I'm asking as I've never heard anyone define it thoroughly to my satisfaction and I'd like to understand what Christian folks really mean by it.
My current defining is that "sin" it is a nebulous catch all that is used when people haven't a clue what they are talking about.
Anyone care to add?
12 comments:
Ok, what did you do?
Just give us the details and we'll tell you whether you sinned or not.
If you have to ask, you probably did...
lol
Seriously, I probably have to go with Jeff's definition, but there's plenty of digging to be done there. Like Jeff, it may look simple, but there's more to it than meets the eye.
ah.. well there's an invitation to open up a can of worms *raises eyebrows*.. *sneeky grin*..
am pondering a response.. my initial thought is how does it interleave with the meaning to "miss the mark"?
In some languages, the word sin means "without." How does that apply? Or doesn't it?
Yeah, I have some thoughts on this, but not stuff I share for being misunderstood. But in short, I agree with you, its hocus-pocus if we look at the results of the little exercise. I’ll blog on this some time. But suffice to say, where there is NO LAW, there is also no transgression of the LAW.
;-)
My mind has gone blank for the moment over this subject. Acceptance and peace DM
Ok mind a little clearer this morning... it strikes me that merely to define sin as disobedience to God is problematic as it only references a make believe system. Is it possible to define sin without refering to God?
*provocative cheeky smile*
DM
Laraine, I guess the reason for needing to define sin with reference to something other than God is to make sure it is real.. the whole everything shall be decide on the testimony of two or three witnesses.. determining what sin is important in my mind at least because it is used to answer the why question in so many Christian docterines.. without a thorough understanding what it means I feel disinclined to interpret much of life through its lens.. hope that makes sense.. take care.. see you around sometime.. DM
I think preachers change its meaning on the fly so they can maintain control and influence... so rather than it being about disobedience to God it becomes about disobedience to the "they"... also we would need to define what disobedience to God really means... and this is where it gets interesting as "they" come up with all sorts of reasons why "they" are right and I am wrong and why my behaviour should conform to the demands that "they" have... but "they" are unwilling to define in common terms what comprises transgression... "they" quote the bible but also "they" tell you how to read the bible and "they" use their intellect and training to pull the wool over the eyes of many... you see I think my life is pretty sinless... but I think "they" want to control my life so "they" change the goal posts... and "they" are generally unwilling to open up what "they" say to honest examination...
this isn't particularly new... but I'd hope there is another way forwards...
peace DM
oh btw... my personal definition is something like sin is anything that isn't living life with courageousness (faith and fearlessness), acceptance (love if you like) and peace (quietness of the soul)... DM
I agree with your definition, DM, and think it dovetails nicely with the "disobedience" definition. And, I think, all sin is against God first.
hmmm... ok... I feel restless over this... I'm not sure what it is but I feel something is wrong... I feel an overwhelming heaviness coming from church and an anger at the inconsistency... I know this is something in me and it is very tempting to mis-dignose the source of these feelings... all-the-same I want to be heard... hmmm confusingly yours... DM
This is a beautiful conversation.
Frankly, I don't use the word anymore unless I absolutely have to. I prefer "destruction" or "destroy". But since I'm learning about chaos theory, I'm starting to change my mind about that as well. Clearly God managed the situations with Pharaoh, Judas and the Roman Govt. etc. It seems there is something bigger that attracts regardless of chaos and destruction. What is that? And what opposes?
This is beginning to sound like Paul in Romans 8.
~Whitewave
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