Does the Catholic teaching on remote material cooperation imply that you should live at the level of bare sustenance?
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Does the Catholic teaching on *remote material cooperation* imply that you should live at the level of bare sustenance?
As I understand it there is *formal cooperation*, which is if you share the intention of the sin you are cooperating with, and there is *material cooperation* which is if you don't.
There is not an easy distinction between *proximate* and *remote* material cooperation other than that *immediate* material cooperation (cooperation in the execution of the sinful act per se) is always proximate. Otherwise they *"can be distinguished, in relation to the "distance" (be it in terms of temporal space or material connection) between the act of cooperation and the sinful act committed by someone else."* However if it is *immediate* (*"the cooperation is in the execution of the sinful action per se, rather than the agent acting by fulfilling the conditions - either by providing instruments or products - which make it possible to commit the immoral act"*), then it is always proximate and hence(?) forbidden (As far as I know *immediate material* cooperation is always forbidden but as for *mediate proximate material* cooperation I'm not sure).
As I understand it *remote material cooperation* is acceptable as long as there is a "proportionate" reason to do so. This is obviously true because it would be impossible to live in the same society as sinners if all *remote material cooperation* were sinful.
But this seems to lead to the conclusion that you shouldn't buy or use anything that isn't strictly necessary for survival or religious practice because how could this be a proportionate reason for cooperating with sin?
Asked by wmasse
(828 rep)
Feb 10, 2025, 04:42 AM
Last activity: Apr 11, 2025, 03:54 AM
Last activity: Apr 11, 2025, 03:54 AM