The Problem of Sin
abracad, · Categories: spiritualityThe concept of sin is fundamental to human society, and especially within the field of religion that has accompanied human development and continues to be practiced or believed in by the majority of the world's population. There does not appear to be any equivalent to sin among the other species we share the planet with.
But what is sin? Is it demarcated by some rigid boundary? Or is it relative to each nation, culture, individual, era... thus rendering the definition somewhat meaningless.
Can sin only have meaning with regard to our interaction with others? We can only sin by harming another in some way, thus it is impossible to commit sin in isolation.
Can non-action ever be a sin, ie causing another harm by failing to come to their aid? But this is a shaky definition since the sum of mankind needing aid at any time would overwhelm any feeble effort we could offer without making any noticeable difference to the totality of human suffering.
Human society invariably imposes some kind of laws upon its membership, together with enforcement mechanisms and appropriate punishments for those who transgress. But what if, in true conscience, we oppose society's laws; eg refusing to pay that part of our taxes that fund the prosecution of war? Is the sin failure to pay, or paying to support that which we believe to be wrong? Jesus offered an ingenious resolution to this dilemma with the response: "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s"
Some interpretations of Christianity hold the concept of original, or ancestral, sin. This is sin originating from man's fall from God's rule when Adam and Eve were tempted to eat from the forbidden tree. Original sin is supposedly borne by us all, from birth, regardless of our personal conduct.
Original sin offers one explanation for mankind's inherent flaws, but it seems unreasonably harsh that new born babies are branded sinners. Until relatively recently traditional Catholicism held that babies who passed away before being baptized could not enter the kingdom of heaven but would instead be condemned to limbo. Surely we are all born as blank pages, albeit with some pre-determined and hidden purpose, and concomitant imperfections.
If sin may be defined as the causing of unreasonable harm to other beings, then there are varying degrees of sin dependent upon the level of harm done and the underlying intent. For example it is surely a greater sin to kill than to park in a restricted zone. It could be argued that it is worse to point a gun at someone and pull the trigger than having a fatal accident while driving under intoxication.
To us as individuals the problem of sin poses 2 distinct issues: how to avoid sin, and how to avoid being sinned against.
Most of us are neither good nor bad, but basically neutral in our dealings with others. Of those that aren't neutral, the majority are predominantly good.
There can be no absolute definition of sin applicable to all people across all cultures. However, that shouldn't mean we can live without regard for the moral consequences of our actions. Through a combination of experience, and the guidance that comes from communion with whatever Spiritual reality we find appropriate, we each develop an intuition of what is right and wrong. By actively seeking to do what is (to us) right and resisting sin we live a more purposeful, fulfilling, and ultimately happier life.
See also:
Filed in: spirituality
Leave a Reply