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Inappropriate Music


PhuturePriest

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PhuturePriest

Is it a mortal (or venial) sin to listen to songs that are sexually inappropriate? Obviously a line is drawn between how explicit the song is, but I find the line to be difficult to identify. Is it only a sin if it's a temptation for you, or is it a mortal (or venial) sin in general regardless of its explicitness?

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Basilisa Marie

Obviously it really depends on what we're talking about. It could be a mortal sin, if we're talking about lyrics that are pornographic. Porn comes in more forms than watching people engage in sex acts. If it's not pornographic, listening to sexually explicit music generally isn't a mortal sin. But it can be a mortal sin is if it's an occasion of (mortal) sin for you - for example, if you know that when you listen to music like that you usually fall into some kind of sexual mortal sin. It'd also be more of a serious sin if a person specifically listens to it because it's sexually explicit, or because they're not supposed to (especially if they're young and listening to it as an "up yours" to their parents). Because then you're violating the sixth AND fourth commandments. 

This is one of those situations where I find the distinction between mortal and venial sins really unhelpful, and the concept of virtue ethics much more helpful. Categories of sin don't give us enough tools to talk about what's going on here. Virtue ethics is exactly what it says, approaching our actions and choices from the perspective of developing virtues. Listening to sexually explicit music clearly doesn't develop the virtue of chastity. The more it wears down your good habits of chastity the more sinful it is for you. Whether or not listening to the music officially "counts" as a mortal sin is approaching the question from the wrong angle. 

The "line" is usually hard to identify. But a good general rule is that you shouldn't listen to it if it feels wrong, uncomfortable, dirty, etc. and you shouldn't do things that encourage you to push that "line" back towards things that are more sinful. 

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MarysLittleFlower

The article on Catholic Encyclopaedia identifies two types of occasions of sin - proximate and remote. Proximate occasions of sin seem to be those that either draw most to sin OR have drawn you to sin in the past. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11196a.htm. we have a duty to avoid proximate occasions of sin.

Sexually explicit lyrics can easily become a temptation for most and it makes sense to classify this as a proximate occasion of sin. The article doesn't go into when its mortal or venial... Possibly this is found in moral manuals in more detail.. But Basilisa Marie brought up a good point that it might not be a helpful question. Ultimately Our Lord died for every sin even the most venial cost Him His Precious Blood.

Venial sin is still an offense against God that is serious even if its not mortal. If we see a venial sin we should resolve to get rid of it and not excuse it because its venial. You might not be doing this but its easy to fall into and thinking "oh i will be forgiven, its venial", which leads to presumption. The Saints took venial sin very seriously.

I think if you are able to remove yourself from the music, it would be a good thing to do so -if you get thoughts that maybe its a venial sin so you don't strictly have to - it could help to remember that we do have to remove ourselves from proximate occasions of sin whether mortal or venial, and also that if God is pleased with an action, we should choose that action even if the alternative is a minor imperfection. So much more if its a sin.

I'm not necessarily saying this about you because maybe you asked with only an academic interest - but just in case others are reading who are struggling with this, the article on occasions of sin can be helpful. As our duty is to become Saints and please God, not just avoid hurting Him in the worst ways. Venial sin offends Him too. We can perhaps think "what would God, the one i love and follow, think about this song?" If its clear He would be displeased, we would be right to be displeased too. In other words to love what He loves and hate what He hates. God bless you

Edited by MarysLittleFlower
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