Do you believe this?

Question

by darwinsfriend3:

Sin is a man-made concept invented to instill fear and exercise control over others.

why or why not? if all the selfish evil things people do is not sin what is it then? We all need medication because it's all a disease? How else do you explain man's fallen, sinful nature that can only be helped through Jesus? I have my own thoughts I would like to hear yours.

Answer 1

I agree with the statement. 'Sin' is used by religious people to describe immoral acts.

Answer 2

Basically.

Sin is a man-made concept. I disagree on the motives for making it, though. It does help keep converts in line, which tends to keep religion together, which tends to get more converts. It does have that net effect of fear and control. But I think it is more of an inherent effect of religion than any person's intent for religion.

When we call something evil or selfish, it is a judgement by a person of another person's act. If I say that something is evil, that says more about my judgement of things than the thing, itself. There is no evilness that you can measure in the thing.

Sin is not a disease. Man does not have a "fallen" or "sinful" nature. Man has a human nature. That human nature has helped man survive as long as he has. Society, however, evolves much faster than human biology, though. So, many of our instincts have to be molified and redirected to allow us to live in modern society. And that is the basic reason we develop moralities. It allows people to live close to other people in relative peace. A hermit doesn't need morality, because he doesn't affect anybody. Morality is basically the "house rules" we come up with to be able to be near each other in a way that both can live and let live. Religion has just taken a set of those rules, added some nonsense of its own, and pushed it as god-given. Of course, it is also pushing rules that were in society thousands of years ago, so it doesn't include anything about women's rights, how child abuse is bad, or the idea that slavery is bad. Those are more recent societal ideas.

Answer 3

We were all born with sin. Adam was the cause of that. Adam and Eve had a good thing going but they chose to listen to Satan. It wasn't so hard to do. All they had to do is stay away from the tree of knowledge, the tree in the middle of Garden of Eden. That was so stupid. God never ment for us to die but Adam messed that up. That is why we were all born with sin. Then Jesus was sent here as the Ransom of sacrifice to die for our sins. He was the only perfect human on earth. Jesus was, "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived." This is the Book that everyone should read, very interesting. This book will tell all. God Bless!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 4

NOW, now, now...we all "know" that anytime we do something against our better judgement, out of anger,resentment,strife,it makes us "feel bad" in our hearts.. this is a fact..we all have a conscience..and these things "bother us" and, we try to "justify our actions" through trying to tell ourselfs how we "ok, in what we did, even though we may have instigated it, or tried to prove a point.., but, it still stands.."we feel the bad in our hearts" we "know we did wrong" there is no way aroud this, everybody has the same symptoms...and, they keep piling up..day after day..and the next thing you know..you are going to see a specialist to "make them all go away,or vanish" and you get "pills" and they pass the buck and shift the blame...but, the "truth is, you still feel remorse, why? because it "Stains You" when you do such things..and, you will always have a "memory of them" this is what, and why they are called "sins". And, they have to be "Forgiven" sorry, but this is how it is..and the only way to get them "removed.." is to have Jesus to "wash them away" and He will for the asking..and, you will feel better...this is Gods' remedy...but, you can keep going to your doctors and taking "pills" for the rest of your life, and it will never really do any good, or, you can ask Jesus...the choice is "yours" "Peace!" (but, sin is sin-and, there is nothing you can do about it..) I don't care who you are....

Answer 5

The snarky response is that inventing concepts to secure money/service/power from the gullible is a sin. ;-)

But the deeper response is that there is no greater slavery than the man who cannot control his own instincts. These are what the ancient's called "the passions" - these intense biological and emotional urges that inspire action without thought. To be controlled by the passions is to be a mere animal. The higher calling of humanity is to cultivate reason and virtue, and subject the passions to the service of these.

So to overcome sin - to be controlled by the mind, will, and heart in pursuit of virtue - to cultivate justice, temperance, wisdom, fortitude, faith, hope, and love - far from enslaving a people, frees them to live as man was intended. What's more, when we overcome sin and subjugate the passions, far from being easily controlled by power mongers, we have a higher authority than our own instincts by which to challenge them, and are harder to control then those whose lusts make them drool after every trifle that a tyrant offers to placate the masses.

Answer 6

Sin could be a man made concept.

Makes sense. It's the easiest way to control people.

But what if there was no such thing as sin.

In other words. Sin = man made

What if we didn't "invent" sin?

How would the world be like?

Moral values wouldn't exist.

Bad and good. Good and Bad. Could be swapped over as easily as a coin.

Religion is a confusing thing.

They say all (or a lot of..) wars were born out of religious disagreements.

I don't think religion is the one to fault. I think it's the people who use religion as a tool are the ones to fault.

In other words, believe in god. Great thing. But please... god gave you a brain.. and a heart..

Use it.

They say god put the bible on the earth. The quran on the earth.

What is the bible? Quran?

Its a book.

(not meaning to offend) but it is like any other book. Words Written on Paper. Leather bound.

How hard would it be to tamper with that?

Its been how many years since theyve said God put the bible, quran, on the earth?

You do not think people of great power. Presidents, Leaders, Kings... would've thought...

hmmm.. here's a book... it says certain things, rules...

and people will believe in it, just simply believe in it.

What if.... I changed it around a bit? So it could benefit me?

Not impossible.

I personally believe in God.

But I do not believe in the other people who misuse God and his/her/its supposed rules.

I cannot live without god. I don't think anyone can.

Sure if you're healthy and happy your fine. What if your penniless, have no family/friends, and.. 1 pair of clothes?

You honestly would say to yourself... Nah I'm not turning over to god. I can do this on my own?

Bah..

So anyways. What I think is. Believe in god. Fine. But please. Please, please, please. Use your brain and your heart when you are believing in God.

Gave it to ya for a reason....

Answer 7

I don't think you understood what he was trying to say. Let me give it a shot. When he said ''sin'' he meant the concept of sin Christianity and many other religions have. I call that ''religious sin'' (in lack of a better term) and with that concept I completely disagree. I think it's mean, vile and cruel to instill fear into someone for going against the rules of a religious script whose authenticity is debatable.

But I'll leave it this time. To me sin means anything that my conscience doesn't allow me. While you might think that it's a grave sin for a poor man to steal a loaf of bread to feed his starving children and that such act needs someone's blood to redeem it, I on the other hand don't think of it as a sin. That man did what he had to do at that moment. And please note that I don't have a lazy man in mind, simply a poor man.

My concept of sin is actually equal to the concept of choices. We all do bad things. And we all make bad choices. But we have to accept that just because ''now and here'' we think of some past choice as a bad one, it still doesn't negate the fact that it was the best choice we knew how to make in those circumstances.

I probably haven't cleared this up to you, and I know it's hard to grasp, but at least I've tried. It does become much, much clearer once a person accepts that there is no such thing as sinful nature (we were all born pure, in my opinion) and that we don't have any being to answer to - we only have our conscience, which trust me can inflict severe pain as a means of punishment.

.

Answer 8

anyone can call themselves an atheist. it doesn't guarantee that they are clever.

there are a large number of moral principles which are common to all human societies - religious, secular, apathetic - and always have been. they include such concepts as 'don't kill your own sort', 'don't steal from members of your own social group', 'don't lie about members of your own tribe' (there is a simplified list at the end of steven pinker's 'the blank slate' - it is very long).

if there are universal human moral concepts then obviously 'sin' is a man-made concept only in the most trivial sense. a concept of 'sin' is as natural to us as the concepts of 'day', 'father' or 'up'.

but man does not have a fallen nature. the concept of 'sin' is what makes the concept of 'virtue' possible. people know what 'bad' is only because they are naturally good.

christians have a fallen nature. they are naturally bad people.

Answer 9

Charity never faileth because it "thinketh no evil": 1Cor 13.
Pure religion arrived undefiled & remained unspotted: Jam1

Where no law, there no transgression: Romans 4:15
When no law, no sin and death is imputed: Rom 5:13
Christ is the end of the law, not mend of law: Rom 10:4
God was in Christ, NOT imputing tresspasses: 2Cor5:19

That is how you reconcile the world that God so loved;
Not by fault-finding, accusing, and condemning with law.
For law will turn on you and make your @ss to be grass.

The GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ with you all. Amen.

Answer 10

There are individual "sins" -- lying, stealing, cheating, etc., but I believe "sin" at its root is something we are all born with. I do not believe it is a man-made concept invented to instill fear and exercise control over others because we are all born sinners before we do anything to instill fear or exercise control over others.

I believe it is true that we are born in sin, because we cry to get our ways as babies, children who are good are said to have been "raised" or "taught" well -- nobody really believes we are born that way. I believe that we can control certain aspects of sin - i.e, our behavior, but not the root sin inside us (our hearts).

I see that "root sin" as being first of all "pride" -- we all want to be God -- but with all of us vying for the same position, chaos ensues as there is too much jockeying for position.

I believe the other "root sin" is rebellion -- we do not want to adhere to anything or anybody as being more powerful or "right" than us -- so, once again, we fight for our own way.

Since we are born that way, I don't think there is anything we can do to get past it -- we can't change our hearts -- we can't "feel" the right things -- we can't help what we feel. Though we can help what we do -- we can't help what we FEEL. So, I believe that we must turn to Jesus who paid the penalty for our "sin" (pride and rebellion) -- and rose again to defeat the sin along with the death -- and let HIM CHANGE our hearts, so that it CAN "feel" the right thing, and so that our behavior comes from a pure heart of love, rather than selfish motives for gain.

Answer 11

I don't think sin is a man made concept for control, I mean it makes sense not to steal, kill, assault Its just human nature to find things acceptable and unacceptable. Everyone has a conscience. They don't always listen to it. I think however, laws were made to control people and sin determines law so take that where you want to.