|
Hi, Jeremy —
Thanks for the question.
Let me first preface my reply with
what is stated on the Ask Us page:
| We
wish to make clear, the apologists
at AskACatholic.com are NOT
licensed counselors. We can
give advice, general guidelines
and opinions, but the very
best direction a person can
take is to bring their concern
to a local parish priest that
is faithful to the Holy Father
and the Teachings of the Church.
He will have the ability to
apply the total situation,
the facts, realities, nuances,
to Church Teaching and Canon
Law. |
That said,
I am sorry to hear about your scandalous
encounter with this Catholic counselor. I would strive to find another
one.
A good Catholic counselor should
not only have the appropriate medical
background but be compassionate and
understanding.
In situations like you have described,
we would remind people to separate Judas behavior from the Teachings
of Jesus passed on down through the
ages by His Church.
Before I address your other questions, let me just say many Catholics in our Church don't even know some of the basis catechetical teachings we believe and that you already know.
I admire you for seeking to find out what we believe.
You said:
- Don't Catholics teach: Judge the sin, not the sinner?
Yes, we do. The Church teaches that we should hate the sin and strive to avoid
it, but love the sinner.
There is minor sin and (major/serious) sin. For a sin to be serious it must include all three conditions:
- It must be a grave matter, like sexual sin.
- We need sufficient time to reflect upon the sin we are about to commit
and then must make the decision to sin anyway.
- We must give full consent of the will to commit the sin.
If all three are there, the person has committed mortal or serious sin but as you are alluding to: no one can know the conscience of anyone and the circumstances under which the sin was committed.
So you are correct! We can't judge the sinner but from a Catholic view, the person with a conscience that is able to reason, has to be open to knowing the truth and discerning sins from those actions or behaviors that are not sins.
Even Jesus said in the Scriptures:
6 Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.
Matthew 7:6
So we have to make judgments as to what are dogs and what is swine.
What we can't do is impute a personal judgment on a person for an apparent sinful action. None of us know what went on behind the reasoning for why that person sinned.
There is only one Person who makes these Judgments and that is the Lord Jesus at our Particular Judgment when we pass on from this life to the next one.
Our calling is to discern that purpose
and act upon it. It appears you already
know a bit about what Catholic Christians
believe. I would encourage you to
study, pray and consider talking
to a Catholic priest about your situation.
There may be a program he can direct
you to.
You said:
- Being so down on myself is not Catholic . . .
is it?
No, not at all! As you stated, we are all made in the image and likeness of Our Lord and we have a specific vocation or purpose in life. Once again, our job is, through prayer and the sacraments, to discern what that vocation is. Our Lord wants us to have nothing but a happy, fulfilling life.
That said, there are some, like you, who have medical issues which can make this difficult. This is why I stated up front that we are not licensed counselors or priests. Don't be shy or afraid to seek help if you need it. If you get a bad apple, whether it is a counselor or priest, forget him and search for another one who is compassionate and faithful to the Church.
You said:
- How much more do I have to suffer from my
condition?
Again, we are not licensed counselors or priests so we can't make any medical assessments. At least make an appointment with a local priest to discuss this issue. When making the appointment, if it makes you feel better, make sure you tell the secretary that you don't belong to any faith and are currently not interested in one but still are interested in getting counsel and advice from a priest or pastor.
In the meantime, though you may not understand reasoning behind it, try to offer your suffering up to God for His glory.
You said:
- Am I correct to say it's unbalanced of
me to judge my person as if it was identical
to the sin?
Yes!! We always have to separate the sin from the sinner.
Our human nature makes it so we will
always struggle with certain sins
and habits, but, as you rightfully
pointed out, we are intrinsically
good, very good in God's eyes. Even
when we struggle, the Lord still
loves us because He understands our
struggles more than we understand
them.
There is no need to repent
of your condition. God's ways are
a mystery to all of us. What I do know, is there is some
greater future good that the Lord
has in store for you if you follow
His Ways.
God loves you Jeremy! More than you can imagine! Even when we struggle with sin, He still loves us so lighten up on yourself.
You said:
I have schizophrenia
and no religion.
- Can you read and comprehend reading
material?
If you can, consider buying a cheap copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Hope this helps,
Mike
|
