The subject of sin is one that is at the core of Judeo/Christian thought. JW's and ex JW's alike deal with many levels of guilt that is associated with believing that certain actions and thoughts are "sinful" or offensive to god.
JW's define sin as "a missing of the mark...... God himself sets the mark..... Missing that mark is sin. sin is anything not in harmony with God's personality, standards, ways and will. It may involve wrong conduct, failure to do what should be done, ungodly speech, unclean thoughts, or desires or motives that are selfish."
It has been commented on frequently that the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses define additional layers of sin through their interpretation of the bible.
Other sources define sin as
Wikipedia:Sin is a term used mainly in a religious context to describe an act that violates a moralrule, or the state of having committed such a violation. Commonly, the moral code of conduct is decreed by a divine entity (such as Yahweh or Allah in the Abrahamic religions).
Sin is often used to mean an action that is prohibited or considered wrong; in some religions (notably some sects of Christianity), sin can refer to a state of mind rather than a specific action. Colloquially, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, shameful, harmful, or alienating might be termed "sinful".
Christians often argue that because we are sinful, all man needs Christ and his ransom sacrifice. That is very telling.
Consider for a moment: Without the concept of sin, (whatever definition one wishes to put on it) there is no need for Christian religion, the ransom sacrifice of Jesus, or the need to feel guilt over certain actions.
I should state here before I go any further that semantics, word play, and definitions have always colored this argument. Often, differences result because of ones chosen point of view.
A Christian will view sin as an offense against god. A non Christian will often look at the same action or conduct as either a personal decision or a simple mistake.
The difference in the mental well being of a person because of their view of their own conduct is substantial.
Christian theists maintain that mistakes, errors in judgment, and certain lifestyle choices are sinful. I maintain that in the absence of god, such conduct merely reflects the human condition as we understand it today. Such actions represent personal choices, nothing more.
Christian theists link sin to the ever important quest for "perfection", because sin to one degree or another always implies imperfection. I maintain that the striving for perfection, based on ancient writings from ancient religions are antiquated and out of date. The evidence shows that the quest for perfection, and the guilt many carry as a result of viewing themselves as sinful does substantial harm to the mental and emotional well being of people.
I am interested in a discussion on this. I view sin as a control mechanism for man made religions. Without implementing the idea that we sin and offend god, there is no need for religion.
Obviously, atheists and agnostics maintain that they are fine without god, something that causes deep consternation in theists, who maintain that no one will be ok without their god.
Sin implies failure, sin implies a need to placate an invisible personage, sin implies that we are wrong more then we are right. Sin provides an opportunity for religion to control people. Without sin, religion goes out of business.