This is me and not the RC Church here, okay?
I like to distinguish between the STATE of Sin and various pertiklar ACTS which are sinful or "sins". "Big 'S' Sin" and "little 's' sins".
When we're in the state of sin we commit sins. Cain't do otherwise without grace. But In "Sin" we are headed for death. We are carnal, not pneumatic (!) and since the Fall, flesh without spirit is moribund.
FOr us'ns, when you're in a state of Grace, you could catch yourself looking at someone especially babe-alicious and entertaining the notion of using her for your psychological and physical pleasure, which would be, inter alia, a sin against charity. But it's SUCH a habit for the average guy type individual that it almost happens on auto-pilot.
So a couple of scenarii: (1) You find yourself as above and say, YEAH! that's a fun fantasy, I believe I will continue to fantasize about using this person, abusing her and my body, committing the sins which "in action, lust" (that would be Shakespeare) leads to in order to enable the tryst in the No-tell motel.
In that scenario, I am obviously enjoying the concept of a whole bunch of sins of which "lust" or "adultery in the heart" could be viewed as just a part. I am in my imagination eagerly endorsing (though of course I TELL myself it's just a fantasy) rejecting God's teaching, will, and charity and in general using a young woman for whom Jesus was content to die as a device, as I say, to make me feel good in lots of different ways.I respectfully submit that there is a huge difference in what MY response needs to be on either scenario. Whatever else needs to happen, I need to do some serious inventory on my self, my faith, and the way and purposefullness with which I approach God.
The second scenario though is more like a brief and quickly noticed failure to obey Peter's (I think) advice to be sober and vigilant. The minute I catch myself, I already have a plan to deal with the problem - a plan which is or at least includes asking for grace and forgiveness.
I sort of kind of tentatively think that while both offenses, compared with the glorious purity of God are obscene, the first involves the eager imperilling of one's own soul, the enjoyment of a fantasy of life without grace, a real and intentional dabbling and dawdling in the possibility that just maybe life withOUT Jesus and all that pesky charity and truth stuff would be better.
I'm trying to suggest that both acts are sinful, but one amounts to a rejection of grace. I don't mind that the boss-lady thinks Robert Redford looks better than I do. But our relationship would be in trouble if she was spending a LOT of time imagining life with him.
That's kind of sort of where we're going with this mortabl venial thing.
But it's just a theological "!!!TILT!!! to suggest that God would "let them slide", and part of the idea of purgatory is, in fact, straightening out the books on the consequences of (or healing self-inflicted wounds caused by) venial sins -- all of 'em.
Inquisition? Please check this. I might be off base here.
OK, cool.
I'm trying to suggest that both acts are sinful, but one amounts to a rejection of grace. I don't mind that the boss-lady thinks Robert Redford looks better than I do. But our relationship would be in trouble if she was spending a LOT of time imagining life with him. That's kind of sort of where we're going with this mortal-venial thing.
While I would agree with you that the first scenario is clearly sinful, I would say that the second (admittedly as best as I could piece it together) is NOT at all. If the second was noticing, but not fantasizing, then that describes to me the occurrence of temptation, which we are clearly told in scripture is not sinful, in and of itself. For example, we are told that Jesus was led into the desert TO BE tempted, and that Jesus KNOWS every temptation known to man, yet He was without sin. Is this the difference you are talking about?
But it's just a theological "!!!TILT!!! to suggest that God would "let them slide", and part of the idea of purgatory is, in fact, straightening out the books on the consequences of (or healing self-inflicted wounds caused by) venial sins -- all of 'em.
OK, you're right that I wasn't thinking of purgatory. So, my attempted "save" is that my understanding of Catholic belief is that everyone in purgatory still goes to Heaven, regardless, so it could be said that there still is a "slide" on the issue of salvation or not. My understanding is that it is sort of a "pay-for-play" type of operation. :) IOW, compared to eternity in Heaven vs. hell, a few lashes (or whatever happens) in purgatory is NOTHING compared to the alternative.