What is sin?

[energize]

Perhaps it means tho, that athiests cannot sin. They can be moral, or immoral, just as any theist can be, but if they are not bound to any set of supernaturally inspired rules, then can they sin?

Reminds me of something I heard about a tree falling in the forest. . . no, I didn't hear about it, cause I wasn't around to hear the tree fall. . . ahh, it all gets very confusing.

Seems to me that there aught to be a pretty defininative answer to this question tho. If you break one of the 10 comandments, that is a sin, right? Seems like a set of standard rules like that should be how we decide if something is a sin or not. In the church I was brought up in, we were taught that if we died with a sin on our hearts (not yet confessed, and requested forgiveness therefrom) then we were doomed to Hell. No problem, right?

But then sin became so broadly defined, as to include swearing, lustful thoughts, etc. etc. etc. that it made no sense to try, as you were doomed to spend your whole life avoiding anything enjoyable, only to step off a curb, see a bus bearing down on you and say "Oh Sh__!" and boom, you are in Hell suffering the pains of the damned.

My vote, for whatever small measure it matters is that we use the 10 commandments. Breach that, and you sin, otherwise its ok.

B.

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If you are implying that the commandments were given solely to the Israelites, then I partly agree with your statement, for it provides a better and more truthful interpretation of things.

Consider this: Where there is no law there is no sin. Without law no sin can exist. The concept of law and "transgression of law", which is sin, is within the Jewish concept and not the Christian condemnation in/of original sin.

The commandments of law given by Moses to the Israelites(sons of Jacob) were not given to any other people on earth. They were not given to the Moabites, Jebusites, Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, etc. "Sin" was defined as transgression of those commandments of law. How then, could any other people transgress laws they did not have? How then, could other people be declared as "sinners"? Without law they could not. Is the world then off the hook and free from bondage of "sin"? YES!

 

[wmam]

I would like to explore this question, particularly within a Christian framework and a preliminary step to another debate. What do you think sin actually is? What constitutes sin anyway?

1Jo 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

 

[jewscout]

the result of activities and actions that take you away from G-d.

 

[Popeyesays]

A jew might say it is the breaking of the laws.

A Christian might say it is being self=centered rather than God-centered.

A muslim might say it is failure to give up one's own will and failure to submit to God's will.

I would say it is all those things.

Regards,
Scott

 

[nutshell]

I think a basic definition of sin is doing something you know you shouldn't and not doing something you know you should.

 

[Songofmorning]

Sin is the Transgression of God's Law. Interestingly enough, if there were no law then there would be no law to break, and therefore no sin (Romans 5:13)

 

[YmirGF]

To this silly old oaf, sin is merely a concept designed to get us to be responsible for our own actions.

For every action, there is a reaction. If you do not like the reaction your actions cause, perhaps you should rethink your actions. It is pretty drop dead simple.

Sin and redemption simply muddy the waters and are merely a distortion of this simplicity.

 

[wmam]

Why is it that some can take something so simple as the meaning of "sin" as it was first defined in the Truth and twist it in so many directions? I'll never understand the workings of satan and I thank YAH for that.

 

[Buttons*]

sin is man-made.... (own personal belief)

 

[ChrisP]

Sin is guilt personified.

 

[Searcher of Light]

I divide sin into 3 different types of equal weight. Many of the types intersect each other depending on the action but not always.

1) sin against God
2) sin against self (1 Corinthians 6:18)
3) sin against others. (1 Corinthians 8:11-13)

There are times when the sinful action would intersect all 3, such as with adultery.

As for what the word "sin" means:

It is the willful, knowledgeable intent to behave or think in a fashion that violates ethicial and moral guides. Those guides can be set by God, oneself, society, or another person.

The hook in this idea is a person can sin against another without knowing. Most people acknowledge this "sin of ignorance" as a "lesser" sin, but most will point out the violation in time.

Knowledgeable sin, doing what a person knows is not right, is wicked because it violates a person's nature. Thus the conscience takes hold and blankets the mind with guilt. It is possible for a person to never sin against themselves if they have no conscience, but that does not negate the other 2 types of sin.

Will God hold us to our ignorant sins or knowledgeable sins? That is not for us to say. As the one doing to wronging against Him, we dont have any right to say how we can "make up" for our sinfulness. This would be identical to doing something wrong to a person and then walking up to them and stating: "I am going to do this or this for you. Afterward, you will like me again." How much more ridiculous would this idea be with God?

Forgiveness can never be demanded or earned; it can only be recieved.

 

[Mark1615]

1Jo 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

EXACTLY.

 

[Searcher of Light]

Another definition of sin:

sin is love.

That is, loving anything more than one loves God. It is a misplaced love.

 

[wmam]

Another definition of sin:

sin is love.

That is, loving anything more than one loves God. It is a misplaced love.

Wouldn't that still be a transgression of the law?

 

[Ody]

I would like to explore this question, particularly within a Christian framework and a preliminary step to another debate. What do you think sin actually is? What constitutes sin anyway?

Sin is a knowing act that is against both the natural law, an action that harms a fellow human for no reason, and an action that hurts yourself that you do knowingly...