Sin. What is it? - by Gray
Gray on 17/11/2019 at 06:11
This is a question for christians.
What exactly is sin? As I understand it, it covers a vast range of things you are not supposed to do, but I am quite hazy on exactly what those things are and more importantly why you shouldn't do them.
I grew up in a fairly secular yet protestant culture. I had to read the bible in school. I had to sing christian hymns in church at every major school event. At age 7 or so, I decided that the whole Adam and Eve story didn't make a lot of sense, which set me on a path to atheism. I am by now, a pretty hard atheist with no faith whatsoever. I always felt very uncomfortable having to pay lip service to something I could not believe. So, I probably never understood the concept of sin, since it made no sense to me. This is why I ask.
I'm interested in history, so I watch a lot of documentaries, hoping to learn something. In European history, all the various facets of christianity play quite important parts. Right now, I'm watching a wonderful art documentary about renaissance art by Waldemar Januszczak, and predictably, quite a lot of it is about christian beliefs and sin, but it does assume you know stuff I actually don't.
I did read the bible once, like any good atheist should, not by choice but becase we had to at school. It was a long time ago and I have forgotten most of it, specifically the definition of sin, what it is, what the rules are, what you're not supposed to do, and most importantly why you're not supposed to do them.
Hence this thread.
I'm keen to hear opinions of believers, but please leave out the obvious ones like "thou shalt not kill", I hope we're all fine with that regardless of faith.
PigLick on 17/11/2019 at 09:47
is thought a sin, or the action itself?
uncadonego on 17/11/2019 at 10:05
I grew up in a Roman Catholic family and went to a separate school until I went to high school, so catechism was taught at school. If sin meant anything, it was you were bad and should feel guilty.
In Bible terms though, sin is impossible to avoid though, since you were born imperfect. Sin is simply missing the goal of perfection. It's less serious if done unconsciously, infrequently, or not of serious gravity (ie not something like rape or murder). It's more serious if done with deliberation, or practiced willfully and repeatedly.
Also, in addition to doing wrong, sin can also be failing to do what is right. For example, you may not return an enemy's wallet if you found it, but the Bible says you should (actually I think the example in the Bible is your enemy's stray bull...)
The rub is the disagreement between everyone in the world over what actually constitutes God's standards. Some people who worship a god or gods are also cannibals, so WTH.....
It's hard to get 20 people in a room and get them to agree on what toppings to put on their pizza, let alone what is right or wrong with regard to sex, business practices, recreational drug use, etc. I know a bazillion catholics who do recreational drugs, but the Bible would constitute that as practicing spiritism (pharmakia). Some religions use drugs as a part of their worship, so go figure.
I think what you come up with personally is OK as long as it is an internal standard that you don't project unto or expect from other people, and also you don't harm anyone physically or emotionally in your practice. Blowing up an abortion clinic for faith is insane.
I personally believe in God, but don't believe there is any part of me or anything inside me that is immortal. When I tell "Christian" people that I don't have a soul they crap their pants. When I'm dead, all my consciousness will die with me.
Why not just try to not "sin" because it is right and the best way of living, rather than for the promise of a reward or the threat of punishment?
Live and let live, don't screw anyone over.
Nicker on 17/11/2019 at 17:08
Sin is how you arbitrarily elevate your personal opinion to divine status.
uncadonego on 17/11/2019 at 18:52
Some things are more than opinion though. Many of these things are part of our human make up. Deep down, even Trump's supporters know he is a reptile. Conscience is passed, I believe, in DNA.
Tony_Tarantula, read your link. This stuck out.
"Our sins were all forgiven when we are saved—past, present, future."
Sounds like an excuse for future bad conduct. Weird belief. I talked to a guy once who believed literally that God made wild and domestic animals. I tried to find a compromise saying maybe it meant more that man could domesticate certain animals, but not others. NOPE. Hardline stuff like the belief above. When I showed the guy a YouTube video on Belyaev's foxes, he wouldn't talk to me. For real. It was awkward as hell.
Sulphur on 17/11/2019 at 19:13
Quote Posted by uncadonego
Some things are more than opinion though. Many of these things are part of our human make up. Deep down, even Trump's supporters know he is a reptile. Conscience is passed, I believe, in DNA.
Consciousness is passed through DNA, yes. Conscience? No. That's a belief that indoctrinated cath-- oh, never mind.
SD on 17/11/2019 at 19:29
Sin is the imaginary malaise made up by snake oil merchants.
Renzatic on 17/11/2019 at 20:19
Quite simply, sins are a list of potentially destructive behaviors that people have a strong natural tendency to overindulge in, given a sheen of religious importance to convince folks to steer themselves more towards strong moderation or total abstinence.
uncadonego on 17/11/2019 at 21:07
Sulphur
Con=with + science(knowledge) ; right and wrong implied. I don't think we need to be taught that we are doing something wrong when we steal from another person, we know.
Yes, I know that I was strongly indoctrinated growing up Catholic. Nothing says that like a nun's ball point pen.
Renzatic, you have a good point.