(no subject) [puszysty]

I'm not so sure I really believe in the concept of sin. Like, it almost seems like its a concept we made up. A sin is a bad thing you do: yet its not all the bad things you can do. It seems to me that the bible makes rules about what action is a sin and what is not. But polluting yourself is more than just doing bad actions: what about the bad thoughts? I mean, does the Bible ever say "Thou shalt not be racist" or "Thou shalt show respect to women"? And honestly, the Bible doesnt really address the act of not doing or not thinking: just sitting there and doing nothing. That's one of the most self polluting society polluting things one can do, yet no one seems to consider it a sin. Sometimes Christianity gets so caught up in defining the negative that we deemphasize the positive. Its kind of like Confucius said- By defining the negative, people will be more inclined to commit it.
And the other thing is: it seems that these sins (which mostly are just bad one time actions) can be wiped away by asking for forgiveness- "god forgive me." God says "ok, done." But where is the conscious effort to change? You ask God to forgive you for being closed minded, God seems to say ok, what is that going to help? Really, if we want to make this world better, we need to quit focusing on easy sin abdication and start engaging our minds. It isn't 'sin' that's creating the biggest problems here.

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I see what you mean. The bible does point out that faith without works is dead though (which means you can't just be sorry, you have to change your actions too). Also there are parts in the bible that point out that doing nothing is not good either, like in revelation where we are told the lord would rather us be either cold or hot than lukewarm (half there, unpraticipatory/ not taking an action).

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There are also many traditions that will insist that one can sin by not doing something. A Christian who does not do what is expected of them, even if they are doing nothing bad, is considered sinful to many. Also thoughts are considered sinful in many traditions, and there is a biblical basis for that. I know specifically about the verse that says lust is a sin, but I think there is even more of a basis to support the idea that thought can be sinful. Exactly what is "sin" varies a great deal between traditions. Many will simply take a legal standpoint and say that sin is breaking God's law. Others will generalize sin to things that cause harm or things that promote 'evil.' The definition that I thought of that I've become rather fond of is that sin is anything that separates a person from God. The theological implications of this are many but I don't think you want me to ramble on about that. Also the basis for forgiveness varies a lot from tradition to tradition. Some will just say that it is as easy as asking God for forgiveness and God says "OK." Others will say that forgiveness requires suffering or sacrifice to occur (such as penance). Yet another view requires a sincere repentance that also means the person must change their sinful ways as evidence of their change of heart. Of course aspects of each of these can be included in different religious traditions and many other factors can be involved, but those are some views.