gladius_veritatis said:What I said (and proved) is that saying "Sh*t", etc., is not a sin, in and of itself. Traddies tend to be somewhat materialistic in their piety, so their take on things tends to be too influenced by mere externals. This is understandable, as we live in a very materialistic world, but it is something we need to 'recognize and resist.'
Materialistic in their piety, are you referring to the overly rigorous observance of externals, clucking and tutting if someone wears an outfit that doesn't meet your standards, even if the Church says nothing against it?
I pride myself ( probably too much ) on being Euro-Catholic in my outlook, so this is not me. I did and perhaps do have some scruples, though, as you know.
You'd think that using foul words is at least a fault, but maybe not. It's a habit, at the very least, that can open the door to blasphemy. That is a priest who said that, not that he's "infallible." The logic as I understand it is that doing something that you know God doesn't want you to do, even if not a sin, can lead to things that are sins, because the habit of rebellion is installed.
Or maybe, as you say, you get into the habit of giving into anger, which also opens the floodgates, so that it's the anger that's the sin. I don't while away the hours poring over theology much these days, but I will keep an eye out.
But I understand what you're saying, there are some things even the secular world frowns on that the Church doesn't necessarily condemn, like smoking, or marriage with 13-year olds ( it was done in the past in arranged royal marriages, at least, I don't know what the Church would say about it now ).