edit i got in my car and decided not to debate this because it makes more sense in my head than it does to you all. it seems to be perceived wrong especially with my poor examples. Can I have this removed?
Last edited:
-
Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.
-
CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.
Harmless sins?
- Thread starter CruciFixed
- Start date
- Status
lawtonfogle
My solace my terror, my terror my solace.
Gambling is not a sin. Playing negative sum games maybe, but I would say the true sin is in the greed with which drives most people to gamble.
Upvote
0
If you really want a discussion on sins, you could post this in the Christian Only section.. because here you're going to get a lot of atheists/agnostics replying "I don't believe in sin!"
So yeah.
I don't believe in sin. But I do think that when evaluating whether or not a particular behavior is acceptable, you should take into account chances, what would happen if everyone did it, etc, and not just the direct "does this specific action hurt anyone?".
Murdering a random person on the street is clearly bad. Gambling in itself isn't bad. But it has the potential to become addicting; if you know for yourself that you have an addictive personality, then the chance that you'll become addicted should be enough to call gambling 'bad'.
So yeah.
I don't believe in sin. But I do think that when evaluating whether or not a particular behavior is acceptable, you should take into account chances, what would happen if everyone did it, etc, and not just the direct "does this specific action hurt anyone?".
Murdering a random person on the street is clearly bad. Gambling in itself isn't bad. But it has the potential to become addicting; if you know for yourself that you have an addictive personality, then the chance that you'll become addicted should be enough to call gambling 'bad'.
Upvote
0
S
sIr-watermelon
Guest
I am curious as to how you arrived at the conclusion that gambling is against your gods laws when it is not once mentioned in them.
Upvote
0
jayem
Naturalist
- Jun 24, 2003
- 15,429
- 7,166
- 74
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Atheist
- Marital Status
- Married
A problem for religions is their tendency to blur the line between sin and legalism. Like eating meat on a Lenten Friday, if you're Catholic. Or dancing and drinking for a devout Baptist. Or having a Grande Caffe Latte at Starbuck's if you're a Mormon. Or having your picture taken if you're Amish. Getting a blood transfusion if you're a JW. It seems that religions interpret vague and probably metaphorical passages in scripture as literal absolutes. And the result is an odd and nonsensical collection of behaviors which become sinful.
Upvote
0
B
BigBadWlf
Guest
Faulty translation doesnt equate to a harmless sin rather it calls into question what is being condemned in the first place
Given the commandment of Jesus it is easy to see how applying the concept of harm, harm to others and harm to oneself, can be applied to most of what we call sins.
There are of course other sins that do not harm anything yet are still cataloged as sins
Shrimp scampi for example
Or wearing poly-cotton blends
Or wearing glasses to church
Or comforting the victim of rape
Upvote
0
God counts all sin the same... we all miss the mark in some way. And no-one's sin is 'lesser' or 'worse'... all separate us from God, and all are freely forgiven.
I don't consider gambling to be a sin... nor drinking, dancing or any of the other things mentioned.
But, I think that focusing on sin can be a problem, because we are thinking about what we do, rather than who God is.
I don't consider gambling to be a sin... nor drinking, dancing or any of the other things mentioned.
But, I think that focusing on sin can be a problem, because we are thinking about what we do, rather than who God is.
Upvote
0
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]The Bible does not give any direct guidance on whether gambling is right or wrong. According to the Bible, however, some of the motivations and actions that may accompany modern gambling are sins
Okay so you are right on that let me think of another sin...... I used a bad example. Sloth or being lazy. If I am lazy but I am not on welfare it doesn't hurt anyone else on the whole planet, right? If I sit around doing nothing all day except watching TV but I am a wealthy millionaire because my parents were millionaires and someone else does all my housework. I am not overweight and I love my lifestyle and I am in NO way harmful to others....
Does that downplay my sin or am I still a sinner?
I am asking these questions because some people tend to see some sins as "harmless" as long as "only the sin participants are participating in said sin"
[/FONT]
Okay so you are right on that let me think of another sin...... I used a bad example. Sloth or being lazy. If I am lazy but I am not on welfare it doesn't hurt anyone else on the whole planet, right? If I sit around doing nothing all day except watching TV but I am a wealthy millionaire because my parents were millionaires and someone else does all my housework. I am not overweight and I love my lifestyle and I am in NO way harmful to others....
Does that downplay my sin or am I still a sinner?
I am asking these questions because some people tend to see some sins as "harmless" as long as "only the sin participants are participating in said sin"
[/FONT]
Upvote
0
Yes, you would be a sinner in that scenario.
If you were a hard-working philanthropist who gave away your millions, you would still be a sinner. We all are, and no sin is any worse than any other. "All have sinned and fallen short...". That is why we need a saviour, all of us, no matter how we or others judge our sin.
Upvote
0
tcampen
Veteran
If this is true, then God is a mindless, impotent being. If this is how god approaches transgressions, then such a god cannot be just in any sense of the word. If lying to your wife about how a dress looks on her is no different than murdering 10 million people to a god, then that God is absurd by any rational standard. I hold this truth to be self-evident, but I could elaborate further if needed.
Upvote
0
It isn't that they are no different, perhaps I worded that badly. The issue is that they are no different in their effect on our relationship with God. Obviously their effect on others is vastly different.
But, any sin means that we are less than perfect, and therefore cannot come to a perfect God.
But, any sin means that we are less than perfect, and therefore cannot come to a perfect God.
Upvote
0
tcampen
Veteran
When we are confronted unkindly by another person, such that we might be tempted to respond unkindly back, we are considered the "better person" when we don't. It is universally considered a virtue to not sweat the small stuff, and an even greater virtue to not allow outselves to be offended by the transgressions of another.
I find this virtue is ignored in your theological view of god.
I have to admit, I find the line of argument incoherent. A god that is perfectly good would necessarily be beyond expecting perfection from his imperfect creation. Again, either god acts consistent with virtue, or he does not. Treating all sin the same cannot rationally be considered virtuous, thoughtful, or intellegent.
Upvote
0
B
BigBadWlf
Guest
I dont recall sloth ever being called sin. The praises of being industrious are sung in the bible. But no condemnation of sloth
Upvote
0
As an off-topic note, I find the tendency of "I don't want to discuss this anymore, please remove/close the thread" a bit worrying. And especially because the mods often honor such requests.
Sure, you wrote the OP, but other posters also spent time and effort on their posts, and may want to continue discussing the issue, they may want to see replies to their well-thought out posts, etc. The whole thing being shut down because the OP feels like it is just bad form.
Upvote
0
- Status
Similar threads
