Guilt has perhaps the worst reputation of all human sentiments. I has been described as the 'useless emotion'. True, there are times when guilt has a negative impact on our lives and might contributie to a mental health problem. 

Yet, according to Dr Lawrence Howells, Clinical Psychologist, "Guilt is an energizing emotion that drives us to act. The most effective way to reduce guilt is to undo our behaviour, make amends, and apologise." Like all emotions, guilt is predominantly helpful. 

Religious guilt is another matter. It's the feeling of regret or self-blame when you believe you've gone against your faith's teachings. At its best, guilt can guide you back to your values. But when it’s constant, harsh, and rigid, it stops being helpful and becomes painful. There isn’t a person alive who hasn’t heard some version of, “If I do something bad, God will punish me." 

"Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa". This formula is an integral part of Catholic liturgy. Any religious teaching rooted in the fall of Adam and Eve tells us we're all born in sin for having turned away from God. Hence you're taught strict moral rules as, for example, around premarital sex, masturbation, and even sensual fantacies. The question is not whether such rules are right or wrong, it's whether they correspond to your values. If they do, you might as well follow the rules. If not, contrived sexual abstinence can be harmful, not holy. It causes more fear than faith. 

TO BE CONTINUED