A Sin List for Confession

Yes, absolutely. But He didn’t give them permission to stay whores. He called them to be daughters, as they were originally intended to be. “Go and sin no more.”

Good call, Marianne P. I will add those.

Faith, because the Bible says it is, along with adultery, incest and a myriad of other sins. From the NIV:

Genesis 19:1–13
Details the attack on Lot and the angels in Sodom. Per verses 4-5: 4 Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. 5 They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.”

Leviticus 18:22
Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.

Leviticus 20:13
If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

Romans 1:26–27
Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

1 Corinthians 6:9
Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men

1 Timothy 1:10
for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine

Surely your own moral compass would warn you of the evilness of a man sleeping with another man !

Being homosexiual is not a sin. The act of sleeping with the same sex for pleasure is the sin. The lust full thoughts are a sin. Simply having an attraction is not a sin but the sexual acts that people fall into is the sin.

Still sinful, read the Bible

Phyllis, thanks for writing! I found a great article that answers your question at Crossway.org (https://www.crossway.org/articles/are-some-sins-worse-than-others/). In regards to venial vs mortal sin, the last paragraph reads:

“The Bible does not affirm the Roman Catholic ideas of mortal and venial sins—or the sacramental, penitential context in which they are understood. All sins establish legal guilt, and without faith in Christ sinners are worthy of eternal separation from God. The two categories of mortal and venial sins operate within a faulty view of salvation, in which justification is viewed as a process during which a person can commit certain sins that remove him from a relationship with God, while other sins do not sever that fellowship. The biblical view is that at the moment of saving faith, the Christian is declared righteous because of the imputed righteousness of Christ (Rom. 4:3–5). All sins are forgiven so that nothing can separate the Christian from fellowship with God (Rom. 8:1, 38–39). Furthermore, the Roman Catholic idea of meritorious penance as necessary for the removal of a mortal sin is an error that strikes at the sufficiency of Jesus’s atoning sacrifice for sin. Rather than looking to his own acts of penance, the Christian looks to Christ’s sacrifice as the full payment for all his sin (Heb. 10:10–18).”

I would say then that your understanding is correct.
Matthew

Don’t listen to him. Venial and mortal sins are in the Bible.
https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/mortal-and-venial-sin
This article explains it well and gives the references you need. I learned about venial and mortal sins in the Bible. I can’t think of the verse though. This article should explain it to you!

Added. Thank you, Jane!

Sarah, thanks for writing. As far as whether your priest can marry, it depends on the denomination. The more orthodox sects may not allow it, but many modern denominations do. You’ll need to do a little research and ask around to settle this one for yourself.

However, your bigger question is about your trend into fantasies surrounding your priest. Yeeeah, if you’re not currently in a romantic relationship with your pastor and moving toward the covenant of marriage, I would caution you to look closely at those fantasies; they may be misplaced? James 1:14-15 teaches “each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” This might not always go as far as physical death, but it could be the death of relationship, reputation, career, health, etc.

I also want to point out fixations on spiritual or emotional authority figures in our lives can happen. In the psychology world, this is known as transference. In most cases, it’s the client fixating on the therapist, but it can flow from therapist to client as well. Transference can happen between clients and therapists, between students and teachers (if it happens in high school, it tends to make the news), and, of course, between parishioners and their pastors. When it occurs, transference can grow out of feelings of gratitude which can then be perceived as love. Someone may be experiencing unmet relational needs and may idealize that other person as the solution to those needs. A person in authority may remind you of a past romantic relationship. Finally, due to its inherent boundaries, the nature of the professional relationship may offer a space where intimate thoughts can be shared in a comfortable and safe environment and so the desire to go deeper or “fall in love” develops.

Of course, I’m not saying you’re experiencing transference, Sarah, but I do want you to be aware it can happen.

Knowing nothing about your relationship with your priest, I would encourage you to hold these desires before God. Ask Holy Spirit to burn them off you if they are not in alignment with God’s plan for you. Paul says we are to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). If you desire a mate, it may be that God is preparing someone else for you; be open to that possibility and hold it before the Lord. We want the spouse our Lord selects for us, as He knows us way more than we know ourselves. Certainly your priest could be included in that vision, but there’s also a good chance he may not be.

So, I guess my best answer at this point is to encourage you to earnestly fast, pray and take the matter before the Lord. Be willing to let go if He convicts you.

May God bless you and guide you, sister.
Matthew