How would you explain the concept of sin to someone who knew nothing of religions?

Question

Maybe someone like an extraterrestrial.

Answer 1

well I dunno about extra terrestrial but the word sin is an archery term. Any shoot which misses the exact center is cqalled a sin thus any act that is not right on target is sin.

Answer 2

Ah. Good question.
Sin, to a martian, is an inside nature, which is how someone is (how they act, how they are, etc), that came into existence when God created everything. This nature first came into being when someone (an angel, which is a helper of God, named Lucifer) thought they could be Christ, or God.
Sin nature, in another language (a form of communication) called Greek, is also called 'harmitea'. This harmitea keeps one from having an actual relationship with God.
Jesus Christ was murdered on a cross that one might become a New Creation, which is a new person, which is the highest being created by God that was corrupted by Sin when the first persons were created on the earth, created by the Lord, or God.

Sin seperates persons from God. A sin is missing the mark, failing to reach Christ, or God. The worst sin is idolatry, which is calling oneself god or lifting oneself above God. Sin produces death. Christ gives life. A New Creation, explained above, is blessed by God with life, contentment and joy, love, the ability to care EXTREMELY and an incredible amount of compassion (or the Greek word 'agape), and light, absolute Truth.

That, in a very very small nutshell, is how I would fully be able explain the entire concept.

Answer 3

First you must understand that some religions the concept of sin is nonexistant. there is without question right and wrong. but sin is a human construct.

In Judaic law it is a sin to eat pork, islam as well. reason?
in ancient times it was well known eating pork could lead to a severe sickness now known as trichinosis.

In modern Pagan beliefs sin is not really much of an issue. It is more about taking responsibility for your actions, or if you will the Golden rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

All that said think of the concept of generally accepted right or wrong.

It is generally accepted that holding small children under water till dead is wrong.. I tend to think so anyway. criminal infact. however.. vast majority also agree that it's bad.


ok. so drown bad, not drown good. now *KNOWING* it is bad drown them anyway...

THAT is sin... big one if ya ask me.

Answer 4

The concept of sin would not enter his reality. I once said to my unbelieving friend, "It says in the Bible..." and he reminded me that the Bible was my guide, not his. Touche! He was right. I now try to live my faith, and hope he wants it, but it isn't an issue with us. I once dated a person of a different faith, and when he wanted to make out, I told him I wouldn't. He explained that it wasn't a sin in his faith. Funny, huh? Needless to say, it was our first and last date. Similarly, explaining to an extraterrestrial about sin would maybe make him return to another planet.

Answer 5

You take a bat and hit him on the head and then you reprimand the hand that held the bat by slapping it and saying, "No, no, no!" One knock after another will eventually have the concept of sin sink in the head of that someone who knows nothing about sin.
Happy New Year!

Answer 6

Most people, although perhaps no extraterrestrials, can understand the concept or right and wrong. If something you are doing causes harm to another person, it is wrong. That means harming their dignity, their person, or their finances. That covers about everything.

Answer 7

Ignorance is sin.
Without learning physical matters, we cannot produce enough food and distribute them fairly, we condemn ourselves to starvation.
Without learning intellectual matters, we cannot develop various branches of studies to save humanity from the restrictions of nature.
Without learning spiritual matters, we cannot develop the potential virtues in our hearts to raise the stattion of man far higher than other creatures and to build an ever-advancing civilization.
This perfect education is provided to us in the Holy Books of the Messengers of the One True God.
The Buddha, Moses, Baha'u'llah...are the Divine Educators, They are not unknown aliens from outer space. This truth is recorded in the Holy Books now available on the Internet. You can read them at http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/

Answer 8

Call it sin, or wrong, or whatever. believe what you want about God or religion. The fact is that we all (except the mentally impaired maybe) know the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, and we all choose which we will follow.

Answer 9

Even though someone may know nothing of religion, God has given them a conscience, so they know right from wrong. The reason the Ten Commandments were given was to show man what sin was. Before that though, man knew when he was doing wrong.

Answer 10

do not do to other people what you don't want other people to do to you. This is a simple to understand Atheist concept that is kind of that used in religions to. The only difference no god to insult or to be afraid of

Answer 11

You could explain first of all that the creator has a set of laws, that he expects humans to live by, if these laws are broken, then this is considered a sin.

You could liken these laws to the laws of a country, which are enforced by the government to maintain the order in the society....
In the same way God has his laws which he sets up in order ensure that we have order in our lives....