SCANDAL, of
course, is a sin. We need to be reminded of
this since nowadays it seems that scandals are so common
that many
people think it is just okay to cause it or to be
scandalized.
When one
scandalizes somebody else, he leads or tempts
that other person to sin. And when one is scandalized, he
actually is
not only tempted but has fallen into sin, at least by
having some bad
thoughts.
We have to be
most mindful of our words and deeds, because
no matter how insignificant they may seem, we can already
cause a
scandal in others. And we have to strengthen our defenses
against
scandals, so that instead of thinking badly, for example,
of someone
due to what we have seen or heard, we are ready to
understand and
help.
And scandal
need not be in the sexual department only
which is already a grave sin. It can only be a matter of
gossip of any
kind, as long as we cause another person to sin by
thinking badly of
someone or by leading him to have some critical thoughts,
mental
reservations, rash judgments, etc.
Of course, we
have to distinguish between the temptation
of scandal and the sin of scandal itself. Temptation is
only
temptation and is not yet a sin because we have not yet
consented to
it, though we may already be attracted to it. The sin of
scandal is
when we consent to the temptation and, worse, when we
enjoy it.
We have to be
most careful about the danger of scandal,
both in its active and passive aspects, since this danger
is now
rampant. In fact, we can say that the danger has become
part of the
world culture, promoted not only by individuals, but also
by big and
powerful institutions like the media, and in the fields
of politics,
business, entertainment, sports, etc.
It might be
good to review the points of the Catechism
about scandal, if only to help us develop a certain
sensitivity toward
its danger. They are in points 2284 to 2287 of the
Catechism of the
Catholic Church.
“2284. Scandal
is an attitude or behavior which leads
another to do evil. The person who gives scandal becomes
his
neighbor’s tempter. He damages virtue and integrity; he
may even draw
his brother into spiritual death. Scandal is a grave
offense if by
deed or omission another is deliberately led into a grave
offense.
“2285. Scandal
takes on a particular gravity by reason of
the authority of those who cause it or the weakness of
those who are
scandalized. It prompted our Lord to utter this curse:
‘Whoever causes
one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it
would be better
for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck
and to be
drowned in the depth of the sea.’
“Scandal is
grave when given by those who by nature or
office are obliged to teach and educate others. Jesus
reproaches the
scribes and Pharisees on this account: he likens them to
wolves in
sheep’s clothing.
“2286. Scandal
can be provoked by laws or institutions, by
fashion or opinion. Therefore, they are guilty of scandal
who
establish laws or social structures leading to the
decline of morals
and the corruption of religious practice, or to ‘social
conditions
that, intentionally or not, make Christian conduct and
obedience to
the Commandments difficult and practically impossible.
This is also
true of business leaders who make rules encouraging
fraud, teachers
who provoke their children to anger, or manipulators of
public opinion
who turn it away from moral values.
“2287. Anyone
who uses the power at his disposal in such a
way that it leads others to do wrong becomes guilty of
scandal and
responsible for the evil that he has directly or
indirectly
encouraged. ‘Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe
to him by
whom they come!’”
No comments:
Post a Comment