When you use the word "sinful" are you intending this to be from a religious perspective? Everything Jack has said sums up the Christian viewpoint on this topic. Yes, I do think sometimes thoughts can be sinful but no other human being has the right to police anyone else's thoughts. Usually when I go to confession (which is admittedly not often), I confess that I've had thoughts that I personally felt troubled by. The last time I remember the priest telling me that we all sometimes have thoughts of that nature that seem to come automatically, but that it is in dwelling on them and encouraging our minds to continue such thoughts that we do damage to ourselves. I've heard other people say that dwelling on thoughts of harming others can eventually lead to acting on those thoughts, when the fantasy just isn't enough anymore. For instance, if a pedophile finds him or herself having overpowering fantasies it could lead to viewing child pornography which could lead to actually harming a child. I'm using pedophilia as extreme example, however. Now if I feel like punching someone in the face after that person has been rude to me, I'm very unlikely to sit there and fantasize about it and then make a plan, imaginary or real, to act on that desire.
I feel like I've just been babbling. I'm typing as I think. If people don't believe in the idea of some thoughts being "sinful" then think of them as being unhealthy. Sometimes they are, sometimes they aren't. So, yes and no to your question.
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