The Crucial Difference Between a Vice and a Sin

"Vice" and "Sin" seemed to be used without distinction sometimes. Understanding the simple difference is useful in understanding one's spiritual struggles and successes.

Vice is anything which opposes a virtue, which is a voluntary habit which inclines one to what is good. A vice therefore is a voluntary habit which inclines one to evil. As habits, virtues and vices are not the same as acts from them. One can have a vice, but the sin is an evil act.

Good works are acts of virtue, and sins are acts of vice.

The Force of Habit is a human characteristics. We tend to do things by habit. Directly ourselves, and our habits, is part of overcoming sin. To direct oneself towards what is good is to develop good habits, that is, virtues. Removing and overcoming bad habits, vices, which are opposed to good, is essential to living in the spirit. It is in our choices and efforts that we find merit or sin. If we will to do good, but struggle in overcoming our bad habits, that is a sign of reduced guilt in the individual sins. Bad habits, vices, plague us, they cause us much grief and frustration at times, but we have to understand that we are sick in the spirit as well as in the flesh, and we need to be healed. God is the source of all that is good and all healing. It is by God's grace, and our cooperation with it, that we find eternal joy.

Vices are like spiritual allergic states. In the flesh, an allergy is something one has in reaction to an allergen. A person can be allergic to nuts for instance, making the mere physical contact with nuts or the oils of nuts dangerous. But, a person with such an allergy is not actually physically harmed by the allergy itself. It is only when triggered is it dangerous. Such people take extra care in avoiding whatever could cause dangerous and even lethal reactions. Likewise, a person with a vice, such as one of the most common (and least realized) vice of being prone to gossip and idle speech, is not actually committing a sin, ie, being spiritually harmed, unless one is given, and then takes, the chance to complete the sin.

That is why avoiding and removing all possible sources of temptations of a particular bad habit (of all sorts, but especially vices) is one of the first and most basic steps to overcoming. Removing the ability to complete the sin shows one's will and intent to do good and it prevents the sin from occurring at all in the future. Naturally, it is not always so simple, especially with some vices which are easily activated. Choosing to put oneself in danger is a cooperation with the vice and clearly indicates more guilt. We will look for excuses to retain the temptations, especially if they are common. If the temptations are found in unimportant social events, entertainment (especially movies), online browsing habits, etc, we will find reasons to retain the acts because the acts may be "normal" and not harmful in themselves. But remember, nuts are not harmful either in themselves, but they can kill those who are allergic to them. The defect is not in the object, but in oneself.

And then there are many times were we cannot avoid the temptations completely. This is especially true of those which mainly originate in one's own passions or in social situations and one cannot withdraw from the world completely (a rare vocation). In these times, one must be vigilant and extra prayerful. One is in "enemy territory" and we do not know what will happen. This is brought to light in the Lord's Prayer. "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.". God has pleaded for us to pray for protection against temptation, because God knows the dangers we will face if we rely on our own selves.

One last point is that removing the possibility of completely the vice does not result in much gain. A person who avoids nuts is still allergic to them (as far as I know). A person who removes the ability to complete a sin still has the vice. It is by replacing it with a good habit, with the corresponding virtue, that one grows in holiness. Prayer is especially essential for this because even though we can (to a degree) avoid the sin, we need God's grace to fill us. Any person who is unable to commit a particular sin is not necessarily holy. Even a person who desires to complete the sin would be unable to do so in such situations. It is by growing in virtue that we grow closer to God.

We are human; we have vices. What are they? The most harm comes from vices we fail to recognize in ourselves.

Acts of Reparation

Reparation can be a complicated theological consideration because it involves many mysteries of the Faith. Instead of trying to completely understand the concept, it is better to first accept it because even if we do not understand it, God has willed it.

In the human sense of justice, "reparation is replenishment of a previously inflicted loss by the criminal to the victim". This is often quantified in terms of monetary value. So a person who has caused harm to another which is estimated to cost a certain amount to repair, that person would be responsible for giving that person that amount to cover the wrongdoing. There are problems with this as some things cannot easily, or at all, be given a monetary value. What is the proper reparation for the loss of life, physical ability, or time itself? Reparation is imperfect most of the time unless the loss was monetary only. But such is human justice.

In the theological concept of reparation, the same problems infinitely magnified occur. What can man give to God for our sins against Him? What can the human race do to repair the irreparable harm we have done to ourselves through Original Sin? We cannot add to or subtract from God. God is omnipotent and omniscient and without time. God is the beginning and the end. Our beings cannot begin to comprehend God.

This leads to the conclusion that there is nothing man can do to make reparation. Only God could make reparation. This leads to the mystery of the Incarnation and Passion. This profound act of love was able to satisfy the ineffable Will of God concerning Justice. But was it necessary? It is only necessary in the sense that since God willed it, it must be necessary. However, we have no reason to think God was bound to save us. It is only because of God's Love that this was done.

This magnitude of love is beyond our understanding and should be constantly considered.

Consider Genesis 22 where Abraham is asked by God to sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham was stopped by God who revealed that it was a test and that because of Abraham's act of loving God more than his son, Abraham would be blessed (which we know to have been completed in the birth of Jesus and the founding of the Church for all people). Furthermore, God provided a ram to be sacrificed.

This event has all the characteristics of the mystery we consider here. All that was sacrificed to God was in fact provided by God. Furthermore, God had no need of any of the sacrifices. God only accepted them in light of the person doing the sacrifice and that was only so because God loved that person and wanted good things for that person.

Psalms 50:19

A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit: a contrite and humbled heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

This relationship is of a parent to a child. I have seen a child desire to make some work of art for her mother. This child was greatly frustrated by the lack of ability to make what she considered to be a suitable work for her mother. As people who are older, we recognize that the mother would have probably appreciated anything given because the value is not in the objective quality of the art, but of the child's love. Furthermore, the love of the mother for the child is not dependent on the art or the love it reflects. This relationship is very much like the relationship of God to us, but on an infinitely perfect level.

Reparation therefore is not just justice, but love. It is not necessary, but that is what makes it so pleasing. God does not need it. We do.

Consider what St. Paul wrote to the Romans, and to us:

Romans 12:1

I BESEECH you therefore, brethren, by the mercy of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God, your reasonable service.

All sacrifices and reparations to God are part of the Will of God because of God's Love.

The profound act of reparation and the highest sacrifice was God the Son taking on flesh and dying so we may live. This sacrifice was given to us so we may be saved and it is the center of our worship of God through the institution of the Eucharist.

Furthermore, we can make acts of reparation for our own sins and for the sins of others. These acts are allowed by God to satisfy the punishment due for certain sins. This mystery of Divine Justice should not be taken as a completely legalistic phenomenon. It is intensely intertwined with the mystery of the Love of God.

Specifically, reparations should be made:

• For personal sins
• For insults and blasphemies against God, especially particular ones against the Trinity and Jesus
• For insults and blasphemies against the Blessed Virgin Mary, the handmaid of the Lord

Acts of penance and reparation should not be dismissed. It was the penance of the people of Ninive which caused God to spare the city.

Jonas 3

And the word of the Lord came to Jonas the second time, saying: Arise, and go to Ninive the great city: and preach in it the preaching that I bid thee. And Jonas arose, and went to Ninive, according to the word of the Lord: now Ninive was a great city of three days' journey. And Jonas began to enter into the city one day's journey: and he cried, and said: Yet forty days, and Ninive shall be destroyed. And the men of Ninive believed in God: and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least. And the word came to the king of Ninive; and he rose up out of his throne, and cast away his robe from him, and was clothed with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published in Ninive from the mouth of the king and of his princes, saying: Let neither men nor beasts, oxen nor sheep, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water. And let men and beasts be covered with sackcloth, and cry to the Lord with all their strength, and let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the iniquity that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn, and forgive: and will turn away from his fierce anger, and we shall not perish? And God saw their works, that they were turned from their evil way: and God had mercy with regard to the evil which he had said that he would do to them, and he did it not.

How much more just is punishment when the people who do evil are knowledgeable about good and evil? How much more efficacious is the penance of those who are mindful of God?

The Force of Habit

What is a habit?

A habit is inertia in human life.

Sir Isaac Newton defined "inertia" as:

The vis insita, or innate force of matter, is a power of resisting by which every body, as much as in it lies, endeavours to preserve its present state, whether it be of rest or of moving uniformly forward in a straight line.

This is a physical law which is well observed. Things maintain their state unless acted upon by a force. This remarkably aligns with human behaviour and choices. We tend to do things in the same situations the same way without being entirely in control of our actions. This is necessary. If we had to commit our reason to every act, we would not be able to function. The importance therefore of understanding habits and their effects on us should be evident. If one has a habit which inclines one to evil acts, a bad habit, then it should be removed. If one has a habit which inclines one to good acts, then it should be encouraged.

Most studies of habits deal with mundane physical or psychological habits. Habits of diet, activity, entertainment, personal relationships, etc. The moral aspect is what concerns us most.

The Morality of Habit

Morally, habits reduce the will and intention at the time the act is committed. That means, that for individual acts, the sinful nature of a bad habit is reduced because even though it may involve a grave matter, it is not done with full knowledge and intent. Indeed, many times when will be unaware of it being an issue for quite some time. It is for this reason that one should carefully examine one's life and choices often. Everything we choose to do, may become the basis for the development of a habit.

Bad habits are vices. Good habits are virtues. We want to be good, that is, by nature, directed towards what is good. To be good means to charitable, joyous, peaceful, patient, benign, modest, and chaste among other attributes. To be evil means to be hateful, spiteful, envious, ravenous, lustful, immodest among other attributes.

There are some very important sinful parts of bad habits which should be carefully considered. Even though an individual act done habitually may not be gravely sinful, there are a few things which are:

• The first act or acts which lead to the habit may be done with full knowledge and intent. If they are, then they are mortally sinful if it is a grave matter. Many habits start by accident, without full knowledge or intent. This is not sinful.
• Accepting the bad habit with knowledge of its nature and with intent to accept it is mortally sinful because one is committing one's will to the sinful act. If one is not particularly steadfast in the faith, this is very easy to do. Usually, one will be inclined to justify or rationalize the habit. This takes very little effort so one just has to deceive oneself.
• Refusal to consider one's life may be entirely sinful because one is intentionally being ignorant of oneself. When we examine ourselves in the light of God, we will find faults, sometimes grievous ones to which we were previously unaware. Fear of finding these faults may lead one to avoid finding them. God knows they exist regardless of our acknowledgement and our culpability should be carefully considered before rejecting an examination of one's spiritual state.

A habit is like inertia: it takes force to change. We tend towards habits because of our nature. In fact, we must have habits in almost all aspects of our lives. Managing and directly our habits is a moral priority above many others. If we aim our lives towards evil, then that is where we will find ourselves at the end.

If one does find a bad habit, then one has to reject it and make an effort to remove it. Hopefully, one will triumph over it, but even if one cannot completely overcome it, one still must reject the habit and attempt to change.

While the acts which are part of the habit are not given our full attention, the act of accepting or rejecting the habit and the effort in removing or encouraging the habit do have the support of our will and reason.

James 1:12

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been proved, he shall receive a crown of life, which God hath promised to them that love him.

Temptation, including bad habits, are a way to "prove" ourselves. Prove means a test. Back when plate armour was at its peak, the armourer would fire a musket at the finished piece. If the armour were strong, it would only have a slight dent which would then be embellished by the armourer to show that the armour has been proven to be protective. This proof mark was visible to all and undeniable. Overcoming temptation and bad habits are proof marks of the soul. They show that we do not merely do what is convenient, ie, we did not end up where we were just because we happened to be aimed in that direction, but that we indeed made a choice for good (or evil).

What value is this? God is the searcher of hearts, omnipotent, and omniscient. But, we are not. We change, we try, we struggle, we succeed, and we fail. It is by the opportunity to make the choice that we make it.

Controlling Habits

The breaking of habits and the formation of them seem to follow a few simple principles. The formation of a habit does involve the act done without the force of habit. This can take time, and the danger of the formation of a habit is present. This should be a major reason for not committing evil acts for any reason. Furthermore, it is a major reason why one should commit good acts whenever possible. We need habits and they form regardless of our will. If we do not foster good habits, then we will inevitably develop bad ones.

So, the first step to controlling habits is to make choices consistent with one's intentions. Evil acts should never be tolerated and good acts should be done at all times. Likewise, in mundane affairs, one should be careful to do things which one wants to be the basis for future acts. Our minds do not distinguish between situations. If we incline ourselves to be impious, then we will be drawn to impiety in all things.

The second step is recognising existing habits. This should be part of a daily examination of conscience and reflection on our actions during the day. The advice and guidance of a spiritual director should be used as much as possible. It is easier for people to recognise the habits of others rather than their own. This applies for all people.

The third step is the feeding or starving of a habit. If we do anything to encourage or discourage a habit, then we are giving it our will. This is where sin comes into effect. If we choose to do anything which encourages a bad habit, then we are sharing in the evil and increasing our culpability. Any denial of the nature of the bad habit, or justification of it lends our will to it. We should do everything we can to direct ourselves away from the bad habit, and for those habits which we cannot avoid the occasions of sin, we should make a special effort to exercise the corresponding good habit. If we find ourselves drawn towards certain impious modes of speech in social interaction, and we cannot avoid social interaction to the extent necessary to remove the act of the habit, then we should make an effort to form a good habit of the same kind.

If one has a habit which reflects a certain vice, then one should choose to commit acts which are virtuous whenever possible. These acts will take effort and we may find ourselves failing to control the habit completely, but that should not be reason for despair. If we are choosing to do good, but find ourselves doing evil against our will, then we have proven ourselves. However, if we give into the bad habit, then all is lost.

Hopefully, one will overcome the bad habit, but our spiritual journey's in this life do not end in this life so the failure to completely remove a bad habit is not a major concern as long as we have not been a part of its retention.

The last, and first, step is prayer. We must pray for grace and strength and wisdom to overcome and find bad habits. While our will is a major part, without God, we cannot succeed to do good.

Conclusion

Jesus stated that a good tree would bear good fruits. A good person will do good acts. We must not fail to remember our fallen nature. We will find hints of inclinations to evil no matter what we will. This is not something which should support the notion we are without free will or that we cannot do good at all. A priest centuries ago who examined his life, probably found some bad habits, gave into those habits by denying his ability to do good. His actions, his choices made out of free will, have caused much harm in this world. Finding bad habits should be a cause for resolution to do good. That same priest could have chosen otherwise and perhaps then he may have been venerated as a saint and been an occasion of the salvation of many by showing heroic virtue in overcoming sin.

We will find that the most persistent and vexing sins are done out of habit most of the time. The time and effort to overcome these habits are great but also correspond to great graces and joy. We must never cease to struggle against evil.