5 questions about Sin. (Jesus, ritual, Earth, creation, hell)

[Ribbon]

Hey, I have an assignment to ask at least three peeps these 5 questions. I'm not trying to start a debate here or say you're right or you're wrong, I'm simply asking for your own opinions and thoughts. Here are the questions...

1. What is Sin?

2. Are all people sinners?

3. Do people become sinners when they sin or do they sin because they are sinners?

4. What is God's penalty for sin, if any?

5. Are there penalties that occur on earth for sins in a person's daily life?

And here are my answers...

1. I believe sin is anything we think, say, or do contrary to the character or law of God.

2. I believe all people are sinners.

3. I believe people sin because they're sinners. Since we were born after Adam and Eve, we inherited a sinful nature. Even before a baby sins, they are a sinner because they have been concieved and born into a fallen world and have already inherited a sinful nature.

4. I believe God's penalty for sin is death. (Spiritually and physically). Because we are fallen, our bodies age and die. And if we die physically before we accept and believe in Jesus as Savior and Son of God and His death and ressurection as payment for our sin, we will go to Hell and live our spiritual death and seperation from God forever.

5. I believe when you sin, you are hurting God, yourself, and others. There is always a consequence. You may just not realize or see it at first.

What do you think/believe?

[jewscout]

1. What is Sin?

Missing the mark

2. Are all people sinners?

no, we are people who are capable of good and bad...but we are not inherently sinners

3. Do people become sinners when they sin or do they sin because they are sinners?

people stay people, we sin because we are imperfect beings by nature. I do not like the term "sinner", we are all capable of sinning, and all capable of repentance.

4. What is God's penalty for sin, if any?

it's whatever He chooses it to be. I don't concern myself with it.

5. Are there penalties that occur on earth for sins in a person's daily life?

maybe yes, maybe no...it is for G-d to decide.

[BruceDLimber]

Greetings!

(For the record, I'm a Baha'i.)

1. What is Sin?

Orientation toward oneself or something else instead of toward God.

2. Are all people sinners?

No, though the vast majority are.

3. Do people become sinners when they sin or do they sin because they are sinners?

The former.

4. What is God's penalty for sin, if any?

Spiritual death if not stopped and repented for, but please note that this is in fact SELF-IMPOSED due to the fact that we all have free will and can choose to orient ourselves toward God and His Law or not!

5. Are there penalties that occur on earth for sins in a person's daily life?

Spiritual damage to oneself can clearly occur here, and will have HUGE effects after death if not corrected by then.

Earthly penalties may or may not also apply depending on the act(s) in question....

Regards,

Bruce

[Green Gaia]

One UU's answers:

Originally Posted by Ribbon

1. What is Sin?

Humankind's innate inhumanity. Or the Rev. Forrest Church defines it as, "anything that divides us: within ourselves; against our neighbor; from the ground of our being, the god of all creation"

2. Are all people sinners?

We are all human, we all make mistakes, do bad things, and fall short of our ideals. So, yes.

3. Do people become sinners when they sin or do they sin because they are sinners?

I do not believe that a person is born and enslaved in the manner that the doctrine of Original Sin teaches. But nor do I believe that we are all born good and then somehow get destroyed or twisted by society. Good and evil are within each of us. It's up to us to choose good.

4. What is God's penalty for sin, if any?
5. Are there penalties that occur on earth for sins in a person's daily life?

I believe that people are punished by their sins, not for them, and the evil that we do lives with us.

That said, UUs don't usually talk much about "sin". For some it is too Christian a concept. We do recongnize that we all mess up from time to time; that no one is perfect.

[Inky]

My humble opinions:

1. If there is a strict way to determine that an action is definitely sinful, it's that it is something God would prefer you didn't do. It usually involves harming others.

2. I don't know everything about God's preferences, so I can't give a totally confident answer, but I expect almost everyone has sinned before.

3. People are sinners when they are in the act of sinning. Since it's something (almost) everyone does, it doesn't mean much to call someone a sinner just because they've done it at least once before.

4. The penalty for sin is your own guilt and the consequences of your actions.

5. Same as answer 4.

[Ribbon]

Thanks y'all, for answering and for not attacking anyone! ^.^

[Halcyon]

1. What is Sin?
Doing something you know is wrong/going against your conscience.

2. Are all people sinners?
Nobody's perfect. But concentrating on past mistakes isn't the best course of action.

3. Do people become sinners when they sin or do they sin because they are sinners?
Sinner is just a ridiculous label, as Jesus said "Take the log out of your eye before you take the mote out of your brother's".
Everyone does things they know are wrong, everyone sins, we're all sinners so the label is useless and pointless.
But, to answer the question, we become sinners when we sin, and once you have sinned it's not a contractual obligation to sin again.

4. What is God's penalty for sin, if any?
A guilty conscience should be enough.

5. Are there penalties that occur on earth for sins in a person's daily life?
Like i said, guilty conscience.

[doppelgänger]

Originally Posted by Ribbon

1. What is Sin?

Self awareness and the separation it creates.

Originally Posted by Ribbon

2. Are all people sinners?
3. Do people become sinners when they sin or do they sin because they are sinners?

Sin is a state of being, not of doing or not doing. All self aware people are under sin.

Originally Posted by Ribbon

4. What is God's penalty for sin, if any?

Nothing. The natural consequence of sin is separation (from "God", from other people, from harmony with the cosmos)

Originally Posted by Ribbon

5. Are there penalties that occur on earth for sins in a person's daily life?

The natural consequence of separation is alienation and an hysteric fear of death.

However, in a "worldly" sense, those who revel in their selfishness typically prosper greatly.

[Hacker]

Originally Posted by Ribbon

1. What is Sin?

Sin is an act of will against the ten commandments.

2. Are all people sinners?

Yes, I think we are all born inherently sinners and the purpose of life is to achieve spiritual growth by not sinning.

3. Do people become sinners when they sin or do they sin because they are sinners?

I believe it's a little of both. You can choose the right action, however the REASON we sin is because we ARE born sinners but the choice to sin is what constitutes penalty without repentance or else , you reep what you sow(karma).

4. What is God's penalty for sin, if any?

I believe in Karma, I believe Karma is lessons to be learned and each sin or wrongful act commited will need to be confronted by some lesson to be learned.
[quote] 5. Are there penalties that occur on earth for sins in a person's daily life?[/QUOTE
Yes, Karma.
These are my opinions.