Do you believe in sin? (page 3)

oldflame

If we are not loving God with all our hearts, mind and strength and loving our neighbors as ourselves then we are sinning. That's how I look at it....

I think kid-A and anewme hit the nail right on the head. Sin is a human-defined social construct used to persuade people to follow a certain code of conduct. Rather than worrying about moral absolutes passed down from God, it seems to me to be much more practical to chose one's course of action by selecting the one which will result in the best outcome for everyone (even if it means one does not come out ahead).
To use some of the examples MsMcD cited, gay marriage can't be shown to do any harm to anyone (at least not in any way that holds up under reason)--why should it be sinful or immoral? Other things can be conditional, such as having sex while not married. Why should this be sinful or immoral if both partners are consenting adults?

MsMcDucket

In my opinion your entire list is meaningless without a context. For example, you ask if having a baby out of wedlock is a sin. In what context? As opposed to aborting it? As opposed to delivering a baby before you marry? Having a baby and never planning on getting married? Got accidentally pregnant because you weren't careful about birth control?

Ok, pick which one is a sin out of your own list.

anewme

Apfergus, you are right on it my boy!
You see, to me, religious guidance is a stepping stone course to the real goal of self governing, not arrogant autocracy, but self rule where the conduct is guided by maturity and respect for others and knowledge of the rules of society.

Our most famous so called Holy men and spiritual leaders were confident in their abilities to discern what was right and wrong. They did as their trained consciences dictated. They taught others who looked to them for guidance.

It is the goal to become for ourselves our own spiritual leader, confident that all the answers lie in our own beating god-given human hearts.

upside/down

right from wrong...yes

"Sin"...in the "christendom biblical" sense....HELL NO!!!

It's just a tool to make you a "tool".

u/d

MegaDude

Ok, pick which one is a sin out of your own list.

I didn't say anything on my list was a sin. I was only giving examples of giving a context.

mdb

You can sin against yourself, your own sense of morals. I've done it and there's nothing worse.

What if your personal morals say it is okay to kill a righteous man and wrong to take care of the fatherless and widows?

What is sin? Whatever is not from faith is sin...

Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.
However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled [Rom 14:14]. But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.
But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. ~ 1 Cor 8:4-13

I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.
Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves [1 Jn 3:21]. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin. ~ Rom 14:14-23

Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. ~ 1 Jn 3:21

You can sin against your own body...

Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. ~ 1 Cor 6:18

mdb

Obedience keeps the law. Love knows when to break it.

God is love and love came to fulfill the law, not to break it nor destroy it. Does love "break the law"? Not God's law. If it comes down to a choice of obedience toward God or obedience toward a command given by men and there is no possible way of peace, the command given by men will be broken and the law of God obeyed.

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. ~ Matt 5:17-20

Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!”
But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.” ~ Acts 5:26-32

kid-A

You can sin against your own body...

Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. ~ 1 Cor 6:18

GONG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

greendawn

I believe in the concept of sin, it is those actions that create an inner imbalance by unleashing destructive forces that man can't control. This is all down to the fact that human nature has its limits. Sin is like popison to the spirit. Eg if a person commits adultery that will mess up the lives of many people, with divorce and broken families coming down the pipeline.

God can not be fooled one reaps what one sows.

Do you believe in sin?