines as divine when actually they are of human origin. For example, private revelations that are actually the workings of the mind, dreams, voices and pseudo miracles.

Infidelity is committed by a non-baptised person who culpably neglects to enquire into the true faith or consciously resists the call of the true faith.

Heresy is obstinate (conscious and wilful) adherence of a Christian to an error that contradicts a divinely revealed truth. Thus, heresy can be the refusal to accept infallible declarations. It is not heresy to refuse acceptance of non-infallible teachings, though it could be disobedience and irreverence towards the magisterium. One who has solid grounds for not accepting the non-infallible teaching and can defend his point cannot be said to disobedient in an unqualified sense. There are various names for this stance: filial disobedience, critical loyalty, and loyal criticism.

Schism is the obstinate refusal to admit the primacy of the pope without, however, rejecting the teaching of the Church. Schism also occurs in breaking away from the unity of church governance or of communion.

Apostasy is complete defection from the faith by one who has received the true faith at Baptism.
Doubts about the faith, which stem from pride, discontent and resentment at divine providence, are sinful. However, not sinful are doubts that turn up in the course of an honest search for the truth. These are no real doubts but difficulties of understanding the truth.

Doubts about the faith, which stem from pride, discontent and resentment at divine providence, are sinful. However, not sinful are doubts that turn up in the course of an honest search for the truth. These are no real doubts but difficulties of understanding the truth.