Hurting Yourself And How Sinful It Is

[picchick]

[quote name='p0lar_bear' date='Aug 4 2004, 08:16 AM'] For the benefit of those who may not know....


Self-mortification for the sake of virtue should always be under the direction of a spiritual advisor. [/quote]
Right, sorry.

[Guest JeffCR07]

I would just like to stress how very important it is that the practice of self-mortification (in the interest of fostering virtue) be done exclusively under the supervision of a spiritual director. St. Francis of Assisi, who, when he was younger practiced relatively extreme forms of self-mortification, regretted it when he was much older, and even, before dying, asked his body its "forgiveness" for the things that he had done to it.

Now remember, I am in no way shape or for saying that self-mortification is a bad thing. It is not, when properly supervised. It helps us to be joined to Christ's suffering and Passion and can act as a mirror of the stigmata, which is the most powerful and real partaking of that suffering.

Dave: I think a small distinction must be made. If you are, for example, trying to ride a bike down some ridiculously steep incline, or a sled down a tree-filled ravine, and end up hurting yourself, you have not committed a sin. Personally, I think that Christ holds a special place in his heart for the rugged, fearless, kind-of-stupid kids. However, if you deliberately aiming the sled for a tree, or the bike for a wall, with the knowledge that bodily harm will come from it, this I [i]would[/i] consider a sin, because it shows a lack of reverence for the body.

It is a small difference between the two scenarios, but in the first case, the bodily harm is a side effect or, an "accident," while in the second case, it is unavoidably linked to the purpose of the action.

I think the level of sin (mortal or venial) would depend on the gravity of the situation and harm incurred upon the body.

- Your Brother In Christ, Jeff

[nikkan_hanil]

Confession: I used to hurt myself out of mental disorder...

But I think that hurting yourself for no justified reason is a sin against the fifth commandment.

"Thou Shalt Not Kill".

If you had the sole intention to hurt yourself for no reason or to harm another out of agression, that is a sin against the fif commandment.

[nikkan_hanil]

[quote name='Dave' date='Aug 3 2004, 09:26 PM'] Mortal or venial? [/quote]
Since it is not a [b]direct[/b] sin against the fif commandment I'd probably say venial.

[Madonna]

I disagree. I don't think breaking the ten commandments directly are necessarily mortal sins, and that breaking them indirectly immediately excuses it from the venial department.

[nikkan_hanil]

No, I meant breaking them indirectly would be venial. You misunderstood.

[Tora-Musume]

I don't like pain so I wouldn't hurt myself. No sin here. I don't even pinch myself to see if I am dreaming cause that would cause pain.

[Madonna]

[quote name='nikkan_hanil' date='Aug 4 2004, 08:22 PM'] No, I meant breaking them indirectly would be venial. You misunderstood. [/quote]
Thank you for catching that. And I mispoke. The last part should have read "and that breaking them indirectly immediately excuses it from the [i]mortal[/i] department.

Edited August 5, 2004 by Madonna