Jul 11 Fri
How bad is sin?
The ideology of liberalism proclaims the absolute autonomy of man with complete independence from God. Hence, the rejection by many of any reference to universal principles that could threaten the "freedom" of man who believes he has the right to act as he wishes, as long as it does not affect others.
However, anyone who denies his total dependence on God and rebels against His law does not free himself, but embraces the slavery of sin. The moral degradation of our society is due precisely to the rejection of the notion of sin as an absolute moral transgression. If, at all, they consider it as an error of judgment, or a defect of character that can be corrected with human forces alone, and whose consequences, in the worst case, only affect ourselves.
This vision, contrary to the perennial teaching of the Church, also shows a total ignorance of human nature. Hence, the corruption in which we have lived for decades, far from bringing true progress, has caused a large part of society to adopt sinful behaviors habitually, calmly, and without any remorse.
Thus, divorce has increased to an alarming level; many engaged couples live together before getting married and they do so without the slightest sense of guilt or shame and, not infrequently, with the approval of their parents; some married couples use contraceptives without questioning whether or not such methods are moral; the Sunday precept is not fulfilled, and then some receive communion without confessing or thinking twice; and dangerous New Age movements are fervently accepted by many Catholics as a "complement" to their spiritual life.
John Paul II warned about it: "The greatest sin in the world today consists in that men have begun to lose the sense of sin. This loss is a result of the denial of God: not only among the atheists, but also among the secularists. To sin is not only to deny God; to sin is also to live as if He did not exist; it is to erase Him from one's daily existence."
We must recognize that sin always affects society, for it is the source of all human ills and sufferings. Moreover, man's rebellion against God is the greatest of all possible evils. Hence, the saints affirm that it is better to die than to sin.
Likewise, sin weakens the will, clouds the reason, and enslaves the passions, so many saints say that if we could see the horrible effects of sin on our powers, we would sin no more.
As St. Augustine points out: "There are many who love their sins and many also who confess them. Whoever confesses them and accuses himself of them is reconciled with God. The beginning of good works is the confession of bad works."
Sin is an obstacle to salvation, so we must not only avoid sin but also every occasion of sin.
The struggle against evil is tough, and although man cannot free himself from sin by his own powers, what is impossible for man is not impossible for God, for with His grace it is possible not only to free us from sin, but to live a holy life doing His will.
Some excerpts from Angélica Barragán