ommit them through
defiant contempt for God or His law; and also when they are followed by
very evil consequences, which we foresee in committing them.

Q. 293. {58} Which are the effects of venial sin?
A. The effects of venial sin are the lessening of the love of God in our
heart, the making us less worthy of His help, and the weakening of the
power to resist mortal sin.

Q. 294. How can we know a thought, word or deed to be sinful?
A. We can know a thought, word or deed to be sinful if it, or the
neglect of it, is forbidden by any law of God or of His Church, or if it
is opposed to any supernatural virtue.

Q. 295. {59} Which are the chief sources of sin?
A. The chief sources of sin are seven: Pride, Covetousness, Lust, Anger,
Gluttony, Envy, and Sloth, and they are commonly called capital sins.

Q. 296. What is pride?
A. Pride is an excessive love of our own ability; so that we would
rather sinfully disobey than humble ourselves.

Q. 297. What effect has pride on our souls?
A. Pride begets in our souls sinful ambition, vainglory, presumption and
hypocrisy.

Q. 298. What is covetousness?
A. Covetousness is an excessive desire for worldly things.

Q. 299. What effect has covetousness on our souls?
A. Covetousness begets in our souls unkindness, dishonesty, deceit and
want of charity.

Q. 300. What is lust?
A. Lust is an excessive desire for the sinful pleasures forbidden by the
Sixth Commandment.

Q. 301. What effect has lust on our souls?
A. Lust begets in our souls a distaste for holy things, a perverted
conscience, a hatred for God, and it very frequently leads to a complete
loss of faith.

Q. 302. What is anger?
A. Anger is an excessive emotion of the mind excited against any person
or thing, or it is an excessive desire for revenge.

Q. 303. What effect has anger on our soul?
A. Anger begets in our souls impatience, hatred, irreverence, and too
often the habit of cursing.

Q. 304. What is gluttony?
A. Gluttony is an excessive desire for food or drink.

Q. 305. What kind of a sin is drunkenness?
A. Drunkenness is a sin of gluttony by which a person deprives himself
of the use of his reason by the excessive taking of intoxicating drink.

Q. 306. Is drunkenness always a mortal sin?
A. Deliberate drunkenness is always a mortal sin if the person be
completely deprived of the use of reason by it, but drunkenness that is
not intended or desired may be excused from mortal sin.

Q. 307. What are th