ECT Covetousness

[Nihilo]

Should we think there are some sins - or degree of sins - that are not as sinful as others?

Yes. Catholicism teaches that there are grave sins, and lighter sins. For the Christian who believes HE IS RISEN (Mt28:6KJV Mk16:6KJV Lk24:6KJV ; Ro10:9KJV), lighter sins are venial/forgiven without further explanation, and the Church teaches that there are numerous circumstances that attenuate, diminish, or nullify all together, the guilt that would otherwise be imputed to the one who commits grave matter.

For example, lying. The gravity of lying as a sin depends upon the harm the lying causes. Lies that do not harm anybody are light sins, and lies that cause great harm are grave matter.

 

[nikolai_42]

Yes. Catholicism teaches that there are grave sins, and lighter sins. For the Christian who believes HE IS RISEN (Mt28:6KJV Mk16:6KJV Lk24:6KJV ; Ro10:9KJV), lighter sins are venial/forgiven without further explanation, and the Church teaches that there are numerous circumstances that attenuate, diminish, or nullify all together, the guilt that would otherwise be imputed to the one who commits grave matter.

For example, lying. The gravity of lying as a sin depends upon the harm the lying causes. Lies that do not harm anybody are light sins, and lies that cause great harm are grave matter.

Does the RCC consider covetousness a grave sin?

 

[Nihilo]

Does the RCC consider covetousness a grave sin?

Equating coveting with envy, here's what the Church teaches:

2539 Envy is a capital sin. It refers to the sadness at the sight of another's goods and the immoderate desire to acquire them for oneself, even unjustly. When it wishes grave harm to a neighbor it is a mortal sin....

2553 Envy is sadness at the sight of another's goods and the immoderate desire to have them for oneself. It is a capital sin.

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a0.htm

 

[nikolai_42]

Equating coveting with envy, here's what the Church teaches:
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a0.htm

So moderate desire is okay? What is meant by immoderate?

 

[Nihilo]

So moderate desire is okay? What is meant by immoderate?

There's a lot on that page to help clarify; here are two that answer your question I think:

2535 The sensitive appetite leads us to desire pleasant things we do not have, e.g., the desire to eat when we are hungry or to warm ourselves when we are cold. These desires are good in themselves....

2537 It is not a violation of this commandment to desire to obtain things that belong to one's neighbor, provided this is done by just means.

 

[Nihilo]

2nd Timothy 2:25 (KJV) is enough bare evidence that our Lord is supremely sovereign over even our free, uncoerced choices, and so any Christian theology must handle this correctly, and that culls the herd of possibilities from thousands down to a few, maybe just two; Calvinism and Catholicism. And the tie-breaker goes to Catholicism,¹ because of, among other things, Transubstantiation or remarriage after divorce, which are just two areas where the Church interprets the scriptures more literally than does Covenantalism. The Church takes the actual words the Savior spoke more seriously, IOW, than does the Reformed view, and that means Catholicism is more devoutly guided by Sola Scriptura than were the Westminster divines.


¹ - They are otherwise tied, because the Catechism of the Catholic Church's teaching on the matter of faith "providence," and Calvinism's teaching on sovereignty at least wrt to unconditional and unilateral and monergistic election, both address the truth revealed in 2Ti2:25KJV correctly, either taking Sola Scriptura as a priori or as derived.