Oh, the irony.

[Miss Muffet]

I was looking up things about scrupulosity. This was one of the questions people asked:
"Is scrupulosity a sin?"

...Yeah, I'm still laughing about that one.


Has anyone seen anything similar?

 

[AlphaFoxtrot]

Yes, it is actually. In a Catholic context, the term refers to going to confess a sin you have already confessed and received forgiveness for, and your confessor has already barred you from confessing again. The idea is, by asking forgiveness again, you are failing to accept God’s mercy and power to forgive sins. It’s a very specific situation, not generally how the term scruples is used.

 

[TriBel]

Yes, it is actually. In a Catholic context, the term refers to going to confess a sin you have already confessed and received forgiveness for, and your confessor has already barred you from confessing again. The idea is, by asking forgiveness again, you are failing to accept God’s mercy and power to forgive sins. It’s a very specific situation, not generally how the term scruples is used.

Thanks for that...I thought I might have to read St Augustine! 😄

 

[Miss Muffet]

Yes, it is actually. In a Catholic context, the term refers to going to confess a sin you have already confessed and received forgiveness for, and your confessor has already barred you from confessing again. The idea is, by asking forgiveness again, you are failing to accept God’s mercy and power to forgive sins. It’s a very specific situation, not generally how the term scruples is used.

I don't really agree with that definition. I would say it's more like thinking something's a sin when it's not, possibly including feeling intense guilt over it.
Here's a great article I found on it: Never really sure ... the dilemma of scrupulosity - Catholicireland.net

 

[ILLYRIAN]

I heard that God will sit in judgement of the recently departed, that God will sit in judgement on you, should you be able to speak to God and tell him that the Catholic church has already sat in judgement on you. I think the question is how will God react to you knowingly ignoring what he will do?
Personally - ignoring what scruples you have is God going to allow anyone who decides to do what he will do into his world (heaven).
Lets see how your scrupulosity helps you in the other place.

 

[AlphaFoxtrot]

@Miss Muffet ; I would agree that's part of it, but being concerned about things that aren't sins being sins is a symptom.

@ILLYRIAN ; In Christianity, there exists a doctrine called the Office of the Keys. The short version, God has delegated the power to forgive sins of penitent sinners to his church and her ministers, which, depending on which denomination we are talking about, usually takes the form of individual or corporate confession and absolution. (Short version; The Long Version is very long) So yes, in general Christian thought, sins forgiven on Earth are sins forgiven in heaven. At least that's the ten second explanation.

 

[TriBel]

I would say it's more like thinking something's a sin when it's not, possibly including feeling intense guilt over it.

Yes but it's also worrying that God hasn't forgiven you despite what he or the church say about forgiveness. When you think about it, this kinda boils down to not having faith in God. I can see how this can be construed as a sin.

From Wikipedia: "In the 19th century, Christian spiritual advisors in the U.S. and Britain became worried that scrupulosity was not only a sin in itself, but also led to sin, by attacking the virtues of faith, hope, and charity".

"The scrupulous person, if not firmly on guard, will learn to stop trusting the Lord. This is the gravest part of scrupulosity, and leads to the actual mortal sin of despair, or total distrust in God to the point where, even if He tells you, you are not confident in your salvation". The Story of a Scrupe: Confronting Scrupulosity

 

[Anyanka Bunny Slayer]

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who had to Google "scrupulosity." I have nothing else to add to the conversation. 😇

 

[Taake]

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who had to Google "scrupulosity." I have nothing else to add to the conversation. 😇

*raises hand* I had to Google it too.

Out of curiosity, is it a very common thing in Catholicism to talk about? (Singling it out because it is what's been mentioned above)

 

[Buffy Summers]

Well, lots of people talk about "Catholic Guilt", though I'm not sure I've seen it much in practice lol

 

[TriBel]

Out of curiosity, is it a very common thing in Catholicism to talk about? (Singling it out because it is what's been mentioned above)

I don't remember it from Catechism or school (and I went to a Convent school) - but then I don't remember what I had for dinner yesterday...and I haven't been a practising Catholic for years. It makes sense that it'd be considered a sin in some quarters. TBH, I quite like the overlap between Confession and Therapy but only in an abstract sense.

Well, lots of people talk about "Catholic Guilt"

The people I know who talk about Catholic guilt always confuse it with a work ethic - which I associate more with Protestantism and Predestination.

Sigh...Religion/Theology is too confusing.