Mortal And Venial Sins

[DesiringMore]

What are venial and mortal sins, and are Catholics the only ones to believe in such a thing?

(Edited by dUSt for clarity)

[cappie]

In Catholic teaching, sin is a term used to describe two seperate realities: original sin and actual sin. Origional sin is the sin of our first parents which brought about the evil effects we see on the human racs. Actual or personal sin is a choice against God and god's plan for our lives, a free will and willing turning away from God's love and law. Actual sin may be either mortal or veniel.

Mortal sin: Mortal from the Latin word meaning "deadly", the term is synonymous in Catholic teaching with grave or serious. A mortal sin is a personal sin involving a fundamental choice against God in a serious way, a free and willing turning away from his love and law in a grave matter.

According to Catholic teaching, mortal sin brings about the loss of sanctifying grace or friendship with God; grace or the very life and friendship with God are regained through Confession of such sins to a priest. The code of Canon Law of the church puts it this way: "individual and integral confession and absolution constitute the only ordinary way by which the faithful person who is aware of serious sin is reconciled with God and his Church." #960.

Venial Sin: In contrast to mortal sin a venial sin may be described as a less serious rejection of God's love, not a fundamental choice against God, not a complete turning away from God. It is a failure to love God and others as much as we should.

All Christians believed thsi until the Reformation but since then only the Catholic Church would express the theology of sinfulness in such a way although some of the other communions may express similar teachings