How do you View Sin?

[Rainbow Mage]

What the title says. If you have a unique understanding, please explain to us.

 

[Erebus]

What the title says. If you have a unique understanding, please explain to us.

I don't believe in sin exactly, only in what is or isn't desirable. I guess the closest you could come to sin in my view would be squandering your life.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Mostly, as one of those vague, inconsistent religious concepts, which people use as rationalizations for their own behavior, and justifications for their judgement of others.

 

[Rainbow Mage]

I view sin as a human construct, but it can sometimes be useful to get people to see that their behaviour effects others. I myself don't like to use it, but I understand what it means, and I don't think it defines me.

 

[Eliot Wild]

I pretty much agree with Mr. Trout. "Sin" seems to be most handy as a mechanism for casting personal judgments against others.

Of course, that being said, when I do hear Christians and others referring to certain things as "sinful" . . . I generally listen more closely for much of what they call "sinful" turns out usually to be activities I find personally rewarding and/or entertaining.

 

[Skwim]

I voted for A Human Construct that can sometimes be useful because I believe at times its consequences have kept some from doing wrong. This isn't to say it hasn't also functioned as a tool for repression, revenge, and just plain cruelty, but not entirely so.

 

[ChristineES]

I believe that sin is the harming of others, but I need to expand- it also includes the harming of oneself, and the harming of God (or would be, if God could be harmed, that is).

 

[YmirGF]

I think the concept of sin simply clouds our relations with others by adding a completely unnecessary layer of misunderstanding and confusion. I disagree that sin is merely "hurting others" as hurting others is just that, hurting another being. There is no good reason to add sin to the equation, effectively kneecapping the possibility of greater understanding.

 

[Penumbra]

Well, none of these options fully sum up my ideas, but I voted anyway. I voted for "harming others" and "a human construct that is useless". I don't think in terms of sin at all. I think it's a faulty concept to look at moral action in terms of whether or not it meets the requirements of some external entity.

Instead, I view morality as relative to an extent, and view it more along the lines of "skillful or unskillful", "wise or ignorant", "benevolent or malevolent", and so forth, instead of "good or bad" or "virtuous or sinful". Skillful, wise, or benevolent action leads to the improvement, growth, happiness, or safety of oneself and others. Unskillful, ignorant, or malevolent action leads to the undoing, shrinking, sadness, or danger of oneself and others.

-Lyn

 

[Tathagata]

A useless and harmful human construct.


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[autonomous1one1]

Just a point of curiosity - why is there so little interest in this thread in 'Religious' forums?

 

[Penumbra]

Just a point of curiosity - why is there so little interest in this thread in 'Religious' forums?

Not all religions have a concept of "sin".

 

[autonomous1one1]

Not all religions have a concept of "sin".

Do you think that explains it? Even so, most of the world's religious population belongs to the religions that do.

 

[DarkSun]

I don't believe in sin exactly, only in what is or isn't desirable. I guess the closest you could come to sin in my view would be squandering your life.

Mostly, as one of those vague, inconsistent religious concepts, which people use as rationalizations for their own behavior, and justifications for their judgement of others.

Note that this thread is asking you what sin is, not what religions say it is. Basically, it's asking what you think is morally wrong...

 

[McBell]

Sin is going against the will/wishes of your chosen deity.

 

[DarkSun]

Well, I always thought the definition was more inclusive than that.

In religion, sin is the concept of acts that violate a moral rule. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Commonly, the moral code of conduct is decreed by a divine entity, i.e. Divine law.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin

Commonly does not mean always. And even people who don't believe in a deity can be religious. So... I interpret that as saying that sin is the act of going against what you believe is right or wrong. Perhaps I'm misguided though?

 

[Twig pentagram]

I don't really get into the sin concept, but I think it means to be in error.

 

[True Faith]

In general we can say that a sin is committed when someone causes harm to themselves or to others or to any part of creation. The guilt depends on the intention of the sinner. In its most extreme form someone does deliberately harmful and destructive acts rejecting any appeals to do what is for their own benefit never mind what is beneficial for others. They may claim that it makes no difference anyway since existence is pointless and therefore have no gratitude for the benefits they have in life.

 

[Storm]

I view sin as going against the will of God, which I happen to believe is impossible.

 

[Skwim]

In general we can say that a sin is committed when someone causes harm to themselves or to others or to any part of creation..

So what is the harm in dressing in the clothing of the opposite sex,1 or delving into the philosophies of human tradition and the basic principles of this world,2 or participating in non-marital intercourse? 3


1. Deuteronomy 22:5

2. Colossians 2:8

3. Various