Sin. What is it? - TTLG Forums

Nicker on 19/11/2019 at 15:34

Well remember, dema, Christians believe that until Moses descended the mountain with the 10 Commandments (V2.0), humans had apparently spent between 3,000 to 3,000,000 years as morality bereft creatures. Also, stewardship of the earth meant extracting maximum resources for the unfettered production of progeny and the glory of god. Since earth is just the waiting room for the afterlife, trashing it was no big deal. This is what I mean by religious concepts of sin and virtue corrupting and perverting natural decency.

jkcerda on 19/11/2019 at 19:09

sin just means you had a better time than others who are jealous..........

howeird on 23/11/2019 at 16:43

Read the 'Philokalia'. It is available free on-line (I believe in every country) in pdf form. It explains what sin is and how to avoid it. They say even atheist gain knowledge from it. It's difficult to read and no one fully understands those writings of the desert fathers.

Nicker on 23/11/2019 at 21:09

I'm waiting for Volume 5 to come out.

howeird on 23/11/2019 at 22:16

Have you realized, Nick, that he ask the same question Neo did ? And perhaps, some would say, on the wrong forum, but i say it is the perfect forum, through a glass darkly, he stares....

MrDuck is correct because we are our own judge...for Christ just shows everyone the truth about themselves and no one else. Pyrian is correct with his diagram because it encompasses both forms of mystic theology.

Nicker on 24/11/2019 at 20:42

I think that Naartjie's diagram was more informative and accurate.

howeird on 24/11/2019 at 22:51

I was thinking more of Aquinas style of teaching or in the diagram of 'what God is Not' vs, 'what He is'. He reminds me of a boring Geometry teacher using proofs. I hated proofs. What is not sin ? or What is sin ? and proof it.

I heard a story of the Chinese government raiding a Buddhist Monastery uncovering a hidden library stuffed full of 15th century Christian spiritual literature. I guess the government is thinking that a bunch of secret Christian monks maybe trying to overthrow the communist government over a 500 year period is somehow possible and must not be allowed ? Those Taffers !

Gryzemuis on 25/11/2019 at 14:49

Quote Posted by Sulphur

I'm not sure why one would consider morality and conscience to be the same thing - if they were, they'd have the same meaning. Morality is a more-or-less baseline set of universally agreed principles, while conscience is individual, personal and therefore not so easy to agree upon.

Morality is what other people tell you to do (and not do).
Conscience is what you tell yourself to do (and not do).

I don't agree on "universally agreed principles". I think kids learn from others what is good and what is not. And what you learn just depends on the people that happen to be around you (your parents, your teachers, your friends and their parents, your religion's priests, media, the books you read, etc). Sin is a concept that is taught, not a concept that is already in babies.

Sulphur on 25/11/2019 at 19:48

'Universal' in this context is a catch-all for whichever segment of society you happen to be part of.

robthom on 9/12/2019 at 03:33

I dont care for lying.
It seems like all true evil in the world can be traced back to a lie.

But there are many layers to a lie and lying.
Some peopel that seems to be all they do and a thousand ways to do it.

Example,
exaggerating isn't always the same as a lie.
Or metaphor.

But lying to yourself,
so that you can lie convincingly by believing your own lies,
IS a lie.

I mean a LIE OF INTENT.
Dishonesty.

It seems to me all true evil.