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Do you sin every day?

Do you sin every day?

  • Yes

    Votes: 12 60.0%
  • No

    Votes: 8 40.0%

  • Total voters
    20

JustGeorge

Not As Much Fun As I Look
Staff member
Premium Member
Hold on, let me pause my porn and put down my cigar and whisky...

...nope.

According to my brother in law, I changed my gender over a cigar and a glass of whiskey...

We were sitting on his porch in South Carolina, and he lit a cigar and held up his glass of whiskey and told me "this is what real southern men do". I asked "Really? That's it?" He nodded. "Great!" I said. I grabbed a cigar and poured myself a glass of whiskey and asked him if I was a southern man now, too. He said "yes indeed!"

I never realized becoming a man would be that easy!
 

Guitar's Cry

Disciple of Pan
According to my brother in law, I changed my gender over a cigar and a glass of whiskey...

We were sitting on his porch in South Carolina, and he lit a cigar and held up his glass of whiskey and told me "this is what real southern men do". I asked "Really? That's it?" He nodded. "Great!" I said. I grabbed a cigar and poured myself a glass of whiskey and asked him if I was a southern man now, too. He said "yes indeed!"

I never realized becoming a man would be that easy!

It's a cinch!
 

Truthseeker

Non-debating member when I can help myself
It's My Birthday!
So if you watch football that is a sin?
Sorry, I am not buying the product you are selling. ;)
What sin means literally, I understand, is "falling short of the mark". We all fall short.

Here are some tings about sins fro the Writings:


Now consider how closely this interpretation conforms to reality: For when the spirit and the self of Adam became attached to the material world, they passed from the realm of freedom into the realm of bondage; this condition was perpetuated with each succeeding generation, and this attachment of spirit and self to the material world—which is sin—was inherited by His descendants. This attachment is the serpent which will forever be in the midst of, and at enmity with, the spirits of the descendants of Adam, for attachment to the world has become the cause of the bondage of the spirits. This bondage is that sin which has been transmitted from Adam to His descendants, for it has deprived men of recognizing their essential spirituality and attaining to exalted stations.
(Some Answered Questions)
www.bahai.org/r/571577580

In this material world, man is subject to the force of instinctual desires, of which sin is the inevitable consequence, for these desires are not bound by the laws of justice and righteousness. The body of man is a prisoner of nature and will act in accordance with whatsoever nature dictates. It follows that sins—such as wrathfulness, envy, contentiousness, greed, avarice, ignorance, rancour, corruption, pride, and cruelty—must exist in the material world. All these bestial attributes exist in the nature of man.
(Some Answered Questions)
www.bahai.org/r/904476525

All sin is prompted by the dictates of nature. These dictates of nature, which are among the hallmarks of corporeal existence, are not sins with respect to the animal but are sins with regard to man. The animal is the source of imperfections such as anger, lust, envy, greed, cruelty, and pride. All these blameworthy qualities are found in the nature of the animal, and do not constitute sins with regard to the animal, whereas they are sins with regard to man.
(Some Answered Questions)
www.bahai.org/r/087552069

Most human beings are sinners, but the beasts are innocent.
(Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá)
www.bahai.org/r/217279027

My interpretation of this is that the only human beings who are not sinners are Manifestations of God and 'Abdu'l-Baha.

"...Thou hast written regarding aims. How blessed are these aims, especially the prevention of backbiting! I hope that you may become confirmed therein, because the worst human quality and the most great sin is backbiting; more especially when it emanates from the tongues of the believers of God. If some means were devised so that the doors of backbiting could be shut eternally and each one of the believers of God unsealed his tongue in the praise of the other, then the teachings of His Holiness Baha'o'llah (Bahá'u'lláh) would be spread, the hearts illuminated, the spirits glorified and the human world would attain to everlasting felicity."
Various, "Lights of Guidance", 2.312.1
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
What sin means literally, I understand, is "falling short of the mark". We all fall short.
I am sorry Duane, I am tired of all this negativity that comes from religion, the shaming and the blaming. I don't need this to be a good person.

I had a thread wanted to post today called What does religion do to people? but I got too busy posting to a new atheist on this forum.
 

We Never Know

No Slack
What sin means literally, I understand, is "falling short of the mark". We all fall short.

Here are some tings about sins fro the Writings:


Now consider how closely this interpretation conforms to reality: For when the spirit and the self of Adam became attached to the material world, they passed from the realm of freedom into the realm of bondage; this condition was perpetuated with each succeeding generation, and this attachment of spirit and self to the material world—which is sin—was inherited by His descendants. This attachment is the serpent which will forever be in the midst of, and at enmity with, the spirits of the descendants of Adam, for attachment to the world has become the cause of the bondage of the spirits. This bondage is that sin which has been transmitted from Adam to His descendants, for it has deprived men of recognizing their essential spirituality and attaining to exalted stations.
(Some Answered Questions)
www.bahai.org/r/571577580

In this material world, man is subject to the force of instinctual desires, of which sin is the inevitable consequence, for these desires are not bound by the laws of justice and righteousness. The body of man is a prisoner of nature and will act in accordance with whatsoever nature dictates. It follows that sins—such as wrathfulness, envy, contentiousness, greed, avarice, ignorance, rancour, corruption, pride, and cruelty—must exist in the material world. All these bestial attributes exist in the nature of man.
(Some Answered Questions)
www.bahai.org/r/904476525

All sin is prompted by the dictates of nature. These dictates of nature, which are among the hallmarks of corporeal existence, are not sins with respect to the animal but are sins with regard to man. The animal is the source of imperfections such as anger, lust, envy, greed, cruelty, and pride. All these blameworthy qualities are found in the nature of the animal, and do not constitute sins with regard to the animal, whereas they are sins with regard to man.
(Some Answered Questions)
www.bahai.org/r/087552069

Most human beings are sinners, but the beasts are innocent.
(Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá)
www.bahai.org/r/217279027

My interpretation of this is that the only human beings who are not sinners are Manifestations of God and 'Abdu'l-Baha.

"...Thou hast written regarding aims. How blessed are these aims, especially the prevention of backbiting! I hope that you may become confirmed therein, because the worst human quality and the most great sin is backbiting; more especially when it emanates from the tongues of the believers of God. If some means were devised so that the doors of backbiting could be shut eternally and each one of the believers of God unsealed his tongue in the praise of the other, then the teachings of His Holiness Baha'o'llah (Bahá'u'lláh) would be spread, the hearts illuminated, the spirits glorified and the human world would attain to everlasting felicity."
Various, "Lights of Guidance", 2.312.1


"What sin means literally, I understand, is "falling short of the mark". We all fall short."

I believe that to be a winner for no one is perfect.
 

Truthseeker

Non-debating member when I can help myself
It's My Birthday!
I am sorry Duane, I am tired of all this negativity that comes from religion, the shaming and the blaming. I don't need this to be a good person.

I had a thread wanted to post today called What does religion do to people? but I got too busy posting to a new atheist on this forum.
As to your question about football, watching that involves pride and ego about a team and winning, at least for me. I don't mean to shame myself or you. Knowing our shortcomings is an opportunity to improve ourselves, if we apply ourselves to it.
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
As to your question about football, watching that involves pride and ego about a team and winning, at least for me. I don't mean to shame myself or you. Knowing our shortcomings is an opportunity to improve ourselves, if we apply ourselves to it.
But you are shaming yourself Duane and you don't deserve that.

I am fine with continually improving ourselves and I like this part of what Abdu'l-Baha said:

"Dissatisfaction with oneself is a sign of progress. The soul who is satisfied with himself is the manifestation of Satan, and the one who is not contented with himself is the manifestation of the Merciful."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:—

Let your life be an emanation of the Kingdom of Christ. He came not to be ministered unto, but to minister. … In the religion of Bahá’u’lláh all are servants and maidservants, brothers and sisters. As soon as one feels a little better than, a little superior to, the rest, he is in a dangerous position, and unless he casts away the seed of such an evil thought, he is not a fit instrument for the service of the Kingdom.

Dissatisfaction with oneself is a sign of progress. The soul who is satisfied with himself is the manifestation of Satan, and the one who is not contented with himself is the manifestation of the Merciful. If a person has a thousand good qualities he must not look at them; nay, rather he must strive to find out his own defects and imperfections. …However much a man may progress, yet he is imperfect, because there is always a point ahead of him. No sooner does he look up towards that point than he become dissatisfied with his own condition, and aspires to attain to that. Praising one’s own self is the sign of selfishness.—Diary of Mírzá Aḥmad Sohrab, 1914.

Then why did he feel compelled to call us sinners? Why Duane, do you ever ask why, or do you just believe?

"The sinner, when his heart is free from all save God, must seek forgiveness from God alone."

Why do we have to seek forgiveness from God because we are not perfect?

Although we are commanded to recognize and sincerely repent of our sins, the practice of confession to priests and others is definitely forbidden. Bahá’u’lláh says in the Glad Tidings:—

The sinner, when his heart is free from all save God, must seek forgiveness from God alone. Confession before the servants (i.e. before men) is not permissible, for it is not the means or the cause of Divine Forgiveness. Such confession before the creatures leads to one’s humiliation and abasement, and God—exalted by His Glory—does not wish for the humiliation of His servants. Verily He is Compassionate and Beneficent. The sinner must, between himself and God, beg for mercy from the Sea of Mercy and implore pardon from the Heaven of Forgiveness.

Bahá'í Reference Library - Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, Pages 83-85

Sorry Duane, I am getting close to done with this whole religion. I just cannot take the shaming and blaming and the humiliation anymore. What loving God would want humans to feel humiliated this way? If God does not wish for the humiliation of His servants why did God send Baha'u'llah to humiliate us by calling us all sinners? Being humble is not the same thing as being humiliated.

Why would God care if humans are not perfect? Do you ever bother to think or do you just believe it because "it's in the Writings?"
 
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