Sin: 1. any reprehensible or regrettable action, behavior, lapse, etc.; great fault or offense. 2. Something regarded as being shameful, deplorable, or utterly wrong. As you may see, there is a connection between this post and the previous one. I absolutely hate sin. Not, "hate the sin, not the sinner" type of sin. I hate the concept of sin. I truly wish that the word, idea, or thought of sin never came into existence. I detest the word and I hate what it does. I like faults. I like errors. I like mistakes. I like lessons. I like mess-ups and screw-ups. I like oopses. I like oches and boo-boos. But sin, sin I hate. Sin leaves you helpless. Sin gives you the feeling of beyond inadequacy. It is stand-offish and disgusting and wants those who are not within the realms of Christian lingo want to puke up snot and smear it all over your face. It is rotten. It demoralizes. It is degrading and it degrades others. It's a word that builds up borders, barriers, walls and obstacles between people. It's unapproachable and disdainful.
The first thing you learn when becoming a Christian for the first time is sin. Where does the Bible begin it's story with humans? Sin. When something is built upon something else, everything is defined in those terms. When the house comes tumbling down, the only thing left standing is the foundation. The foundation of Judeo-Christianity is sin. It is not only a prequel to what is coming up next, sin is it. Sin is where you start from and is the basis for every person who is not a Christian. In a religion that claims to be loving sure does place it's emphasis on an act full of reprehensible, shameful and deplorable feelings. Why would an institution founded on love want sin to be a part of it's vocabulary, especially when it mostly is a foreign concept.
Sin is not a loving word. A loving idea is you made a mistake and you'll learn. Or maybe you'll make the mistake again, but that's okay because you're human. It is not as though because I'm a Christian that all the mistakes I've made I won't make again or will be totally forgotten and because you're unchristian that your mistakes will stay with you forever. Going into the spiel of sin when teaching a Christian to be a Christian is not worth the explanation or the time spent on defining an outdated useless word. If someone is becoming a Christian there must be a reason they are doing so. They know that there are problems in the world. They know humans aren't perfect and holy. People who use sin seem to think that such a detestable word will make grace in comparison look that much better, but it doesn't. Sin sets itself up for failure. Sin makes a person feel worse about themselves when they shouldn't. A person who cuts their wrist will not think of sin as a far-off word that separates humans and God. That person will only take that word to heart and will tailspin into cutting again. What is the purpose and intention for using such a word? To help us realize that we betrayed God? That we, as humans, disobeyed God and are now punished by God until some savior by the name of Jesus comes saves us? Does a word that full of heavy sentiment really need to be used to let us know that we are not gods? A word completely complex in it's history and powerfulness need to be the basis of a self-proclaimed loving religion?
The answer is quite simply no. There is no longer any need and purpose to use this sinful word. Problems are problems, mistakes are mistakes and they may happen again, but beating a dead horse with this idea of sin is not going to help matters. Concentration on a fault or error does not make it go away. Especially when there already is a solution.
What my suggestion is is a new word, for a new concept, for a new idea. A thought or image that sites problems within humans but is not distasteful and abhorrent. I heard a couple of people use this word when I'd been thinking about sin and that word was, The human condition. The human condition is a much better way of explaining sin than sin. Sin is personal, sin is deep, sin concerns only you. Sin is about your disobedience toward God and God’s perfection that you will never live up to. The human condition however is about humanity’s predicament. Humanity’s frailty and problems are the main focus. The underlining human condition truly is the peril that befalls us all. Also, what is more enticing about using the human condition is that it is more encompassing. Sin focuses on the past and does not move beyond that, while the human condition recognizes the past but presents a problem in the present and hopes for the future. The human condition is only a condition; it’s not a disease, cancer, or terminal illness. The condition is the problem of the present and can be changed. The human condition is something we are born with, but something as we are presented with the issue and take in to account and try solving. The human condition has the humility, without the depression and without the hatred. The human condition factors in God with all of humanity born with this condition. The human condition centralizes and magnifies. There are several human conditions, positive ones and negative ones. The human condition of caring, but then the human condition of being selfish. The human condition of having a tendency toward destruction, but then the human condition of being constructive and progressive. The human condition of hope, desperation, empathy, but also of jealousy, anger, and apathy. Sin will always be with us, the human condition on the other hand can change according to how we react to this problem. Sin is central to regrettable unforgettable ugly acts while the human condition is central to being human.
The first thing you learn when becoming a Christian for the first time is sin. Where does the Bible begin it's story with humans? Sin. When something is built upon something else, everything is defined in those terms. When the house comes tumbling down, the only thing left standing is the foundation. The foundation of Judeo-Christianity is sin. It is not only a prequel to what is coming up next, sin is it. Sin is where you start from and is the basis for every person who is not a Christian. In a religion that claims to be loving sure does place it's emphasis on an act full of reprehensible, shameful and deplorable feelings. Why would an institution founded on love want sin to be a part of it's vocabulary, especially when it mostly is a foreign concept.
Sin is not a loving word. A loving idea is you made a mistake and you'll learn. Or maybe you'll make the mistake again, but that's okay because you're human. It is not as though because I'm a Christian that all the mistakes I've made I won't make again or will be totally forgotten and because you're unchristian that your mistakes will stay with you forever. Going into the spiel of sin when teaching a Christian to be a Christian is not worth the explanation or the time spent on defining an outdated useless word. If someone is becoming a Christian there must be a reason they are doing so. They know that there are problems in the world. They know humans aren't perfect and holy. People who use sin seem to think that such a detestable word will make grace in comparison look that much better, but it doesn't. Sin sets itself up for failure. Sin makes a person feel worse about themselves when they shouldn't. A person who cuts their wrist will not think of sin as a far-off word that separates humans and God. That person will only take that word to heart and will tailspin into cutting again. What is the purpose and intention for using such a word? To help us realize that we betrayed God? That we, as humans, disobeyed God and are now punished by God until some savior by the name of Jesus comes saves us? Does a word that full of heavy sentiment really need to be used to let us know that we are not gods? A word completely complex in it's history and powerfulness need to be the basis of a self-proclaimed loving religion?
The answer is quite simply no. There is no longer any need and purpose to use this sinful word. Problems are problems, mistakes are mistakes and they may happen again, but beating a dead horse with this idea of sin is not going to help matters. Concentration on a fault or error does not make it go away. Especially when there already is a solution.
What my suggestion is is a new word, for a new concept, for a new idea. A thought or image that sites problems within humans but is not distasteful and abhorrent. I heard a couple of people use this word when I'd been thinking about sin and that word was, The human condition. The human condition is a much better way of explaining sin than sin. Sin is personal, sin is deep, sin concerns only you. Sin is about your disobedience toward God and God’s perfection that you will never live up to. The human condition however is about humanity’s predicament. Humanity’s frailty and problems are the main focus. The underlining human condition truly is the peril that befalls us all. Also, what is more enticing about using the human condition is that it is more encompassing. Sin focuses on the past and does not move beyond that, while the human condition recognizes the past but presents a problem in the present and hopes for the future. The human condition is only a condition; it’s not a disease, cancer, or terminal illness. The condition is the problem of the present and can be changed. The human condition is something we are born with, but something as we are presented with the issue and take in to account and try solving. The human condition has the humility, without the depression and without the hatred. The human condition factors in God with all of humanity born with this condition. The human condition centralizes and magnifies. There are several human conditions, positive ones and negative ones. The human condition of caring, but then the human condition of being selfish. The human condition of having a tendency toward destruction, but then the human condition of being constructive and progressive. The human condition of hope, desperation, empathy, but also of jealousy, anger, and apathy. Sin will always be with us, the human condition on the other hand can change according to how we react to this problem. Sin is central to regrettable unforgettable ugly acts while the human condition is central to being human.
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