Theological Flint: Does “not intending” sin make it not sin?

JMJ

Dr. Malloy pulls things together pretty well concerning when is an action sinful etc.

Very appropriate for Pachemama-Gate.

Dr. Malloy has graciously given me permission to re-post his article on Tradicat.

P^3

Courtesy of Dr. Malloy - Theological Flint

Does “not intending” sin make it not sin?

October 26, 2019

No. Acts are objectively good or evil in themselves. Acts objectively good in themselves cannot be excused by “lack of intention” or “non-intention” of their evil. An evil intention may make an otherwise good act evil. For instance, to donate money for the sake of one’s reputation is evil. The object of the act is good, but the intention is evil. So, the act is evil. But a good intention does not render an evil object good.

I cannot murder you so as to save someone else, even so as to save a city. Why? Because I first choose the evil itself, to murder you. In doing so, I become an enemy of life and an enemy of God. I am now an enemy of Christ. In such a state, I can in no way intend a good end in a holy manner. Rather, lacking holiness, I move forward easily succumbing to evil thoughts and deeds. This state does not fit with my wanting a good end in a holy manner. As St. Paul says, do not do evil that good may come. God forbid.

So, CAN WE DO THE OBJECTIVELY EVIL ACT OF IDOLATRY AND YET MAKE THE ACT GOOD BY “NOT INTENDING” THE ACT AS IDOLATRY?

Why don’t you bring that question to the old, feeble woman of Maccabees. Could she have just “eaten pork” and not intended disobedience to God? Was that the way she saw it? Good enough?

Nonsense.

Bring it up to the martyrs. Why not just burn a little incense before Caesar? By doing so, you save your life in an evil regime. You get to raise your kids in troubled times. You get to keep your job, etc. Just a little incense. Just don’t “intend” idolatry.

NONSENSE.

What is the purpose of an idol? The purpose of an idol is to be worshipped. And is that act good? No, it is evil. In all cases, evil.

ALL THOSE WHO HEAR THE VOICE OF CHRIST CRY OUT IN ANGUISH AND IN PROTEST AGAINST THE WORSHIP OF IDOLS.

Comments

The Catholic Church and the Rule of Law- Part II: Dr. John Lamont

+ JMJ This is the second article from Dr. Lamont from his lecture given in May 2014. P^3 Source Part A: Society of St. Hugh of Cluny Source Part B: Society of St. Hugh of Cluny 8 May2014 The Catholic Church and the Rule of Law- Part II By John Lamont To understand how the Jesuit conception of obedience departed from earlier conceptions, it is helpful to compare it with the teaching of St. Thomas on obedience. The fundamental difference between the two is that St. Thomas considers the proper object of obedience to be the precept of the superior (2a2ae q. 104 a. 2 co., ad 3). Obedience that seeks to forestall the expressed will of the superior does not bear on what the superior wants or thinks in general, but only on what the superior intends to command. St. Ignatius’s lowest degree of obedience, which he does not consider to be virtuous, is thus what St. Thomas considers to be the only form of obedience. St. Thomas holds that St. Ignatius’s alleged higher forms of o...

Open Letter to Cardinal Gantin - July 6, 1988

There has been some discussion (read lots) about the term 'Conciliar Church'. I have posted this letter written by the Superior General and District Superiors of the SSPX after the 1988 Consecrations. Of particular interest is that the 'Conciliar Church' being referred to as a system. My paraphrase would be that the SSPX regards the 'conciliar Church' as an error within the Church. Source Open Letter to Cardinal Gantin Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops

Morning and Evening and other sundry Prayers

+ JMJ Along the theme of P^3 (Prayer, Penance, Patience), and for my own reference ... here is a collection of Morning and Evening prayers from the Ideal Daily Missal along with some additional prayers. In this crisis of the Church, I do not think it is possible to do too much prayer, penance and have patience. P^3

Rome and the SSPX - Version 2026 Part 6b: Principles and Rules for Surviving this Crisis of the Catholic Church (Principle 1)

+ JMJ Principle 1: Realize that something is amiss in the Catholic Church The world in which I had my Traditional Awakening, is one in which practically anything pre-Conciliar such as liturgy, doctrinc, and even dogmas are either suppressed, ignored or re-framed to be acceptable to the ‘world’. What is more, the people adhering to these pre-conciliar teachings and liturgy are persecuted by other members of the Catholic Church. The things that non-Trads say about Trads can be quite extreme. For example, accusations against Traditionalists include that they are: A revival of the Jansenists (link) , Schismatics, Heretics, Uncharitable, Lefebrists Radicals Integrists When one group of Catholics is persecuted by the others for simply wanting to live as Catholics before them did for generations … well something is wrong. Further, we need to realize that when what was previously condemned is now promoted and what was previously promoted as the trut...

How is the SSPX prepared to accept the Second Vatican Council??? - Reblogged and Updated.

+ JMJ The Archbishop remained steadfast. In the 1980s, in his correspondence with then-Cardinal Ratzinger, Archbishop Lefebvre stated his position that the criterion for interpreting Vatican II in light of Tradition comprises three elements: 1) He and the SSPX would accept anything in Vatican II that is clearly consistent with Tradition; 2) Any ambiguous texts of Vatican II must be interpreted strictly according to Tradition; according to the consistent teaching of the Church throughout the centuries. 3) Anything in the Council that cannot be interpreted according to Tradition should be revised. The Archbishop laid this out explicitly in his letters to Cardinal Ratzinger in 1982 and 1985. CF News: Rome-SSPX: Background to the Doctrinal Discussions CF News: The April 15 Deadline A few years ago Tony La Rosa (aka ecclesia militans a Toronto based 'resistor') had a difficult time accepting this approach to the council. He held that it must be completely tossed as...

Tradicat

Search This Blog