VENIAL SIN: ORIGIN OF THE TERM, WHAT IT CONSISTS OF AND EXAMPLES - DUDAS - 2024

The venial sin is an action or thought that defies the laws willingly or not religious beliefs. Attempts against the will of God, although its gravity places it within a provisional punishment in life. It is a slight sin that gradually deviates from God's path, but can be redeemed through sincere repentance.

Religions are part of the culture of peoples, they represent their belief systems and the need for man to have something above himself that generates a sense of protection and serves as a reference to evolve spiritually within the dichotomy between the good and evil.

Venial sin is that slight fault that can be forgiven if there is sincere repentance. Source: pixabay.com

They act as instruments of self-regulation for coexistence and are structured on laws that condition human acts in accordance with the impact they have within the framework of relationships established within societies.

Venial sin gradually distances us from our relationship with God, in such a way that if we do not realize that we cannot go in and out of the mistake unlimitedly even if the fault is slight, the degrees of separation will increase to the point that we could become completely separated from the "good way."

Origin of the term

The word venial is a noun that comes from the Latin venialis and is related to forgiveness and grace. Etymologically, it means forgivable, excusable or redeemable. In such a way that venial sin can be considered to be an act that violates morality according to theology, but that it is easy to remission.

Since ancient times, man by nature has had a constant struggle against sin, he has always sought victory over this fact that determines his imperfection.

This inheritance that was bequeathed by original sin has kept humanity in a permanent tirade between good and evil, given the fact that God gave it the notion of free will to avoid temptation.

The ancient Greeks defied their gods through hubris, which was nothing more than the intention of transgressing their laws or limits imposed on mortal humans. Hybris referred to the fact of deliberately violating the other person's action quadrant, motivated by unlimited passions.

In the ecclesiastical tradition and in the Bible there is a classification of sin based on the idea that all transgression of God's law is considered a violation of his will.

What does it consist of

Venial sin is essentially different from mortal sin. It does not definitively end with our bond with God, but it does resent it since it is a voluntary act of thought, work or omission against the law of God, exceeding the limits of the laws of his will.

Due to its nature, it is self-forgiving and requires provisional punishment. The individual does not depart from God because said action is attributed to human imperfection, but it does not violate the main purpose of the law.

It is redeemable through an act of authentic contrition, in which the right conscience impels us not to commit the fault again. The sanctions are adjusted to the severity within the scale and consist of acts that generate reflection and awareness of the fact.

Venial sin does not leave a stain on the sinner, but it detracts from him. Venial sins have degrees of complication and, in the words of Saint Thomas Aquinas, they have been classified as straw, wood and cane, elements with different levels of inflammation that define the quality of the fault.

In this way, it can be concluded that, despite the lightness of the infraction, perspective cannot be lost with respect to incurring these minor offenses again and again, which are cumulative when there is no sincere repentance and specific actions are not taken. that strengthen the fragility of the spirit.

Examples

Within venial sins there is a classification according to their severity. Here are the most common ones:

Vices

It refers to everything done at will that develops a state of dependency anxiety and that threatens integrity. For example: smoking, drinking alcohol, overeating, gambling, and fornicating, among others.

Lie

It corresponds to the action of hiding, distorting or omitting the truth of the facts, morally, physically and psychologically damaging others or oneself. To cheat is to suppose that the other is incapable of recognizing bad faith, because he places his trust in the one who betrays him.

To curse

It is believed that wishing another badly is turning one's heart away from God. This action falls on the one who curses; According to God's laws, this makes the individual a fragile soul and a vehicle for evil. The word is the expression of the heart; therefore, cursing is typical of a sick heart.

Verbal abuse

Anything that involves harming the other from any aspect is considered sin. In the case of aggression by means of the word, it violates the person who receives the offense in a psychological way. A hurtful message can cause significant harm to the individual.

Superstition

It includes believing in chance and in ideas other than God. It is about putting faith over false idols, misinterpreting God and empowering the imagination from the self and unsupported in the scriptures.

Not attend mass

Within religious duties, visiting the house of God with devotion is a show of faith and love that overcomes weaknesses. Abandoning any duty to religion is an act of rebellion against divine authority.

Judge

Value judgments are a claim of man to equal himself with the supreme divinity of God. The Church believes that it is not the job of an individual to judge other people and condemn them for their actions.

His duty is to show them with humility and love the right path within the will and law of God. The biblical phrase "do not look at the straw in another's eye" responds to this situation.

References

1. O'Neil, Arthur Charles. "Sin" in The Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on May 18, 2019 from The Catholic Encyclopedia: newadven.org.
2. "Mortal sin and venial sin" on EWTN. Retrieved on May 18, 2019 from EWTN: ewtn.com.
3. "Venial sin" in Home of the mother. Retrieved on May 19, 2019 from Home of the mother: homedelamadre.org
4. "Venial sin" in Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. Retrieved on May 19, 2019 from Wikipedia the free encyclopedia: es.wikipedia.org.
5. "Mortal and venial sin: the eternal doubt" in Religion in freedom. Retrieved on May 19, 2019 from Religión en libertad: religionenlibertad.com
6. "Mortal sin and venial sin" in La croix in Spanish. Retrieved on May 19, 2019 from La croix in Spanish: es.la-croix.com