What is a sin?

[blazeofglory]

Killing is a sin. Reproachful predisposition is sinful. So are we told by schools of thoughts or theologians. And yet all I feel is sinning is a relative term and one has to sin to survive or else we will be extinct in the passage of time. Your survival happens when something dies. You have to slaughter plants or animals. You cannot be only giving pr altruistic only and you have to be greedy and today's world demands of you competence and competitiveness. Those who are competitive enough can survive the ravages of time pulling down others. We think uprightness, righteousness' do exist and there is a god who cares for those who are righteously inclined but in actual fact there are tugs of war in nature for survival and mightiness prevail over weakness and. Whether it is family, society or office you have to be very crafty or else you will remain dominated and even your near and dear ones will go against you. From nature or reading evolutionary theories we know that we have to struggle for existence and in our struggle for existence we always have to fight and those who fight cannot survive or win over their enemies if they are not the strong in the flesh. Struggle for existence has been a catchphrase now. That supports the idea that in nature there is no sin or righteousness and everything is permitted for survival. Humans in society codified conducts, behavioral patterns. The only truth in nature is not God, not moral order, no kindness but survival and nature does not veto you. Your impulses or urges are important and that is why there is no restriction in nature. Do gr5atifuy yourself no matter how downgraded you are in the eyes of society, The one and only truth in nature is survival and that is your righteousness. That validates the point that there is no sin in nature and sin is just our invention or our categorization. This is a relative term and can be interrogated. Scientifically or if you remain distant from society for a while you find no sin in every act we do. It depends on how you look at things.
Sins are manmade attributes and go beyond a layer of society and embrace the greater natural reality nothing becomes sinful and all your instincts dictate are the true manifestations of yourself and has little to do with sinfulness in point of fact.

[dafydd manton]

"All men have sinned", therefore, purely and simply falling short of the glory of God. Some sins are unwitting, some downright evil.

[blazeofglory]

"All men have sinned", therefore, purely and simply falling short of the glory of God. Some sins are unwitting, some downright evil.

Is this a Christian dogma? I cannot agree with you, for what you said is not out of you but out of the conditioned mind only. Sin is a subjective thing and you disregarded the question issue of survival. Can any living being survive if not parasitically sucking on others?

[dafydd manton]

He asked for points of view. I gave him one. Biblically, difficult to refute, but not everybody believes the Bible. I certainly didn't ask to be attacked, which helps no-one but the bully. I did as was requrested. Good day.

[Kyriakos]

I think that sin is one of those notions that is like a top of a mountain; it exists solely as something which lies on a bigger structure, and has no meaning outside of it.
In this case the mountain being christian ethics. :)

[Scheherazade]

R e m i n d e r

If you do not want your views to be challenged, please refrain from posting in the discussion threads (especially the religious ones, where the most heated debates take place).

[dafydd manton]

R e m i n d e r

If you do not want your views to be challenged, please refrain from posting in the discussion threads (especially the religious ones, where the most heated debates take place).



Fair point!! Sorry!!

[Dodo25]

I think 'sin' isn't the right word here, because sin itself is already Christian dogma, and even the OP agrees that we should think outside of dogmas..

I don't think killing is wrong in all instances, certainly it seems wrong to us in many instances though. And this is what we should address, what is moral and what immoral? What are the criteria?

The first post by the OP is full of naturalistic fallacies. We don't 'need' to survive, only because it is natural and the product of evolution, doesnt mean we have to do what supports the survival of our genes. Humans are special because they can think ahead. We use contraception, which is evolutionary suicide. Ethics must be separate from biology, yet the given biological foundations should be respected. By that, I mean that an ethical system that advocates total celibacy is rather unfortunate, because it ignores strong biological needs that we can't change, and therefore it couldn't be enforced properly anyway.

[bej6s]

I agree with Dodo25 in that
sin is already Christian dogma. So, what is sin? I have come to understand that sin is not just "doing wrong" as many of us are taught as children, but a deeper sense of being apart from God. If what you are doing is displeasing to God, it is sin and separates you from God. If you are doing something right but your heart has ulterior motives and those intentions are displeasing to God, it is sin.


And yet all I feel is sinning is a relative term

Following the logic from above, sinning is therefore not relative. God's law and standards reveal how short we fall. One can choose to disregard or not accept God's standards in comparison to their own acts and make up their own rules and sins for themselves. But this does not change the logic that, if God exists, then a sin against Him is a sin, whether or not you believe. If sinning was based on a man's, any man's interpretation of right and wrong, then yes, it would all be subjective and sinning would be relative. But for those who believe there is an absolute truth and an absolute law for mankind, you cannot escape that there is also breaking of this law, sinning, and separating oneself from good or God.


in nature there is no sin or righteousness and everything is permitted for survival.

As for the OP's closing statement regarding nature and survival, that all depends on where you place your worth. It is inevitable that we all will die one day, at least science hasn't proven otherwise yet. So if worth should be placed in the evolutionary process or passing on the genes, then why are so many people married or life-long partners? Why do some humans have compassion on those weaker than them instead of following the instinct to kill the weakest in the pack, as other animals do? Why do some humans choose to pursue higher learning and never follow-through in the evolutionary responsibility to pro-create?

Unlike any other animal, humans are different. Whether you want to call it a soul or a conscience or just a higher-evolved brain, we can make choices about our lives. I believe inherent in that is the capability of recognizing a higher standard and possessing the ability to choose to follow or disregard this standard.

[Adolescent09]

Why do some humans choose to pursue higher learning and never follow-through in the evolutionary responsibility to pro-create?

I personally don't see the contradiction

[DonovanTalbot]

The op reflects social and cultural conditioning and engineering. Sin is both disobedience to God and doing what is wrong and immoral before God speaking from a Christian perspective.

I figure both social and cultural conditioning and engineering also falls under sin too.

[romeyblack]

Disobeying God's Word!

[Redzeppelin]

Good and evil are based upon the character of God. Sin is that which is inconsistent with the character of God. God is described in the Bible as just, generous, long-suffering, righteous, "love," merciful, kind and compassionate; as such, then we should assume that sin consists of behaviors that are inconsistent with these attributes.

[rajinirobo]

Disobeying God's Word!

well said

[5thWitch]

I think that sin is one of those notions that is like a top of a mountain; it exists solely as something which lies on a bigger structure, and has no meaning outside of it.
In this case the mountain being christian ethics. :)
I think sin is a state of mind.That depends upon the person's state of mind.:alien:

[Jassy Melson]

In the Judeo-Christian framework, to commit a sin would be to do, say or even think anything that detracts from the glory of God. Outside of religion, sin does not exist.

[Pendragon]

Sin comes in two forms: Omission and Commission

Sin of Omission is to know to do something good and fail to do it.

Sin of Commission is to know not to do something evil and still do it

[Ecurb]

In ice hockey, elbowing, tripping, charging, cross checking, fighting, unnecessary roughness, and butt ending can all get you sent to the so called "sin bin". I hope this helps.

[abudabor]

sin is when you fellow evil or evil's deed

[Buh4Bee]

Whatever dogma you follow, sin is an act that causes suffering.

[blazeofglory]

Whatever dogma you follow, sin is an act that causes suffering.

You are so much true and truer than myself in your expression. precise and accurate

[dfloyd]

to The Da Vinci Code or the teenage vampire books.

[Buh4Bee]

That definitely causes suffering!

[faithosaurus]

To me, the biggest sin would be to commit suicide. You destroyed the body God gave you. I believe there is a passage in the Bible that talks about God forgiving if one takes a life, but not if one takes their own?

[Buh4Bee]

I have spoken to non-believers in the past about the idea of religion and one's perception of sin. Conceptually, I agree that the fear of sin is only real if you believe in it. However, if you transgress against another the ramifications can be startling on many people, no matter what religion or what you believe.

[LadyGodiva]

depends on the person. it is even not to describe

[Ecurb]

"Love the sin, hate the sinner." (That's my vote, at any rate.)

[G L Wilson]

"Love the sin, hate the sinner." (That's my vote, at any rate.)

Is it not supposed to be the other way around?

[Panglossian]

I remember a dream I had once in which I flew with angels to a city of heavenly sin ...

[G L Wilson]

Sin is an offence against God.

[thebagman]

My pleasure.

[G L Wilson]

His pleasure, i.e., God's.