Sin According to Humanity

I know I said in my last posting that I would take a look at God's view of sin in my next posting. However, I thought before I go there, I would like to expand just a bit on how people see sin.

As I see things, the concept of sin is down right offensive to most people. Therefore man has taken sin and sought to minimize it to the point that it is such a small and insignificant entity that it does not even show up on the average person's daily radar screen. And our culture has minimized sin (and done so very effectively) in two very pronounced ways:

- We (I am using the pronoun because yes, even we Christ-followers are guilty of handling sin in this manner!) have psychologized sin. By this I mean much of what was once considered sin has now been redefined as a psychological disorder. One example of this is what is labeled "Oppositional Defiance Disorder" (ODD). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV - published in 1994) describes this disorder as "an ongoing pattern of disobedient, hostile, and defiant behavior toward authority figures which supposedly goes beyond the bounds of normal childhood behavior." Hmm. I don't know about you, but to me that sounds like a pretty good description of sinful behavior! Now, I could give you many more examples of how we have moved down this path of psychologizing our sin. And in so doing, we no longer need to repent of our sin - rather with sin redefined as a psychological disorder, the cure for sin is now therapy. (Now so you don't misunderstand me, there are some very legitimate psychological disorders. The human mind is a very complex. And these legitimate disorders must be handled with care.)

- In addition to psychologizing sin, we have also glamorized sin. We have in effect taken sin and said, "Sin is not to be avoided. Rather it is to be experienced and enjoyed, for after all, most thoughts of sin are puritan and old-fashioned." Don't agree? Think back with me to the year 1939. That was the year that Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) scandalized movie going audiences when he told Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh), "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a d____!" Now come back to the present. The language (and situations) that are tolerated on the screen and on our televisions today make Rhett's remark seem downright silly. And as we have increasingly moved down this path, we again find that we do not need to repent of sin ... I mean, why? Sin is something to be enjoyed and experienced, not repented of ... and there is indeed something very tantalizing about the forbidden!

Sadly, this cultural view of sin has had a negative impact on the Church's view of sin. That is why we must remind ourselves regularly of how God views sin. Stop by for my next posting in which I will take a look at the Bible's view of sin. But until then, consider these words, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

Thanks for stopping by...

pj