when you cause someone else to sin are you also sinning?

Question

is it like accessory to crime?

if you can back your answers up from the Bible that'd b great

Answer 1

Yes, it's a sin to cause somebody else to sin.

St. Paul uses one particular case to explain this. He speaks of eating food sacrificed to idols, and how Christians know it's no big deal, but they have to consider the "weaker brethren" who may not be as knowledgeable about it and could fall into sin because of what they see from others. This is from I Corinthians 8

9Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? 11So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.

Answer 2

That's what the Catholic Church teaches. You can commit sins of commission or omission. If you actively agree with someone else who's sinning, you're sharing in their wrongdoing. That would be like telling another person, "It's OK to shoplift that diamond ring." Even if you don't help them steal it, you've given your approval, and that's a sin.

Or, by not saying something and allowing another person to sin, you've also participated in their sinfulness. For example, if you knew that your friend was going to steal a diamond ring and you didn't try to stop him, you're still guilty of sharing in his sin.

Answer 3

Actually it's worse than that. Jesus said, "if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea." Mt 18:6

Answer 4

Yes and yes. Only you pay twice as hard for leading another to the sin. You should have known better.