An Apologetical Explanation of the

Loss of the Sense of Sin

What do we mean by the “loss of the sense of sin”?

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.  (1 Jn 1:8-10)

Exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.  (Heb 3:13)

The loss of the sense of sin involves an insensitivity to the truth that works of evil offend God, ruin our relationship with him, and have a destructive effect on society.  A manifestation of this loss of the sense of sin is seen in the denial of objective moral truth or even of God himself.  When questions of moral right and wrong are seen strictly as matters of personal opinion, the awareness of person sin and its consequences is diminished.  This dismissal of the moral law ultimately puts a person’s salvation at risk.

God’s moral law, interpreted and applied by the Church, forms our foundation for discerning good and evil.  Sinful choices can cause this power of discernment to become so clouded that the person cannot effectively perceive the seriousness of sin (cf. CCC 37, 1954-1955).  This diminishment of conscience, described as the “loss of the sense of sin,” has several causes:

  • Moral relativism is an outlook that denies objective moral truth and allows individuals to judge the moral value of a given act based on circumstances, feelings, and opinion.  If “truth” is subjective, then no one can speak meaningfully of “sin.”  (Cf. CCC 1790-1793)
  • Faulty psychological theories characterize guilt and shame as disorders or repression instead of the fruits of a good conscience.  These theories blame personal sins on traumas or developmental factors.  From a Christian perspective, such factors may mitigate guilt for sin but do not necessarily erase personal responsibility.  (Cf. CCC 387, 1746)
  • Confusion between “moral” and “legal” arises because civil and criminal laws do not always reflect divine law.  Human laws cannot be trusted blindly and can lead to errors in moral judgement if they do not reflect the divine law.  (Cf. CCC 1902, 1959)
  • Secular humanism seeks to improve society or enrich the human condition solely through human effort in areas such as technology, science, and political or economic means with no reference to God or the moral law.  Human efforts that either implicitly or explicitly reject God and his eternal law will have deleterious effects on society.  (Cf. CCC 2124)

We must recognize the seriousness of sin if we are truly to appreciate Christ’s gift of forgiveness and reconciliation.  Centering our life on Jesus Christ brings a healthy realization of the evil effects of sin and instills the strong hope that it will be conquered.  (Cf. CCC 1848)

The Catechism addresses this question in paragraph 1865.

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