Is Reading Horoscopes A Mortal Sin?

[CatholicCrusader]

It's pagan... I say, yes... open up for debating

[cmotherofpirl]

I see nothing wrong with reading it if you want a good laugh

[Dave]

Reading horoscopes? Not unless it would cause you to believe in them. Then it would be a mortal sin, since believing in them is a mortal sin.

[CatholicCrusader]

Well, then, is it OK to read anti-Catholic material (for pleasure or otherwise) as long as you don't believe it?

[crusader1234]

Reading them isn't a sin... however they could be authentic (the Devil does exist contrary to popular belief) and even reading that is dangerous.

Reading them is dangerous, since its sort of opening yourself up for the Devil, so although reading them isn't sinful in itself, its something to avoid.

[MorphRC]

I say Yes, cause they exclude GOd in your life. You rely on the planets for help and 'prophesy' instead of God. If you read them for fun, just to see what junk they've come up now I see no problem, but taking them literal I do.

[Maddalena]

You shouldn't believe in them because you're putting all your trust in something besides God. If you're like, "Oh, my horoscope says I shouldn't go out today!", and you believe it, that's bad because the center of your life is those stupid horoscopes rather than God, I think. :B Correct me if I'm wrong. :3 I read them sometimes just for fun to see what it says but I certainly don't believe them. >_>

Edited August 4, 2004 by Maddalena

[StColette]

I say reading them and believing them are two different things. I was forced to read some stuff by Emerson regarding religion, just because I read it doesn't mean I believed it. So in saying that reading them all together is wrong I would say no but reading them and believing them would be wrong.

[MorphRC]

[quote name='Maddalena' date='Aug 4 2004, 04:59 PM'] You shouldn't believe in them because you're putting all your trust in something besides God. If you're like, "Oh, my horoscope says I shouldn't go out today!", and you believe it, that's bad because the center of your life is those stupid horoscopes rather than God, I think. :B Correct me if I'm wrong. :3 I read them sometimes just for fun to see what it says but I certainly don't believe them. >_> [/quote]
I agree with that.

[thicke]

I said yes....Or at least a near occasion of sin. Is looking at pornography a sin? Your intentions might be a mitigating factor. But, what good intentions would there be for looking at "prophecies" attained through divination?

[ironmonk]

It's a sin against the first commandment...



Divination and magic


2115
God can reveal the future to his prophets or to other saints. Still, a sound Christian attitude consists in putting oneself confidently into the hands of Providence for whatever concerns the future, and giving up all unhealthy curiosity about it. Improvidence, however, can constitute a lack of responsibility.


2116
All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future.48 Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.


2117
All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others—even if this were for the sake of restoring their health—are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another's credulity.

[MorphRC]

^ Ditto

[Guest JeffCR07]

[quote]Well, then, is it OK to read anti-Catholic material (for pleasure or otherwise) as long as you don't believe it? [/quote]

Yes it is, provided one use prudence and good judgement. I read all of the Gnostic Gospels (Thomas, Philip, Mary Madgalene, [i]Pistia Sophia[/i], etc) in their entirety in preparation for a couple talks that I gave on the fallicies and falsities of the book [i]The Da'Vinci Code[/i]. These books (or, in some cases, what is left of them) are not only apochryphal, but blatantly heretical. However, in light of the context, I do not believe that it was a mortal sin to read them.

I would like to point out, however, that it is always best to fortify yourself in prayer before reading or watching something that you know to be anti-catholic, and, in cases where it is not necessary/important to read/see such things, do not.

- Your Brother In Christ, Jeff

[ironmonk]

[quote name='ironmonk' date='Aug 4 2004, 08:37 AM'] It's a sin against the first commandment...



Divination and magic


2115
God can reveal the future to his prophets or to other saints. Still, a sound Christian attitude consists in putting oneself confidently into the hands of Providence for whatever concerns the future, and giving up all unhealthy curiosity about it. Improvidence, however, can constitute a lack of responsibility.


2116
[b]All forms of divination are to be rejected[/b]: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future.48 [b]Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone[/b].


2117
All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others—even if this were for the sake of restoring their health—are[b] gravely contrary to the virtue of religion[/b]. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another's credulity. [/quote]
PS....


Is reading it for "fun", rejecting it?

If we are not against it, we are not rejecting it.

How can something evil be "for fun"?

What good comes of it?

Rejecting it would be not to read it, and when others want to read you your horoscope, we tell them we don't want to hear it because it goes against the teachings of the Church.

As long as people keep reading them for fun, they'll continue to keep printing them in the papers. Kind of funny how the same people who are against the Church often embrace superstitions as such. Superstitions are for the weak minded.

God Bless,
ironmonk

Edited August 4, 2004 by ironmonk

[MorphRC]

^ Ditto.

Also if watching or reading a biblical debate, its good to have yours, preferrably with notes, and if you can afford it, a good commentary to check and read up there, so your not having doubts in your mind constantly.

[Dave]

[quote name='ironmonk' date='Aug 4 2004, 08:33 AM'] Is reading it for "fun", rejecting it?

If we are not against it, we are not rejecting it.

How can something evil be "for fun"?

What good comes of it?

Rejecting it would be not to read it, and when others want to read you your horoscope, we tell them we don't want to hear it because it goes against the teachings of the Church.

As long as people keep reading them for fun, they'll continue to keep printing them in the papers. Kind of funny how the same people who are against the Church often embrace superstitions as such. Superstitions are for the weak minded.

God Bless,
ironmonk [/quote]
Reading what your horoscope says every now and then just for a good laugh (as Cmom said) and to be like "Yeah, right!" isn't the same as reading it and then seeing if whatever was said will happen (very dangerous) or actually expecting it to happen (even more dangerous).

[cmotherofpirl]

"As long as people keep reading them for fun, they'll continue to keep printing them in the papers. Kind of funny how the same people who are against the Church often embrace superstitions as such. Superstitions are for the weak minded."


Explain to me, Ironmonk, how the newspaper knows I'm reading the horoscopes and laughing at them?

[Guest JeffCR07]

If someone who thinks it [i]is[/i] wrong could reply to my previous post, that would be great

[MichaelFilo]

[quote name='JeffCR07' date='Aug 4 2004, 08:26 AM']
Yes it is, provided one use prudence and good judgement. I read all of the Gnostic Gospels (Thomas, Philip, Mary Madgalene, [i]Pistia Sophia[/i], etc) in their entirety in preparation for a couple talks that I gave on the fallicies and falsities of the book [i]The Da'Vinci Code[/i]. These books (or, in some cases, what is left of them) are not only apochryphal, but blatantly heretical. However, in light of the context, I do not believe that it was a mortal sin to read them.

I would like to point out, however, that it is always best to fortify yourself in prayer before reading or watching something that you know to be anti-catholic, and, in cases where it is not necessary/important to read/see such things, do not.

- Your Brother In Christ, Jeff [/quote]
Jeff, you are justifying something intrinsically evil by using an example of something that is not. A heretical gospel, when read for the purpose of defending the faith cannot be considered evil. A horoscope, when read, for defending the faith, cannot be considered evil, however, the second never happens. The point being made is that, weather you read it for "fun" or not, you are still taking in things that are against our faith, and with no intention of refuting them, or making any good come out of them (as nothing good can come from a horoscope).

In regards to everyone else, if you read your horoscope, you may find yourself remembering it throughout the day. Just as pornography, even with no intention of sexual lust (however there are no other reasons to own or look at pornography purposly) will remain in your head. With that said, the fortune telling may come up in your mind as you try to prove it's reality by fitting the things that happen during the day into the horoscope (ie. It says don't go out, and you trip over a hose, you prove the horoscope by the hose). This may happen conciously or not, but the devil never had to work on a human mind on the concious level.

God bless,

Mikey.

[Guest JeffCR07]

[quote]Jeff, you are justifying something intrinsically evil by using an example of something that is not. A heretical gospel, when read for the purpose of defending the faith cannot be considered evil. A horoscope, when read, for defending the faith, cannot be considered evil, however, the second never happens. The point being made is that, weather you read it for "fun" or not, you are still taking in things that are against our faith, and with no intention of refuting them, or making any good come out of them (as nothing good can come from a horoscope). [/quote]

First and foremost, you are misrepresenting what I said. I merely said that it is not always a sin to read a horoscope, [i]not[/i] that it is ok to do so for fun, as can be clearly seen in the last paragraph of my post, which you have quoted.

On the aside, however, you are misconstruing the definition of "intrinsic" evil. Both horoscopes and heretical materials are intrinsically evil, that is, they by their very nature draw people away from the Truths of the Catholic Church. However, our culpability and sin is dependent upon our reaction to those things which are disordered in their nature.

I was not at all saying that one may read such things "with no intention of refuting them." I [i]am[/i] saying that one may read them without incurring mortal or venial sin. I could even go so far as to say that one could read them for fun or pleasure without incurring mortal or venial sin, [i]provided that fun and pleasure is derived exclusively from the mental refutation and defeat of such a thing in the light of Christ's Truth[/i].

I would like to point out again, as I did in my last post, that it is very important to use prudence and wise judgement before doing any such thing, and that it is always important to be bolstered by sincere prayer and meditation.

I hope that clears everything up.

- Your Brother In Christ, Jeff