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Classes of Human Morality According to the Bible

Wandering Monk

Well-Known Member
I grew up fundamentalist Christian. Their belief system divided humanity into only two moral classes: righteous and wicked.

However, Judaism seems to divide them into three: righteous, wicked, and sinners based on Psalm 1. In fact the liturgy for Rosh Ha Shana and Yom Kippur reflects this.

So there are a class of people who are neither righteous nor wicked, your 'average Joe.'

Who has it right?
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
I grew up fundamentalist Christian. Their belief system divided humanity into only two moral classes: righteous and wicked.

However, Judaism seems to divide them into three: righteous, wicked, and sinners based on Psalm 1. In fact the liturgy for Rosh Ha Shana and Yom Kippur reflects this.

So there are a class of people who are neither righteous nor wicked, your 'average Joe.'

Who has it right?
Both are right, it depend on the teaching, and the teacher. If two spiritual teacher's has different wisdom level they will see/understand the truth somewhat different, and teach according to that. So both can be true, on the given level the teacher has
 

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
I'm not fond of labels, thus I tend to think all of us are mixtures.
 

1213

Well-Known Member
I grew up fundamentalist Christian. Their belief system divided humanity into only two moral classes: righteous and wicked.

However, Judaism seems to divide them into three: righteous, wicked, and sinners based on Psalm 1. In fact the liturgy for Rosh Ha Shana and Yom Kippur reflects this....

I think this depends much of what is sin and what means righteous. By what the Bible tells, I have understood that righteous means wisdom of the just, right understanding that makes person do right actions. But it does not mean person is perfect. It is possible that even righteous makes mistakes.

For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises up again; But the wicked are overthrown by calamity.
Pro. 24:16

Bible tells righteous lives if he is loyal/faithful to God.

But the righteous will live by faith. If he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.
Hebrews 10:38 (Habakkuk 2:4)

And righteous is the opposite of sinner.

He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever is born of God doesn't commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he can't sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn't do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn't love his brother.
1 John 3:7-10

So, basically because of those, sin means to reject God, or to be apart from God. But, sin can also mean mistake, or unlawful act. As Bible shows, many who have been called righteous, have done mistakes, things against Gods commandments. The difference between wicked and righteous is, righteous person regrets and is sorry, when he knows he has done wrongly. Unrighteous person doesn’t care. This is why I would say, in Bible, there is only two classes, unrighteous and righteous and the difference is, righteous person understands what is good and right and wants to do so, unrighteous (wicked) doesn’t. Being righteous doesn’t necessary mean person has never done wrong thing. I think good example of this is this story:

"Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: 'God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn't even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Luke 18:10-14
 
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