Christian Self-censorship of Dirty Words

[Catholic_Lady]

Well in Christianity, it isn't just about actions. It's about what type of heart we have. Imagine a person who hates gay people for the mere fact that they are gay. This person likes to fantasize about hurting them and wishes they would all just be executed. While this person is too cowardly or whatever to actually go out and act on his desires by hurting a gay person, does the fact that he feels this way about them play a role in the type of person he is? If the answer is yes, then hopefully you can understand why we believe "thoughts" can be immoral without actions. Because it all comes down to the type of person someone is, at their core.

I also would like to add that I agree, that dehumanizing people sometimes is "normal" human behavior. But the way I see it, just because something is normal behavior, doesn't mean it's moral behavior. Likewise, when someone is in a super bad mood and going through a rough time in life, it's "normal" to lash out at a completely innocent bystander just because they happen to be close to you. But does that make it moral to do so? I would say not.

Re first paragraph: The individual you describe has taken an action, although it is mental and not physical. Sounds like we're in agreement but I'll not assume.

Re second paragraph: It looks like you just brought up the subjectivity of morals/morality. Does the lashing out become a sin? Or does it remain a normal human behavior brought on by stress, maybe uncalled for, but not a sin? Maybe that depends on the degree of the action and becomes subjective. If I'm angry with a person and yell at them to shut up is that a sin or amoral? It's lashing out.

Re first paragraph: 

Yes, if we consider that something done mentally can be an "action," then I agree that making a conscious decision to fantasize about killing someone is a mental action. But I would also say that making the conscious decision to dehumanize another person is as well. My point is that they both say something about the type of people we are without any sort of outward act. 

I feel like some people criticize Christianity for "thought crime". But if you could read someone's mind, would you also not use that information to make a judgement on the type of people that they are? 

It is also important to differentiate between a thought that pops into your head, and then you choosing to dwell on it. If I see someone who is severely unattractive and the thought "wow, that person is ugly" pops into my head, that alone is not what we would consider immoral. Because you can't help thoughts that pop into your mind. The sin would come when I choose to dwell on it, thus taking the humanity out of the person in my mind and just viewing them as this thing to be scrutinized, perhaps using them to make myself feel better about the way I look. 

...Getting back to the original subject of sexual lust in our minds, dehumanizing someone sexually would work the same way. Thinking "wow she's super sexy" about a woman who just walked into the room isn't a sin. Feeling sexual attraction for her is not a sin. The sin comes when you make the conscious choice to dwell on it. Perhaps undressing her in your mind and fantasizing about having sex with her so that you can get off to it later. You don't know if she wants to be pictured naked or if she wants to be fantasized about having sex with. But you don't care. At that point you have turned her into a sexual object in your mind, using her for your own gratification, even though she is a full human being and there is so much more to her than that.    

Re second paragraph:

Though I do believe  morality is objective, I am not trying to bring that into the discussion. I'm just trying to explain how I believe something can be immoral while still being normal behavior. Or why normal behavior doesn't necessarily make the behavior moral. I'm sure you think it's wrong to yell at someone who has nothing to do with the reason you are upset/stressed. Wouldn't you say that's both normal, though not a moral thing to do? Both at the same time?