Are sins equal?

Question

We hear about some "sins" a lot on here. Primarily homosexuality. My question is - if all sins are equal, why don't we hear about being judgmental, spreading gossip or being slothful NEARLY as much as we hear about the gay thing.

Or, are all sins not equal? If so, why is homosexuality "worse"? Christ was silent about homosexuality but had a lot to say about judging your neighbor.

Your thoughts?

Answer 1

Well according the Catholics not all sins are as bad as some. Some sins are worse than others and there is difference penance for each category of sin.

That being said. I was raised in a protestant home. I went to church and I understand what the conventional philosophy is on what the Bible has to say about homosexuality.

But as you pointed Christ didn't say anything about it.

I have a child who is gay. He is a wonderful caring person. Kind and considerate. He has a college education and a good job and has monogamous relationship.

It is my belief that God created him the way he is. He was born gay. There just wasn't a sticker on his forehead saying he was a gay child when he was born. I find it very difficult to believe that God would create this wonderful human being then tell him he is damned because of the way God made him. My son didn't "choose" to be gay, he just is.

Answer 2

The homosexual sin questions are posed primarily by those promoting homosexuality. Homosexuality is not a worse sin, but is a sin none-the-less.

There are are very few pedophilia activists, theft activists, or activists who support liars, slanderers, cheaters, etc.

In Christianity, there is one sin that cannot be forgiven . . .blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

I have seen a lot of homosexual questions my self. It is the one sin that has it's own space here at YA. They tend to bleed over into the others as well, especially Religion and Spirituality.

By the way, the word "sin" was an archery term describing the distance from the bullseye and where the arrow landed, i.e. missing the mark. In religion, it literally means missing the mark.

May the love of God be with you my friend. May God bless you abundantly.

Answer 3

Well, personally, I don't believe in sin. So, eh.

But comedian Eddie Izzard once told the joke that since America has murder 1, murder 2, etc., we should have varying degrees of, say, perjury as well. That way President Clinton's indiscretions wouldn't have been as serious as someone who lied about killing someone.

I think the same applies here. There should be levels of sin (if there aren't already; I don't know). Being judgmental should be Sin 19 while murder should be Sin 1. And then you go to the Court of Christ, and all the charges against you are listed. If you have a lot of Sin 1 through 10, you're screwed. But if you have a lot of Sin 11-349, you're just like everyone else.

Answer 4

There are degrees to sin. Obviously it is much worse to actually murder a person than it is to simply hate them – even though they are both sinful in God’s sight. Some sins are worse than others. At the same time, in regards to both eternal consequences and salvation, all sins are the same. (Romans 6:23). All sin, no matter how “small,” is against an infinite and eternal God, and is therefore worthy of an infinite and eternal penalty. Further, there is no sin too “big” that God cannot forgive it.

I think your statement that "Christ was silent about homosexuality but had a lot to say about judging your neighbor," pretty much answers answers that part of your question!

Answer 5

Yes, all sins, barring the sin of blasphemy are equal. In their forgiveness and unforgiveness.

Our pastor today spoke of homosexuality..He said that we aren't to judge anyone because of that sin anymore than lying, gossip, gluttony, stealing. That they are all sin before God. How can we say we are any better or any worse than another? We can't. Christians are forgiven... we will still stumble and fail, but the sins were forgiven on the cross, for our past present and future. It is our choice to accept that sacrifice and forgiveness.

It was a really good sermon, I thought.

Answer 6

No, sins are not equal. Some are worse than others, and Christianity has always maintained that doctrine. But, about 15 years ago, I started hearing a few folks saying that all sins are equal. Of course, what they mean is that the penalty for all sins is equal - not the moral implications or temporal consequences of sin.

Answer 7

Not equal in every sense. But all are equal in that any sin, no matter how small we may consider it or how of how little consequence we think it is, has equal potential to separate us from God.

We're also really bad at judging what is of consequence. We may think being hateful to someone is not as bad as stealing from them or lying about them, but to them it may be what discourages them to the point of giving up.

Some sins are more likely to be habitual and unrepentant, therefore of greater eternal consequence. If someone is judgmental, people in their lives will slowly withdraw from them and they will suffer enough consequences to hopefully cause them to take a deep look and repent.

Premarital sex and homosexual sex are equal sins. Except that if the heterosexual couple gets married, they're no longer continuing in premarital sex. They can repent and move on.

I don't know how, from a Biblical perspective, someone can engage in homosexuality as a lifestyle and repent and move on. They'd have to leave it. And I would think that would be terribly difficult to do.

Ultimately this is one of those things I leave between the individual and God. It's not something I could support because of my understanding of scriptures, but my heart goes out to those struggling with reconciling a relationship with God and with homosexual desires.

I do believe that Christianity is something I primarily need to be concerned with applying to myself, and showing my neighbor by example - not something to bash others over the head with.

Answer 8

Hey Laptop, Excellent question indeed!
Well...I waited a few minutes to answer as I was perusing some of the answers given. Sin is equal. There is no way around that if you call yourself a Christian. Because of the simple fact that Jesus died for "sin", the very nature of it. We cannot pick and choose who we like and don't like because of their lifestyle, if we do that we are not what we claim to be. No I cannot find the word "homosexuality" in the Bible, there are passages that can be constured as speaking of the subject, but the word itself no it is not in there. As a Christian we cannot judge one another, that is for God to do, we do not have that right. If God says to love our neighbor, feed them if their hungry, or put clothes on their backs if their cold, he didn't say don't do it because you don't agree with their lifestyle. That is what we as Christians are supposed to do hate sin, not the sinner....because we ourselves though saved are yet and still just saved sinners. So Christians lets remember we are supposed to be representatives of Christ, he didn't turn away anybody that I have read about. Love one another. God Bless

Answer 9

I think the reason the "gay thing" is targeted more is because people easily poke at the plank in the eyes of others and do not wish to discuss their own problems of gossiping or self-righteousness etc.,

Truth is we have all fallen short and we keep falling short if we do not bring our sins to the cross.

Least we not judge, let God do his job and judge accordingly but for us, maybe practicing love to our neighbor is more what we should be focused on....

remember... Christ was not a CEO he was a simple carpenter...and he came in love,

Answer 10

"Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man [or woman] commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body" (1 Corinthians 6:18, NIV).

This is one of many biblical texts that is centered on the subject of sexual sin(s).

All sin is rebellion and disobedience in the eyes of God,however some sins carry a greater weight...such as sinful pride and lying...There are also depths of depravity that allow one to commit the more grievious crimes against humanity.

The sin of gossip,that you have listed,is likened to the sin of murder...not to mention,lust or gluttony and envy.

Where the sin of homosexuality is on the least to worst sin scale,I am not aware...I am more interested in sharing the Gospel(good news) and defending it,tooth and nail...rather than just pointing out obvious sin...My wish is that people would come to the knowledge of the one who died so that by God's grace and in faith believing,all sins would be washed away and a new creature would come to life in the walk of sanctification,by justification.