[sinewave]

It fascinates me that people make this great leaping assumption that a thing called "sin" exists.

Why do you suppose people assume this?

As I see it, it possibly comes from people having been taught to be ashamed and guilty of certain behaviours, in order to coerce and shape certain preferred behaviours, but was taken to fantastic extremes.

Why do people keep falling for this baseless notion? ... then easily fall victim to some minor or major 'religion' of the ‘elect’, which promises them personal deliverance from this alleged "sin" ... if one does what they say?

Is the assumed notion of ‘sin’ simply a tool of social manipulation, which has over-time become habitual, and then blown out of all proportion by attachment to other button-pressing words like "sacred", God and "culture"?

Why do you suppose this assumption has emerged in this way, in many cults and their archaic 'cult-ures', which persist as we see them today?

Is 'sin' just an extension of the fear of death, which a thinking person becomes aware of, at some point?

[rockytriton]

A sin is a way for a cult to take a common sense moral topic, like "don't commit murder", and use it to make people think that members of thier cult are virtuous because they follow these commandments which don't allow them to commit these crimes without punishment in the afterlife.

[pgrmdave]

Sin is simply the word that some people use for an immoral act. It is nothing more than that. So long as you have morality, there will be 'sin'.

[alxian]

i think most people ignore the importance of society in the development of such beliefs

it is a sin because it is detrimental to society. even if the individual doesn't care not all individuals in society may like that particular action, thus it is bad for everyone, thus it is a sin.

[Fishteacher73]

Sin is simply a christian term for taboo. As the topic has been brought up in many rior threads, most "sins" were listed for basic health reasons (no pork = no trichinosis, etc). Some were also used to help segrigate christians from other "pagans". Most today are arbitrary and not really relevant. Those that are seem to be the most ignored....

[sinewave]

Originally Posted by Fishteacher73

Sin is simply a christian term for taboo. As the topic has been brought up in many rior threads, most "sins" were listed for basic health reasons (no pork = no trichinosis, etc). Some were also used to help segrigate christians from other "pagans". Most today are arbitrary and not really relevant. Those that are seem to be the most ignored....

Yeah, though that taboo is taken to tremendous extremes by some. When young I had a Nun yell at me, actually, at a room full of equally young children, that we were all going to burn in hell forever, if we didn't follow her god-given instruction to the letter.

Her belief in sin, which had been previous drummed into her, caused her to say this to children, in order to frighten them into unquestioning compliance.

I really don't want to narrow or limit the discussion to Christianity of course, but only mention Christianity simply because it’s the belief system which I've had the most direct contact with, within this country, but understand this notion of "sin", and its terrible guilt and implied religious threats of eternal retribution and payback, seems to pervade the doctrines of most, if not all of what are generally called 'religions', in one form or another.

Without this ultimate stick called "sin", draconian religious authority would not have become what it has been in various places and times (or still is).

So this unquestioning mere assumption that sin exists, or that 'divine' payback will occur? This seems to me to be a fairly fundamental though often overlooked aspect of all global 'religious practices' and their core beliefs and doctrinal arguments.

Why did sin become so extremely expressed? How did what might be called 'common sense' social behavioural rules, like not murdering or stealing or needlessly disrupting the peace, become twisted into this conceptual monstrosity called "sin", which people today still assume exists, and which has caused them and all others so much misery and harmful acts over the centuries?

[alxian]

religious "programming"

its such a shame wasting a good catholic school girl aged well to become a strict bitter old disciplinarian who can have no fun?! there must not be a god for such a thing to be done in his name.

[sinewave]

Originally Posted by alxian

religious "programming"

its such a shame wasting a good catholic school girl aged well to become a strict bitter old disciplinarian who can have no fun?! there must not be a god for such a thing to be done in his name.

You make a good observation, her life goes from joy, fun and freedom of spirit, to a rigid, bitter, afraid misery inducer, struggling to be 'perfected' (minimise sin).

And the process is a reaction to her implanted assumption of her "sin"-fullness, and attempt to be other than what she is, and is feeling at the beginning.

[jerryo]

http://www.parentalguide.com/Documen...t_part_1_2.htm

i don't really have any idea what 'sin' is supposed to be

so i googled it and found the above link

i was told i was a sinner as a youngster and needed to repent,
i asked what did i do

..there was no answer...

i just needed to go ahead and repent !

( 'sin' if i had to label it would be... 'thinking outside of the present tense' )