In Reply to: Re: Am I a sinner? posted by Joseph on April 10, 2004 at 06:06:00:
Moving to a cabin in the woods--not for me, haha!
But you gave an excellent analysis of sin and society. In the dictionary listing you gave:
sin1 ( P ) Pronunciation Key (sn)
n.
1. A transgression of a religious or moral law, especially when deliberate.
Theology.
2. Deliberate disobedience to the known will of God.
3. A condition of estrangement from God resulting from such disobedience.
4. Something regarded as being shameful, deplorable, or utterly wrong.
intr.v. sinned, sin·ning, sins
1. To violate a religious or moral law.
2. To commit an offense or violation.
I find definition 2 the most tricky (3 can be included), because how do we know the will of God? In my opinion this is when danger comes in of 'prophets' who are the 'mouth-piece' of God and give His commands and will to the people. This leads to the birth of cults and oppression (from before the times of Christ to today in almost all religions).
So, defining a religious sinner is a lot more difficult than defining a moral or social sinner because religion is based on God and His Will and commands, which can change according to the particular branch of religion you follow.