181. When sloth becomes a mortal sin
181. WHEN SLOTH BECOMES A MORTAL SIN
Granted that sloth is a sin; how can it be a mortal sin?
Mortal sin is so called because it destroys the spiritual life which is the effect of charity, whereby God dwells in us. Wherefore any sin which by its very nature is contrary to charity (which is the very life of God in us) is a mortal sin by reason of its genus. And such is sloth, because the proper effect of charity is joy in God . . . while sloth is sorrow about spiritual good in as much as it is a divine good. Therefore sloth is a mortal sin in its genus. . . . (But) the movement of sloth is sometimes in the sensuality alone, by reason of the opposition of the flesh to the spirit, and then it is a venial sin; whereas sometimes it reaches to the reason, which consents in the dislike, horror, and detestation of the divine good . . . (and) in this case it is evident that sloth is a mortal sin (II-II,3 5,3).
“A mortal sin” is not simply a “big” sin, like murder or genocide. A mortal sin is any sin that kills the supernatural life of the soul. (“The supernatural life of the soul” is another way of saying “the life of God in the soul”; and “the life of God”, both in Himself and in human souls, is the life of agape, charity, supernatural love, divine love; therefore “the supernatural life of the soul” is charity.)
Sloth is not a spectacular sin. It is a sin of omission rather than commission. The person who is committing the sin of sloth may be doing nothing visible that is wrong. Yet he is rejecting the presence of God, refusing the joy of love.
“Joy” is not merely a passive feeling. It is an act of the will. It is rejoicing. The will freely chooses not only to desire the good when absent but also to accept it, affirm it, and rejoice in it when present. Both are active choices, not just passive feelings. Both are affirmations, so negation is also possible. We can say to God what Rhett Butler says to Scarlett O’Hara: “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” And that is in fact damnation if meant with the whole heart.
When we are just too lazy emotionally (or physically) to exert effort toward the good that is present and perceived, that is the sin of sloth, but it is only venial, not mortal. It is a kind of cowardice, an unreasonable fear of difficulties and pains.
But even venial sin can be eternally dangerous, for it habituates us toward mortal sin; and that habituation is a slow, imperceptible sinking, whose point of no return is not clearly marked. It’s the “frog in the pot” principle. Turn up the water temperature gradually so the frog doesn’t notice he’s being boiled until it’s too late, and he’s dead.
“Dislike, horror, and detestation of the divine good” is mortal sin because it is Hellish. That is probably what makes Hell Hell: that God, and what God is made of (truth, goodness, beauty, holiness), is hated. Christ described damnation this way: “The Light has come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light” (Jn 3:19).
In that way, Hell is not so much punishment for sin as sin itself. As perfect virtue is its own reward, perfect vice is its own punishment.
Dante made the lowest region in Hell icy rather than fiery. He understood how dangerous sloth was. Many saints were made out of passionate sinners—the angry, the hating, the lustful, the cynical; but none were ever made out of the slothful. It takes much more force to overcome inertia and make a heavy object to start moving than it does to change its direction when it’s moving the wrong way.