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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Guilt	Susan	Friday, January 9, 2009
Question: Thanks for responding to my previous questions on morality and Catholic teaching. If I may also add that my friend mentioned a book called "Catholicism Without the Guilt". She claims this is where her entire argument came from (yet she still left the fold!) Are you familiar with this book, its contents and the author --and what are your comments here? Thank you.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Susan: Sorry for the delay in responding. I have not read that book, but the so-called "Catholic Guilt" has been a butt of jokes for a long time. But what is it? Well guilt is a condition in which one is guilty of a sin. This is an objective reality. Either one has committed the sin or not. Shame is being sorry for the sin that lead us to contrition and repentance. What is possibly wrong with that? What people are really talking about when they talk about "Catholic Guilt" is that the Catholic Church dares to identify sin and expects its members to avoid sin and to ask forgiveness if they do sin. The world wants to sin and want to sin without being reminded of it and certainly without feeling bad about it and pressured into confessing it and not doing it again. People who criticise "Catholic Guilt" usually advise Catholics to "chill", to "loosen up", to "relax". In otherwords, "eat, drink, and be happy", have some fun. To risk being accused of having "Catholic Guilt" and being "heavy" I am reminded of the story in the Bible: And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry." But God said to him, "You fool! This very night your soul is required of you..." (Luke 12:19-20) God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Guilt

Susan

Friday, January 9, 2009

Question:

Thanks for responding to my previous questions on morality and Catholic teaching. If I may also add that my friend mentioned a book called "Catholicism Without the Guilt". She claims this is where her entire argument came from (yet she still left the fold!) Are you familiar with this book, its contents and the author --and what are your comments here? Thank you.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Susan:

Sorry for the delay in responding.

I have not read that book, but the so-called "Catholic Guilt" has been a butt of jokes for a long time. But what is it?

Well guilt is a condition in which one is guilty of a sin. This is an objective reality. Either one has committed the sin or not. Shame is being sorry for the sin that lead us to contrition and repentance. What is possibly wrong with that?

What people are really talking about when they talk about "Catholic Guilt" is that the Catholic Church dares to identify sin and expects its members to avoid sin and to ask forgiveness if they do sin.

The world wants to sin and want to sin without being reminded of it and certainly without feeling bad about it and pressured into confessing it and not doing it again.

People who criticise "Catholic Guilt" usually advise Catholics to "chill", to "loosen up", to "relax". In otherwords, "eat, drink, and be happy", have some fun.

To risk being accused of having "Catholic Guilt" and being "heavy" I am reminded of the story in the Bible:

And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."
But God said to him, "You fool! This very night your soul is required of you..." (Luke 12:19-20)

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum