What is sin?

[FunctionalAtheist]

What is sin? How do you define it? How do you support your definition of sin?

I was taught that sin is disobediance to god's will. If this is true, then without god there is no such a thing as sin. But if god exists then sin is merely god's ego and punishment for sin is no more than god's irrational rage.

My opinion is that objective sin does not exist anymore than objective good/evil. Right and wrong are very real, but are subjective.

 

[Parsimony]

My thoughts are somewhat similar to yours. I don't hold sin to be some kind of supernatural substance that can stick to your soul like glue. It's an action. A concept. Sin basically equates to any thought/action/otherwise that is wrong or evil, in my eyes.

From the Christian viewpoint, I'd say that the definition of what constitutes a sin is not something arbitrary that God thought up out of nowhere. If absolute morality exists, I don't think God can change it anymore than He can change Himself (as absolute morality is one of His fundamental attributes).

 

[George-ananda]

To me 'sin' is behavior and thought that takes us further from our goal of Self-Realization. It is self-harming. The idea of 'obedience' is old-fashion thinking. This is the 21st century.

 

[AmbiguousGuy]

What is sin? How do you define it? How do you support your definition of sin?

I was taught that sin is disobediance to god's will. If this is true, then without god there is no such a thing as sin. But if god exists then sin is merely god's ego and punishment for sin is no more than god's irrational rage.

My opinion is that objective sin does not exist anymore than objective good/evil. Right and wrong are very real, but are subjective.

Sin is an old-fashioned word which will probably fade into complete obscurity before long. I've never been to northern Europe, but I doubt you'll hear it used much on the streets of those secularized countries.

Nowadays we mostly say 'unethical' or 'wrong' or even 'immoral' (the latter of which has theological overtones, too, but not so much as 'sin.')

 

[McBell]

What is sin? How do you define it? How do you support your definition of sin?

I was taught that sin is disobediance to god's will. If this is true, then without god there is no such a thing as sin. But if god exists then sin is merely god's ego and punishment for sin is no more than god's irrational rage.

My opinion is that objective sin does not exist anymore than objective good/evil. Right and wrong are very real, but are subjective.

Sin
going against the will and or wishes of your chosen deity.​

 

[Thana]

What is sin? How do you define it? How do you support your definition of sin?

I was taught that sin is disobediance to god's will. If this is true, then without god there is no such a thing as sin. But if god exists then sin is merely god's ego and punishment for sin is no more than god's irrational rage.

My opinion is that objective sin does not exist anymore than objective good/evil. Right and wrong are very real, but are subjective.

Sin is succumbing to self.

It is not about obedience, It is about your heart. Do you want what God wants for you? Or do you want what you want for you? Do you love God, Or do you love yourself?

 

[psychoslice]

To me 'sin' is behavior and thought that takes us further from our goal of Self-Realization. It is self-harming. The idea of 'obedience' is old-fashion thinking. This is the 21st century.

I was just going to say the same thing.

 

[George-ananda]

I was just going to say the same thing.

Psycho minds think alike?

 

[adi2d]

According to L Long:

Sin lies only in hurting other people unnecessarily. All other "sins" are invented nonsense. (Hurting yourself is not sinful--just stupid

 

[Sunstone]

I think of sin as an offense against a deity, specifically, the Abrahamic deity. I'm sure it's basically a religious notion.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

But if god exists then sin is merely god's ego and punishment for sin is no more than god's irrational rage.

… all the insight of a soggy paper plate.

 

[Sunstone]

But if god exists then sin is merely god's ego and punishment for sin is no more than god's irrational rage.

If one is going to assume a deity exists, then further assume sin exists, then why not go even further along the assumption road by assuming the deity has arranged things so that sins happen to be actions or behaviors that are not good for us as individuals and/or societies. Is it necessary to assume they are arbitrary or irrational? I mean, apart from assuming they are such out of the wrath of our egos?

 

[averageJOE]

Sin
going against the will and or wishes of your chosen deity.​

This is the best definition I've heard for "sin".

And unless, Mestemia, you have a copy write on it I plan to use it myself from now on.

 

[FunctionalAtheist]

If one is going to assume a deity exists, then further assume sin exists, then why not go even further along the assumption road by assuming the deity has arranged things so that sins happen to be actions or behaviors that are not good for us as individuals and/or societies. Is it necessary to assume they are arbitrary or irrational? I mean, apart from assuming they are such out of the wrath of our egos?

I'm not assuming anything. I stated what I was taught as far as the nature of sin. Right or wrong, my conclusion that punishment for sin is irrational rage is based on scripture.

Isaiah 26:21
For behold, the Lord is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain.

Ezekiel 25:17
I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I lay my vengeance upon them.”

It may be rather convenient to define god's will as what's good for us. However that does not stand up. To punish, kill, burn someone, for not doing what's in their own best interest? Surely this is counterproductive? Surely this is madness! It is also a rather simplistic view that 'what is best for us' is not in conflict with what is best for my brother, or my family.

While consideration of what is best may be a great guiding principle, to be condemned to god's wrath for failing to do what is best for oneself would seem a rather objectively final 'what's not best for anyone.'

Furthermore the scripture does not support the idea that god's will has anything to do with our wellbeing. Scripture as much as states it's about god's ego, and he chooses who will and will not follow his will.

Exodus 10:1
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these signs of mine among them 2 that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord.”

Exodus 10:9
The Lord had said to Moses, “Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you—so that my wonders may be multiplied in Egypt.” 10 Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go out of his country.

 

[George-ananda]

I'm not assuming anything. I stated what I was taught as far as the nature of sin. Right or wrong, my conclusion that punishment for sin is irrational rage is based on scripture.

Isaiah 26:21

Ezekiel 25:17
I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I lay my vengeance upon them.”

Exodus 10:1

Exodus 10:9

That is the writings of the ancients (however well-intentioned they were).

Have we not more advanced thinkers to consider? Again, as I said in my last post, this is old-fashion thinking. This is the 21st century.

It seems like it's only biblical fundamentalists and atheists that cling to every word of the old-testament in this century.

 

[FunctionalAtheist]

That is the writings of the ancients (however well-intentioned they were).

Have we not more advanced thinkers to consider? Again, as I said in my last post, this is old-fashion thinking. This is the 21st century.

It seems like it's only biblical fundamentalists and atheists that cling to every word of the old-testament in this century.

I agree the thinking is seriously flawed. It is one of the reasons I reject biblical authority. There are many thinkers advanced well beyond biblical limits.

In your search for self-realization, what are the consequences of sin? Other than failing to approach your goal. Is there an objective criteria, known or unknown, that can be used to measure the sinfullness of an act or thought?

 

[George-ananda]

In your search for self-realization, what are the consequences of sin?

My goal is growing in love, peace and happiness. Part and parcel of this is growing from an 'I' to a 'We' mentality. Sins are actions that spring from ego-gratification; this will ultimately lead away from love, peace and happiness which are the only things worth having..

Is there an objective criteria, known or unknown, that can be used to measure the sinfullness of an act or thought?

Objectively, it's hard to give a list of do's and don'ts for all cultures, times and situations. But the obvious 'don'ts' are well, the obvious ones. Our intellect has to be our guide and there can be grey areas.

 

[chinu]

What is sin? How do you define it? How do you support your definition of sin?

Actually, In the beginning YOU yourself created a game for yourself to play, but before stepping into that game there was a question in YOUR mind.

Q: How can such a game give true enjoyment until you may forget you are the creator of this game ? Thus.. you turned this game into an illusionary game, Which means that you will forget everything, your power, your rank, your place, your status, after jumping into that game.

But again an another new question got arise, Q: As You will forget everything about yourself after jumping into that game, than who will pull you out when you will get tired after playing a lot ? Thus, by giving all of yours powers you created a CLONE of yourself and gave him the duty to pull you out.

Now, asked that clone; Sir, how will i come to know that you are really tired of this game ? YOU said; when i'll cry and beg in front of you to take me out of this game like as you have created me, rather than i created you.

And finally by saying this YOU jumped into that game, and this Jumping was the Only Sin that you made in the beginning.

And, GOD is that CLONE.

 

[Quirkybird]

'Sin' is a daft little word which often describes things no sensible person would think wrong, like homosexuality, for instance!

 

[chinu]

Imo, Any action which takes one far from reality is SIN.