Stealing Music

[morostheos]

After I went and deleted all of the songs I had illegally downloaded, I foudn lots of free, legal music to download on the internet and have been building my music collection with that since then. It's amazing how many tracks artists put up themselves on their websites or are put on other websites with the artists' explicit permission.

[Noel's angel]

My friend has asked about 6 priests (very holy, orthodox ones) about this and all have said it is not a mortal sin.

[curtins]

Again, I don't illegally download music, I stopped a few years back after learning it was stealing and because its a mortal sin. I too was like oh carp when I had to throw out all my burned cds and rebuild my entire music collection. However, I've done it (half.com - used cds). I'm just wondering, for the sake of wondering, not because I'm gonna start doing it again, whether its a mortal or venial sin. I have absolutly no intention of doing it again. I don't want to be a part of the movement that is driving cd prices to 20 bucks a pop.

[viking]

After reading what you said Theologian in Training, and after a lot of prayer, I finaly had the courrage yesterday to delete all of my pirated movies, tv series, programs and music, all that was illegal on my computer. I had to delete a lot of things I know I will never afford to buy, but I would rather not have it since it is stealing. The worst part was to delete all the good music, now I have started to buy a couple of albums from itunes store to make up for the loss.

[Sojourner]

[quote name='viking' post='1179201' date='Jan 29 2007, 04:09 AM']
After reading what you said Theologian in Training, and after a lot of prayer, I finaly had the courrage yesterday to delete all of my pirated movies, tv series, programs and music, all that was illegal on my computer. I had to delete a lot of things I know I will never afford to buy, but I would rather not have it since it is stealing. The worst part was to delete all the good music, now I have started to buy a couple of albums from itunes store to make up for the loss.
[/quote]
bravo

[homeschoolmom]

[Didymus]

since I've tried to get rid of all of my shared files, I pretty much find it easier to just buy it on one of the online music stores. It might just be laziness, but i'd rather pay 88/99cents (or whatever it is) on a store that I have an account with, then go through searching for a whole intact share file on limewire or wherever. Its more organized, and if the file is not intact, then you can complain to the source, since you payed for it anyways.

Edited January 29, 2007 by Didymus

[prose]

I don't believe file sharing is a sin for Canadians.

I have many threads on this. In Canada we pay a tax on all blank CDs that is supposed to go to artists. I don't think it is theft at all.

[LouisvilleFan]

[quote name='HisChild' post='1153226' date='Dec 31 2006, 11:56 PM']
It's still breaking one of the 10 Commandments. . . that's like saying 'but I only lusted after her/him in my heart, so it's not as bad, because we never did anything'. Jesus did say that if you've lusted after her/him in your heart, it's still adultery. Capisce?
[/quote]

Well, every sin in some way breaks most of the Ten Commandments. What about driving 5 mph over the limit? Or is it only sinful at 10 mph over? 15 mph? Depending on the amount of traffic and road conditions? Shouldn't the Catechism spell all this out so I know exactly how fast I can drive without committing a mortal sin?

If every sin of Lust is a mortal sin, even thoughts that are never acted upon, I wouldn't be able to attend Mass without committing a mortal sin. So it's like I'm damned if I do, damned if I don't, eh?

[morostheos]

Just to clarify - lustful thoughts themselves aren't a sin at all - only consenting to them and entertaining them is.

Anyway, back to stealing music.....

[viking]

It is incredible how little I have missed the goods once I got rid of them :-) Thanks for all the support!

[LouisvilleFan]

[quote name='morostheos' post='1179427' date='Jan 29 2007, 03:32 PM']
Just to clarify - lustful thoughts themselves aren't a sin at all - only consenting to them and entertaining them is.

Anyway, back to stealing music.....
[/quote]

But is it a mortal sin to entertain thoughts? That's the point I was getting at because someone earlier was trying to argue that downloading music that you didn't pay for is a mortal sin because it's stealing, which breaks one of the Ten Commandments. So my point is, if we're going with that logic, it's nearly impossible to go through a day without committing mortal sin.

[Guest Aragorn34]

I've been downloading things over the internet for over a year, but only yesterday morning did it occur to me that it might be a mortal sin. Since then, I've done my research, and have come to the conclusion that it is in fact a sin. This afternoon I deleted all the music, movies, and software on my hard drive that I had obtained illegally. I want to know: Am I guilty of a mortal sin? Because I think you have to be aware that what you are doing is seriously wrong (which I was not) for it to constitute a serious sin. Am I [b]obliged under pain of sin[/b] to confess it?

Edited April 3, 2007 by Aragorn34

[Sojourner]

[quote name='LouisvilleFan' post='1181383' date='Jan 31 2007, 12:02 PM']But is it a mortal sin to entertain thoughts? That's the point I was getting at because someone earlier was trying to argue that downloading music that you didn't pay for is a mortal sin because it's stealing, which breaks one of the Ten Commandments. So my point is, if we're going with that logic, it's nearly impossible to go through a day without committing mortal sin.[/quote]
there is a distinction between a thought entering your head, and you making the conscious decision to entertain the thought.

same as there is a distinction between the thought of stealing entering your head, and you consciously going through the steps to steal something.

My understanding is that once the will is involved, then you enter the realm of possibility of mortal sin. Whether or not it is grave matter may be the real issue here, in my opinion.

(I'm hoping I haven't contradicted anything I posted earlier in the thread )

[quote name='Aragorn34' post='1228841' date='Apr 3 2007, 05:30 PM']I've been downloading things over the internet for over a year, but only yesterday morning did it occur to me that it might be a mortal sin. Since then, I've done my research, and have come to the conclusion that it is in fact a sin. This afternoon I deleted all the music, movies, and software on my hard drive that I had obtained illegally. I want to know: Am I guilty of a mortal sin? Because I think you have to be aware that what you are doing is seriously wrong (which I was not) for it to constitute a serious sin. Am I [b]obliged under pain of sin[/b] to confess it?[/quote]
I'd say, if you feel that you should confess it, then confess it. Can't hurt. Might help.

[got2luvjc]

I downloaded music when I was probably 12 or 13, and I assume it now that it was illegally, but I wasn't aware or considered the possibility of it being illegal at the time, all I knew is that this given program gives me the songs I like. I think that tonight I will confess it though, because although I didn't mean to be illegal, I was.

(plus, when you're 12 or 13, you're not always aware of laws and the background of everything.)

I want confess it, though it may / may not be mortal, because I did something I shouldn't have. I mean, if I ran over someone's cat with my car, I'd still apologize, even though I didn't mean to and I didn't go out of my way to hit it. I'd still feel bad, and I'd want to make amends. Ya kno?

Edited April 3, 2007 by got2luvjc