Kilgore Trout
Misanthropic Humanist
The greatest sin is causing harm to others for your own gain.
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Your belief regarding the greatest Sin
- Thread starter Mr Cheese
- Start date
Actually, you can.
The original definition of stupid, according to one of my English teachers, is having intelligence and the capacity for rational thought, and choosing to not use them.
BruceDLimber
Well-Known Member
Greetings! 
The Baha'i scriptures agree with the Bible that the greatest--and only unforgiveable--sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
But our scriptures then to on to define and explain this!:
Chapter 31: EXPLANATION OF BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT
Question.Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.(Matt. 12:3132)
"Answer.The holy realities of the Manifestations of God have two spiritual positions. One is the place of manifestation, which can be compared to the position of the globe of the sun, and the other is the resplendency of the manifestation, which is like its light and radiance; these are the perfections of Godin other words, the Holy Spirit. For the Holy Spirit is the divine bounties and lordly perfections, and these divine perfections are as the rays and heat of the sun. The brilliant rays of the sun constitute its being, and without them it would not be the sun. If the manifestation and the reflection of the divine perfections were not in Christ, Jesus would not be the Messiah. He is a Manifestation because He reflects in Himself the divine perfections. The Prophets of God are manifestations for the lordly perfectionsthat is, the Holy Spirit is apparent in Them.
"If a soul remains far from the manifestation, he may yet be awakened; for he did not recognize the manifestation of the divine perfections. But if he loathe the divine perfections themselvesin other words, the Holy Spiritit is evident that he is like a bat which hates the light.
"This detestation of the light has no remedy and cannot be forgiventhat is to say, it is impossible for him to come near unto God. This lamp is a lamp because of its light; without the light it would not be a lamp. Now if a soul has an aversion for the light of the lamp, he is, as it were, blind, and cannot comprehend the light; and blindness is the cause of everlasting banishment from God.
"It is evident that the souls receive grace from the bounty of the Holy Spirit which appears in the Manifestations of God, and not from the personality of the Manifestation. Therefore, if a soul does not receive grace from the bounties of the Holy Spirit, he remains deprived of the divine gift, and the banishment itself puts the soul beyond the reach of pardon.
"This is why many people who were the enemies of the Manifestations, and who did not recognize Them, when once they had known Them became Their friends. So enmity toward the Manifestation did not become the cause of perpetual banishment, for they who indulged in it were the enemies of the light-holders, not knowing that They were the shining lights of God. They were not the enemies of the light, and when once they understood that the light-holder was the place of manifestation of the light, they became sincere friends of it.
"The meaning is this: to remain far from the light-holder does not entail everlasting banishment, for one may become awakened and vigilant; but enmity toward the light is the cause of everlasting banishment, and for this there is no remedy."
--Some Answered Questions, pp. 127-8
As to other, forgiveable sin, our scriptures also warn that backbiting is even worse than murder!:
"213 ... That seeker must at all times put his trust in God, must renounce the peoples of the earth, detach himself from the world of dust, and cleave unto Him Who is the Lord of Lords. He must never seek to exalt himself above any one, must wash away from the tablet of his heart every trace of pride and vainglory, must cling unto patience and resignation, observe silence, and refrain from idle talk. For the tongue is a smouldering fire, and excess of speech a deadly poison. Material fire consumeth the body, whereas the fire of the tongue devoureth both heart and soul. The force of the former lasteth but for a time, whilst the effects of the latter endure a century.
214 "That seeker should also regard backbiting as grievous error, and keep himself aloof from its dominion, inasmuch as backbiting quencheth the light of the heart, and extinguisheth the life of the soul."
--The Book of Certitude, p. 192f
Peace,
Bruce
The Baha'i scriptures agree with the Bible that the greatest--and only unforgiveable--sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
But our scriptures then to on to define and explain this!:
Chapter 31: EXPLANATION OF BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT
Question.Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.(Matt. 12:3132)
"Answer.The holy realities of the Manifestations of God have two spiritual positions. One is the place of manifestation, which can be compared to the position of the globe of the sun, and the other is the resplendency of the manifestation, which is like its light and radiance; these are the perfections of Godin other words, the Holy Spirit. For the Holy Spirit is the divine bounties and lordly perfections, and these divine perfections are as the rays and heat of the sun. The brilliant rays of the sun constitute its being, and without them it would not be the sun. If the manifestation and the reflection of the divine perfections were not in Christ, Jesus would not be the Messiah. He is a Manifestation because He reflects in Himself the divine perfections. The Prophets of God are manifestations for the lordly perfectionsthat is, the Holy Spirit is apparent in Them.
"If a soul remains far from the manifestation, he may yet be awakened; for he did not recognize the manifestation of the divine perfections. But if he loathe the divine perfections themselvesin other words, the Holy Spiritit is evident that he is like a bat which hates the light.
"This detestation of the light has no remedy and cannot be forgiventhat is to say, it is impossible for him to come near unto God. This lamp is a lamp because of its light; without the light it would not be a lamp. Now if a soul has an aversion for the light of the lamp, he is, as it were, blind, and cannot comprehend the light; and blindness is the cause of everlasting banishment from God.
"It is evident that the souls receive grace from the bounty of the Holy Spirit which appears in the Manifestations of God, and not from the personality of the Manifestation. Therefore, if a soul does not receive grace from the bounties of the Holy Spirit, he remains deprived of the divine gift, and the banishment itself puts the soul beyond the reach of pardon.
"This is why many people who were the enemies of the Manifestations, and who did not recognize Them, when once they had known Them became Their friends. So enmity toward the Manifestation did not become the cause of perpetual banishment, for they who indulged in it were the enemies of the light-holders, not knowing that They were the shining lights of God. They were not the enemies of the light, and when once they understood that the light-holder was the place of manifestation of the light, they became sincere friends of it.
"The meaning is this: to remain far from the light-holder does not entail everlasting banishment, for one may become awakened and vigilant; but enmity toward the light is the cause of everlasting banishment, and for this there is no remedy."
--Some Answered Questions, pp. 127-8
As to other, forgiveable sin, our scriptures also warn that backbiting is even worse than murder!:
"213 ... That seeker must at all times put his trust in God, must renounce the peoples of the earth, detach himself from the world of dust, and cleave unto Him Who is the Lord of Lords. He must never seek to exalt himself above any one, must wash away from the tablet of his heart every trace of pride and vainglory, must cling unto patience and resignation, observe silence, and refrain from idle talk. For the tongue is a smouldering fire, and excess of speech a deadly poison. Material fire consumeth the body, whereas the fire of the tongue devoureth both heart and soul. The force of the former lasteth but for a time, whilst the effects of the latter endure a century.
214 "That seeker should also regard backbiting as grievous error, and keep himself aloof from its dominion, inasmuch as backbiting quencheth the light of the heart, and extinguisheth the life of the soul."
--The Book of Certitude, p. 192f
Peace,
Bruce
sandy whitelinger
Veteran Member
I think that trying to put a value scale on sin leads to unfair discrimination among men. Many Christians feel that homosexuality is a greater sin than say tax evasion and subsequently persecute homosexuals rather than tax cheats.
What is clear to me is that anything that is not done in love is sin and God does not value one indiscretion as greater or lesser than another. Have you thought ill of someone? you've committed murder in God's eyes. Have you looked with lust at someone other than your spouse? you've commited adultery in God's eye's. Why? Because it either a loving act or it's not. that is God's ctiteria. At least IMO.
McBell
Unbound
Having a bit of difficulty with one, I am.
I define sin as going against the wishes/will of your chosen deity.
Mr Cheese
Well-Known Member
Then perhaps working on the sabbath on special clothing for homosexuals would be a bad sin ?
just a thought
Mr Cheese
Well-Known Member
very good...
Mar Mani founder of the Manichean church once said:
Where love is little, all acts are imperfect.
Mani (turfan fragment M 801)
McBell
Unbound
sandy whitelinger
Veteran Member
Yet God hates all sin and a "small" violation is the same as a "large" one. The wages of any sin is death.
tumbleweed41
Resident Liberal Hippie
The greatest sin?
Willful ignorance.
Willful ignorance.
sandy whitelinger
Veteran Member
I'm going to ignore that.
tumbleweed41
Resident Liberal Hippie
Willfully?
Heneni
Miss Independent
All sins have been forgiven but not all sins have been repented off. The only sin that cannot be forgiven is the sin of not repenting of the sin that has been forgiven. How does this relate to blaspheming the HS? The HS is the one that gives the ability to repent. You can speak against the son, you can speak against the Father, but when you speak against the HS when he speaks to you about repentance, you cannot be forgiven for it. The HS is the agent by which we TURN to god. If you trample on the one that is trying to make you turn, you remain lost and in unbelief.
Heneni
Heneni
ProudAtheist122208
New Member
my belief is that there is no such thing as sin. sin was formed by man to try to keep morals in check but it ended up spiraling out of control now everything today is being called sin by religious bigeots