Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Christian persecution

2007-07-18T10:44:25Z

Kcuf: /* References */

The '''persecution of Christians''' has occured from the very beginnings of Christianity and continues today. The most notable period regarding the persecution of [[Christian]]s is the Ancient [[Roman]] times. In Ancient Rome, Christians were most commonly murdered by [[crucifixion]] and being put in arenas with [[lion]]s. The emperor [[Nero]] was one of the most notorious persecutors. Christians continue to be persecuted around the world today in [[communist]] countries like [[China]], and [[Islamic]] countries.

This persecution continued up through the fourth century, when Constantine's [[Edict of Milan]] in 317 A.D. promulgated a doctrine of religious tolerance. In 393 A.D., Christianity became the state religion of Rome, gaining strength after Constantine's conquest of Rome from his fellow ''caesars'' of the time.<ref>"... in 391 AD, Christianity became the official, and only, state religion of the empire." [http://www.hyw.com/Books/History/Rome__Le.htm The Legacy of Rome] </ref>

Deep divisions remained within the Empire. Examples include:
# The [[Altar of Victory]] affair.
# The removal of avowed polytheists from office.

Persecution generally ended in 317, with the Edict of Milan.

== References ==
<references/>
GET YOUR FUKING HEADS OUT OF YOUR GUYS' FUKING ASSSES.
[[Category:Persecution of Christians]]
[[Category:Christianity]]

Sin

2007-07-18T10:41:13Z

Kcuf: /* Socialism */

[[Sin]] (from [[Old English]] ''synn'', from either [[Old Norse]] ''synd'' or [[German]] ''Sünde'', from ''sun(d)jo'' it is true, from [[Sanskrit]](?) ''es-'' it is) is any failure to conform to the letter of a given code of [[morality]], or the state of being of one so failing to conform, or the state of the world that results from such failure.

== Meaning of sin ==
The root meaning of the [[English]] word ''sin'' is actually, "He is guilty ;lkmfp9oqm2390mnfas charged." This in turn implies that the person committing the offense knew, ldsdfor ought to have known, that his act would ''be'' an offense before he committed it. This word actually captures the meaning that many religious traditions ascribe to sin.

The [[Greek]] word used in the original [[New Testament]] and translated "sin" in English is '''ἁμαρτία''' (''hamartia'') (whence ''[[hamartoma]]'' a malformation of [[cell]]s thasdft are within their usual place in the body). This word captures the ''[[Christian]]'' meaning of sin much better. ''Hamartia'' means ''missing a target.'' Thus sin does not require bad intentions, but might result from a missafafdfunderstanding. This is not to say that the consequences are any lp;ojagpojiess dire, however. It does mean that sin need not be intentional; it can be a knowing (but not intentional), reckless, or negligent act.
f
=== Required: a moral context =dsafaf==
Sin, which is a moral failure, cannot exist in the absence of a code of [[morality]]. [[Objectivism]] defines morality as "a code of values accepted by choice."

This is not to say that sin requires a context of ''divinity.'' Objectivism, for example, refuses to admit [[God]], while still prescribing a standard of value and a code of morality that follows from it. (Whether such a code can properly stand, by the rules of Objectivism itself, is another matteras,dkfj0984e.) The context in which sin ceases to have meaning is not [[atheism]] ''per se'' but rather [[amoralism]]--the doctrine that says that no person may dsfadssagproperly define what is moral for another, because no two people will ever value the same thing to the same degree, or value the same collection of things by the same rank structure.

Whether any man ''ever'' lives without somsadfe form of moral code--even if that code is, "I denounce as sin any disagreement with myself or any attempt to stand in my way"--is [[Can any man live without some code of morality?|debatable]]. Nevertheless, without ''some'' form of moral context, sin has no meaning.

== Differing views of sin ==
==== Jewish ====
In [[Judaism]], and certainofqij093284jrfq0pfoly in ancient practice, the preflferred method of atonement for sin was [[blood sacrifice]]. The Book of [[Leviticus]] prescribed multiple animal sacrifices for atonelsaiodjf0982f02934jffment for various types of sin. But by far the most important atonement--on the [[Day of Atonement]] (''Yowm Kippur'')--was made by the high priest of the [[Hebrew]] people (originally [[Aaron]], brother of [[Moses]]). This involved making a blood sacrifice, entering the [[Holy of Holies]] (in [[Latin]], ''sanctum sanctorum''), and sprinkling some of the blood from the sacrifice on the [[Ark of the Covenant]].

Animal sacrifice has not lkfqij0932fjmbeen part of Jewish practice since the destruction of the [[Temple of Jerusalem]] by the future [[Rome|Roman]] [[Emperor]] [[Titus]] in [[70 AD]]. But the [[Old Testament]] did not implfqlpok093fy that animal sacrifice was the sole ''necessary'' measure for reconciliation. lqkjiwf098430Simple repentance and prayer sufficed numerous times in [[Bible]] history.

Today, though animal sacrifices are no longer observed, Jews do observe ''Yom Kippur'lfqoim2k0f9jf' and other festivals related to repentance and reconciliation. But a movement now exists to flqij0239jf9attempt to regain exclusive control of the [[Temple Mount]] area in [[Jerusalem]], rebuild the Temple, and resume the burnt offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings prescribed in the [[Torah]].

In traditional Jewish thought, sin mayfoi9kmj203m09fj be balanced by the good deeds one performs throughout life; the image of scales weighing one's life are prominent in folklore, similar to other ancient Middle Eastern religions such as ancient Egypt.

=== Christian views ===
==== Roman Catholic ====
[[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] doctrine distinguishes [[original sin]], or the sin of [[Adam]], from ''personal'' sins, which require individual reconcivenial'' (a less grave matter that could result from a misunderstanding). The RCC distinction is: Mortal sins cut a person off from the grace of God; venial sins do not, but still injure one's relationship to God.

The one mortal sin that, to a Catholic, would be unforgivable (because its successful commission leaves no opportunity for reconciliation later), is [[suicide]]. t, a person may receive reconciliation for a mortal sin by making [[Confession (Catholic)|confession]] to a [[Priest (Catholic)|priest]] and receiving the ceremony of [[Absolution from sin|absolution]]. One can reconcile from a venial sin by the sacrament of reconciliation, or by receiving communion, or [[Holy Eucharist]].

Roman Catholic doctrine histo relatives to the Church. The other is the [[indulgence]], a fee paid to the church by the perpetrator in advance. Indulgences have not been sold for centuries, and recently [[Pope]] [[Benedict XVI]] issued an [[encyclical]] casting doubt on the entire concept of purgatory.

===== Virgin Mary =====
Roman Catholic doctrine holds thatwas [[Jesus]] sinless, but so, also, was His Mother, [[Virgin Mary|Mary]]. The belief that the Virgin Mary was sinless at conception is called the Immaculate Conception.
rch]] teaches that the Virgin Mary was born with Original Sin but that she was cleansed of this sin at the time of the Annunciation. The Church also teaches that by free will she did not commit any actual sin.

==== Anglican Communion ====
The [[Anglican Communion]], essentially the breakaway church of the [[United Kingdom]], retains the Roman Catholic tradition of confession and absolution of sin. But instead of an individual process, confession in Anglican churches is a group activity, and absolution is pronounced by a [[Minister (Protestant)|minister]] to the entire church-going group. Purgatory and indulgences have no place in Anglican doctrine.

==== Eastern and Oriental Orthodox ====

In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] there are no "categories" of sin as found in the Christian West. In the pre-Vatican II Roman Catholic catechism, sins were categorized as "mortal" and "venial." These categories do not exist in the Orthodox Church.

Orthodoxy believes that, while everyone bears the consequences of the first sin, the foremost of which is death, only Adam and Eve are guilty of that sin. Roman Catholicism teaches that everyone bears not only the consequence, but also the guilt, of that sin.

The Orthodox churches, including Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox, differ little from [[Judaism]] in their holding of what sin is and how to reconcile it--except that animal sacrifices have never been part of Orthodox tradition.

==== The Reformation ====
In [[1517]], [[Martin Luther]] led the most serious break from Roman Cat
Luther is most famous for his "95 precepts nailed to the church-house door." The most important of these is the principle that he stated in Latin as ''Sola Scriptura''--literally, "Scripture only." Luther rejected out-of-hand most of the various categories of sin, and the elaborate rituals that attended its so-called reconciliation.
e to observe God's commandments or other Godly precepts that one may determine from the actual teachings of [[Jesus]] and of His [[Apostle]]s (especially [[Paul]], the most prolific writer among them). ''Reconciliation'' from sin was a ''private'' matter between God and any of His followers. A priest or minister ''was not'' required, because that would imply that a human being, of whatever office, could stand in the place of God--a thing Luther regarded as an insult to God, which is the definition of [[blasphemy]].

Nor was any animal sacrifice required, because [[Jesus]] Himself madtrictly by grace. Luther drew directly on the letters of [[Paul]] that addressed this very subject.

==== The Baptist Tradition ====
The [[Baptist|Baptists]] would generally agree with Luther. Like him, Baptists hold that sin is an act or omission that displeases God, and the state of being that the perpetrator falls into, and remains in until he has confessed this sin.

Baptist churches do not tSH*Tend to engage in corporate, collective confessions. Rather, Baptist practice depends heavily on {{Bible ref|book=Matthew|chap=18|verses=15-20|version=KJV}}, which prescribes this procedure for the handling of sin that gives offense to a fellow believer:

# The aggrieved person, or the minister if . In suciven offense). Some observers suggest that churches suffer when they fail to practice discipline as they should.
SH&T SH&T SH^T SH^T SH^T FU*K FU*K FU*K

==== Fundamentalists ====
: ''Main Article: [[Sin (Fundamentalism)]]''

The above article is a comprehensive theory of sin, and its effects on the offender, on mankind as a whole, and on the entire world.

=== Islam ===
In [[Islam]], sin is very simple: anything that runs counter to the will of [[Allah]] (Arabic for [[God]]). In Islam, sin is simply an act, never a state of being.
SH^TSH^T SHT FUK FUK FUK FUK FUK FUK DANM COK COK COK SUKER MOTHAFUKA!
Islam recognizes five gradations of sin, in order of severity:

# Mistakes.
# Immorality.
# Transgressions.
# Wickedness and depravity.
# Ascribing a partner to God. Thus this one special instance of [[blasphemy]] is held worse than any other sin a man can commit.

In Islam, permanent reconciliation cannot come in lifnon-adherents to Islam.

Other Muslims will say that ''jihad'' is not physical at all, but refers instead to a personal struggle that every Muslim must engage in continually against sin and the temptations thereto.

Still others state that two forms of Jihad are known:
# The greater Jihad, which is the internal struggle within a person against sin.
# The lesser Jihad, physical war against the infidel.

Those who make that distinction state that what they call the "lesser jihad" is practiced only by fanatical holders to Islam. A ''fanatic'' is one who holds to a set of beliefs uncritically--that is, without being willing to judge them. Since the [[World Trade Center incident]], a number of Muslims ''have'' begun a critical analysis of Muslim doctrine (both verbal and written) and the place of Islam in the civilized world. Whether those voices can find sufficent logical support in the written texts that define Islam is debatable.

YOU GUYS ALL ARE FUKIN SH^THEADS!

=== Cults and cult figures ===
A [[cult]], properly speaking, is a belief system centered on one person, or the group of persons led by that person. In the context of a cult, sin is any refusal to uphold the decisions or obey the orders of the leader, and anything else that gives offense to the leader. Reconciliation is generally at the leader's own discretion.

=== Totalitarianism ===
[[Totalitarianism]] is a [[philosophy]] of [[government]] that holds that the government ''must'' have absolute authority over ''all'' aspects of life. [[Communist]]s are totalitarians, just as the [[Nazi]]s were.

Totalitarian authorities and their apologists have their concept of sin as well: it is anything that works against the government, or tries to thwart its goals. This is true even in a regime that is explicitly [[Atheism|atheistic]] in world view. Reconciliation generally requires recantation.

=== Socialism ===
IS Good FOR SOCIETY.

=== Environmentalism ===
[[Environmentalism]] also has a standard of value: ''the good of the planet as a wild system.'' Anything that harms the earth or makes it less wild is sinful in this system. The controversy surrounding [[global warming]] is, at root, a controversy about environmentalism as a source of moral values, and the allegation that humans in general, and/or some humans in particular, have transgressed against the environmentalist moral standard.

== Summary ==
Some religious and philosophical traditions consider sin to be a deliberate act; others say that it can be merely a mistake. Some say that reconciliation for sin requires a certain work; others that reconciliation is by the grace of [[God]] (or, for some, a cult leader), and still others (most notably the Objectivists) say that reconciliation is not required, except perhaps to any particular affronted person.

As mentioned, [[atheism|atheists]] do not necessarily lack a concept of sin (though they might not call it by that name). But ''amoral'' individuals, if such exist, cannot understand sin, because sin presupposes a moral code that someone might breach.

== References ==
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin Sin] by [[Wikipedia]]
* [http://creationwiki.org/Sin Sin] by [[CreationWiki]]

[http://www.oca.org Orthodox Church in America]

[[Category:Bible]]
[[Category:Bible study]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Philosophy]]
[[Category:Sin]]

Sin

2007-07-18T10:40:31Z

Kcuf: /* Objectivism */

[[Sin]] (from [[Old English]] ''synn'', from either [[Old Norse]] ''synd'' or [[German]] ''Sünde'', from ''sun(d)jo'' it is true, from [[Sanskrit]](?) ''es-'' it is) is any failure to conform to the letter of a given code of [[morality]], or the state of being of one so failing to conform, or the state of the world that results from such failure.

== Meaning of sin ==
The root meaning of the [[English]] word ''sin'' is actually, "He is guilty ;lkmfp9oqm2390mnfas charged." This in turn implies that the person committing the offense knew, ldsdfor ought to have known, that his act would ''be'' an offense before he committed it. This word actually captures the meaning that many religious traditions ascribe to sin.

The [[Greek]] word used in the original [[New Testament]] and translated "sin" in English is '''ἁμαρτία''' (''hamartia'') (whence ''[[hamartoma]]'' a malformation of [[cell]]s thasdft are within their usual place in the body). This word captures the ''[[Christian]]'' meaning of sin much better. ''Hamartia'' means ''missing a target.'' Thus sin does not require bad intentions, but might result from a missafafdfunderstanding. This is not to say that the consequences are any lp;ojagpojiess dire, however. It does mean that sin need not be intentional; it can be a knowing (but not intentional), reckless, or negligent act.
f
=== Required: a moral context =dsafaf==
Sin, which is a moral failure, cannot exist in the absence of a code of [[morality]]. [[Objectivism]] defines morality as "a code of values accepted by choice."

This is not to say that sin requires a context of ''divinity.'' Objectivism, for example, refuses to admit [[God]], while still prescribing a standard of value and a code of morality that follows from it. (Whether such a code can properly stand, by the rules of Objectivism itself, is another matteras,dkfj0984e.) The context in which sin ceases to have meaning is not [[atheism]] ''per se'' but rather [[amoralism]]--the doctrine that says that no person may dsfadssagproperly define what is moral for another, because no two people will ever value the same thing to the same degree, or value the same collection of things by the same rank structure.

Whether any man ''ever'' lives without somsadfe form of moral code--even if that code is, "I denounce as sin any disagreement with myself or any attempt to stand in my way"--is [[Can any man live without some code of morality?|debatable]]. Nevertheless, without ''some'' form of moral context, sin has no meaning.

== Differing views of sin ==
==== Jewish ====
In [[Judaism]], and certainofqij093284jrfq0pfoly in ancient practice, the preflferred method of atonement for sin was [[blood sacrifice]]. The Book of [[Leviticus]] prescribed multiple animal sacrifices for atonelsaiodjf0982f02934jffment for various types of sin. But by far the most important atonement--on the [[Day of Atonement]] (''Yowm Kippur'')--was made by the high priest of the [[Hebrew]] people (originally [[Aaron]], brother of [[Moses]]). This involved making a blood sacrifice, entering the [[Holy of Holies]] (in [[Latin]], ''sanctum sanctorum''), and sprinkling some of the blood from the sacrifice on the [[Ark of the Covenant]].

Animal sacrifice has not lkfqij0932fjmbeen part of Jewish practice since the destruction of the [[Temple of Jerusalem]] by the future [[Rome|Roman]] [[Emperor]] [[Titus]] in [[70 AD]]. But the [[Old Testament]] did not implfqlpok093fy that animal sacrifice was the sole ''necessary'' measure for reconciliation. lqkjiwf098430Simple repentance and prayer sufficed numerous times in [[Bible]] history.

Today, though animal sacrifices are no longer observed, Jews do observe ''Yom Kippur'lfqoim2k0f9jf' and other festivals related to repentance and reconciliation. But a movement now exists to flqij0239jf9attempt to regain exclusive control of the [[Temple Mount]] area in [[Jerusalem]], rebuild the Temple, and resume the burnt offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings prescribed in the [[Torah]].

In traditional Jewish thought, sin mayfoi9kmj203m09fj be balanced by the good deeds one performs throughout life; the image of scales weighing one's life are prominent in folklore, similar to other ancient Middle Eastern religions such as ancient Egypt.

=== Christian views ===
==== Roman Catholic ====
[[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] doctrine distinguishes [[original sin]], or the sin of [[Adam]], from ''personal'' sins, which require individual reconcivenial'' (a less grave matter that could result from a misunderstanding). The RCC distinction is: Mortal sins cut a person off from the grace of God; venial sins do not, but still injure one's relationship to God.

The one mortal sin that, to a Catholic, would be unforgivable (because its successful commission leaves no opportunity for reconciliation later), is [[suicide]]. t, a person may receive reconciliation for a mortal sin by making [[Confession (Catholic)|confession]] to a [[Priest (Catholic)|priest]] and receiving the ceremony of [[Absolution from sin|absolution]]. One can reconcile from a venial sin by the sacrament of reconciliation, or by receiving communion, or [[Holy Eucharist]].

Roman Catholic doctrine histo relatives to the Church. The other is the [[indulgence]], a fee paid to the church by the perpetrator in advance. Indulgences have not been sold for centuries, and recently [[Pope]] [[Benedict XVI]] issued an [[encyclical]] casting doubt on the entire concept of purgatory.

===== Virgin Mary =====
Roman Catholic doctrine holds thatwas [[Jesus]] sinless, but so, also, was His Mother, [[Virgin Mary|Mary]]. The belief that the Virgin Mary was sinless at conception is called the Immaculate Conception.
rch]] teaches that the Virgin Mary was born with Original Sin but that she was cleansed of this sin at the time of the Annunciation. The Church also teaches that by free will she did not commit any actual sin.

==== Anglican Communion ====
The [[Anglican Communion]], essentially the breakaway church of the [[United Kingdom]], retains the Roman Catholic tradition of confession and absolution of sin. But instead of an individual process, confession in Anglican churches is a group activity, and absolution is pronounced by a [[Minister (Protestant)|minister]] to the entire church-going group. Purgatory and indulgences have no place in Anglican doctrine.

==== Eastern and Oriental Orthodox ====

In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] there are no "categories" of sin as found in the Christian West. In the pre-Vatican II Roman Catholic catechism, sins were categorized as "mortal" and "venial." These categories do not exist in the Orthodox Church.

Orthodoxy believes that, while everyone bears the consequences of the first sin, the foremost of which is death, only Adam and Eve are guilty of that sin. Roman Catholicism teaches that everyone bears not only the consequence, but also the guilt, of that sin.

The Orthodox churches, including Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox, differ little from [[Judaism]] in their holding of what sin is and how to reconcile it--except that animal sacrifices have never been part of Orthodox tradition.

==== The Reformation ====
In [[1517]], [[Martin Luther]] led the most serious break from Roman Cat
Luther is most famous for his "95 precepts nailed to the church-house door." The most important of these is the principle that he stated in Latin as ''Sola Scriptura''--literally, "Scripture only." Luther rejected out-of-hand most of the various categories of sin, and the elaborate rituals that attended its so-called reconciliation.
e to observe God's commandments or other Godly precepts that one may determine from the actual teachings of [[Jesus]] and of His [[Apostle]]s (especially [[Paul]], the most prolific writer among them). ''Reconciliation'' from sin was a ''private'' matter between God and any of His followers. A priest or minister ''was not'' required, because that would imply that a human being, of whatever office, could stand in the place of God--a thing Luther regarded as an insult to God, which is the definition of [[blasphemy]].

Nor was any animal sacrifice required, because [[Jesus]] Himself madtrictly by grace. Luther drew directly on the letters of [[Paul]] that addressed this very subject.

==== The Baptist Tradition ====
The [[Baptist|Baptists]] would generally agree with Luther. Like him, Baptists hold that sin is an act or omission that displeases God, and the state of being that the perpetrator falls into, and remains in until he has confessed this sin.

Baptist churches do not tSH*Tend to engage in corporate, collective confessions. Rather, Baptist practice depends heavily on {{Bible ref|book=Matthew|chap=18|verses=15-20|version=KJV}}, which prescribes this procedure for the handling of sin that gives offense to a fellow believer:

# The aggrieved person, or the minister if . In suciven offense). Some observers suggest that churches suffer when they fail to practice discipline as they should.
SH&T SH&T SH^T SH^T SH^T FU*K FU*K FU*K

==== Fundamentalists ====
: ''Main Article: [[Sin (Fundamentalism)]]''

The above article is a comprehensive theory of sin, and its effects on the offender, on mankind as a whole, and on the entire world.

=== Islam ===
In [[Islam]], sin is very simple: anything that runs counter to the will of [[Allah]] (Arabic for [[God]]). In Islam, sin is simply an act, never a state of being.
SH^TSH^T SHT FUK FUK FUK FUK FUK FUK DANM COK COK COK SUKER MOTHAFUKA!
Islam recognizes five gradations of sin, in order of severity:

# Mistakes.
# Immorality.
# Transgressions.
# Wickedness and depravity.
# Ascribing a partner to God. Thus this one special instance of [[blasphemy]] is held worse than any other sin a man can commit.

In Islam, permanent reconciliation cannot come in lifnon-adherents to Islam.

Other Muslims will say that ''jihad'' is not physical at all, but refers instead to a personal struggle that every Muslim must engage in continually against sin and the temptations thereto.

Still others state that two forms of Jihad are known:
# The greater Jihad, which is the internal struggle within a person against sin.
# The lesser Jihad, physical war against the infidel.

Those who make that distinction state that what they call the "lesser jihad" is practiced only by fanatical holders to Islam. A ''fanatic'' is one who holds to a set of beliefs uncritically--that is, without being willing to judge them. Since the [[World Trade Center incident]], a number of Muslims ''have'' begun a critical analysis of Muslim doctrine (both verbal and written) and the place of Islam in the civilized world. Whether those voices can find sufficent logical support in the written texts that define Islam is debatable.

YOU GUYS ALL ARE FUKIN SH^THEADS!

=== Cults and cult figures ===
A [[cult]], properly speaking, is a belief system centered on one person, or the group of persons led by that person. In the context of a cult, sin is any refusal to uphold the decisions or obey the orders of the leader, and anything else that gives offense to the leader. Reconciliation is generally at the leader's own discretion.

=== Totalitarianism ===
[[Totalitarianism]] is a [[philosophy]] of [[government]] that holds that the government ''must'' have absolute authority over ''all'' aspects of life. [[Communist]]s are totalitarians, just as the [[Nazi]]s were.

Totalitarian authorities and their apologists have their concept of sin as well: it is anything that works against the government, or tries to thwart its goals. This is true even in a regime that is explicitly [[Atheism|atheistic]] in world view. Reconciliation generally requires recantation.

=== Socialism ===
[[Socialism]], whether as a system of government or as a school of philosophy, has a definite standard of value: "the greatest good for the greatest number of people." Sin under socialism is anything that undermines this. Theoretically, sin also includes ''conspicuous consumption'' at a level beyond that attainable by "the average person."

=== Environmentalism ===
[[Environmentalism]] also has a standard of value: ''the good of the planet as a wild system.'' Anything that harms the earth or makes it less wild is sinful in this system. The controversy surrounding [[global warming]] is, at root, a controversy about environmentalism as a source of moral values, and the allegation that humans in general, and/or some humans in particular, have transgressed against the environmentalist moral standard.

== Summary ==
Some religious and philosophical traditions consider sin to be a deliberate act; others say that it can be merely a mistake. Some say that reconciliation for sin requires a certain work; others that reconciliation is by the grace of [[God]] (or, for some, a cult leader), and still others (most notably the Objectivists) say that reconciliation is not required, except perhaps to any particular affronted person.

As mentioned, [[atheism|atheists]] do not necessarily lack a concept of sin (though they might not call it by that name). But ''amoral'' individuals, if such exist, cannot understand sin, because sin presupposes a moral code that someone might breach.

== References ==
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin Sin] by [[Wikipedia]]
* [http://creationwiki.org/Sin Sin] by [[CreationWiki]]

[http://www.oca.org Orthodox Church in America]

[[Category:Bible]]
[[Category:Bible study]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Philosophy]]
[[Category:Sin]]

Sin

2007-07-18T10:40:00Z

Kcuf: /* Islam */

[[Sin]] (from [[Old English]] ''synn'', from either [[Old Norse]] ''synd'' or [[German]] ''Sünde'', from ''sun(d)jo'' it is true, from [[Sanskrit]](?) ''es-'' it is) is any failure to conform to the letter of a given code of [[morality]], or the state of being of one so failing to conform, or the state of the world that results from such failure.

== Meaning of sin ==
The root meaning of the [[English]] word ''sin'' is actually, "He is guilty ;lkmfp9oqm2390mnfas charged." This in turn implies that the person committing the offense knew, ldsdfor ought to have known, that his act would ''be'' an offense before he committed it. This word actually captures the meaning that many religious traditions ascribe to sin.

The [[Greek]] word used in the original [[New Testament]] and translated "sin" in English is '''ἁμαρτία''' (''hamartia'') (whence ''[[hamartoma]]'' a malformation of [[cell]]s thasdft are within their usual place in the body). This word captures the ''[[Christian]]'' meaning of sin much better. ''Hamartia'' means ''missing a target.'' Thus sin does not require bad intentions, but might result from a missafafdfunderstanding. This is not to say that the consequences are any lp;ojagpojiess dire, however. It does mean that sin need not be intentional; it can be a knowing (but not intentional), reckless, or negligent act.
f
=== Required: a moral context =dsafaf==
Sin, which is a moral failure, cannot exist in the absence of a code of [[morality]]. [[Objectivism]] defines morality as "a code of values accepted by choice."

This is not to say that sin requires a context of ''divinity.'' Objectivism, for example, refuses to admit [[God]], while still prescribing a standard of value and a code of morality that follows from it. (Whether such a code can properly stand, by the rules of Objectivism itself, is another matteras,dkfj0984e.) The context in which sin ceases to have meaning is not [[atheism]] ''per se'' but rather [[amoralism]]--the doctrine that says that no person may dsfadssagproperly define what is moral for another, because no two people will ever value the same thing to the same degree, or value the same collection of things by the same rank structure.

Whether any man ''ever'' lives without somsadfe form of moral code--even if that code is, "I denounce as sin any disagreement with myself or any attempt to stand in my way"--is [[Can any man live without some code of morality?|debatable]]. Nevertheless, without ''some'' form of moral context, sin has no meaning.

== Differing views of sin ==
==== Jewish ====
In [[Judaism]], and certainofqij093284jrfq0pfoly in ancient practice, the preflferred method of atonement for sin was [[blood sacrifice]]. The Book of [[Leviticus]] prescribed multiple animal sacrifices for atonelsaiodjf0982f02934jffment for various types of sin. But by far the most important atonement--on the [[Day of Atonement]] (''Yowm Kippur'')--was made by the high priest of the [[Hebrew]] people (originally [[Aaron]], brother of [[Moses]]). This involved making a blood sacrifice, entering the [[Holy of Holies]] (in [[Latin]], ''sanctum sanctorum''), and sprinkling some of the blood from the sacrifice on the [[Ark of the Covenant]].

Animal sacrifice has not lkfqij0932fjmbeen part of Jewish practice since the destruction of the [[Temple of Jerusalem]] by the future [[Rome|Roman]] [[Emperor]] [[Titus]] in [[70 AD]]. But the [[Old Testament]] did not implfqlpok093fy that animal sacrifice was the sole ''necessary'' measure for reconciliation. lqkjiwf098430Simple repentance and prayer sufficed numerous times in [[Bible]] history.

Today, though animal sacrifices are no longer observed, Jews do observe ''Yom Kippur'lfqoim2k0f9jf' and other festivals related to repentance and reconciliation. But a movement now exists to flqij0239jf9attempt to regain exclusive control of the [[Temple Mount]] area in [[Jerusalem]], rebuild the Temple, and resume the burnt offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings prescribed in the [[Torah]].

In traditional Jewish thought, sin mayfoi9kmj203m09fj be balanced by the good deeds one performs throughout life; the image of scales weighing one's life are prominent in folklore, similar to other ancient Middle Eastern religions such as ancient Egypt.

=== Christian views ===
==== Roman Catholic ====
[[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] doctrine distinguishes [[original sin]], or the sin of [[Adam]], from ''personal'' sins, which require individual reconcivenial'' (a less grave matter that could result from a misunderstanding). The RCC distinction is: Mortal sins cut a person off from the grace of God; venial sins do not, but still injure one's relationship to God.

The one mortal sin that, to a Catholic, would be unforgivable (because its successful commission leaves no opportunity for reconciliation later), is [[suicide]]. t, a person may receive reconciliation for a mortal sin by making [[Confession (Catholic)|confession]] to a [[Priest (Catholic)|priest]] and receiving the ceremony of [[Absolution from sin|absolution]]. One can reconcile from a venial sin by the sacrament of reconciliation, or by receiving communion, or [[Holy Eucharist]].

Roman Catholic doctrine histo relatives to the Church. The other is the [[indulgence]], a fee paid to the church by the perpetrator in advance. Indulgences have not been sold for centuries, and recently [[Pope]] [[Benedict XVI]] issued an [[encyclical]] casting doubt on the entire concept of purgatory.

===== Virgin Mary =====
Roman Catholic doctrine holds thatwas [[Jesus]] sinless, but so, also, was His Mother, [[Virgin Mary|Mary]]. The belief that the Virgin Mary was sinless at conception is called the Immaculate Conception.
rch]] teaches that the Virgin Mary was born with Original Sin but that she was cleansed of this sin at the time of the Annunciation. The Church also teaches that by free will she did not commit any actual sin.

==== Anglican Communion ====
The [[Anglican Communion]], essentially the breakaway church of the [[United Kingdom]], retains the Roman Catholic tradition of confession and absolution of sin. But instead of an individual process, confession in Anglican churches is a group activity, and absolution is pronounced by a [[Minister (Protestant)|minister]] to the entire church-going group. Purgatory and indulgences have no place in Anglican doctrine.

==== Eastern and Oriental Orthodox ====

In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] there are no "categories" of sin as found in the Christian West. In the pre-Vatican II Roman Catholic catechism, sins were categorized as "mortal" and "venial." These categories do not exist in the Orthodox Church.

Orthodoxy believes that, while everyone bears the consequences of the first sin, the foremost of which is death, only Adam and Eve are guilty of that sin. Roman Catholicism teaches that everyone bears not only the consequence, but also the guilt, of that sin.

The Orthodox churches, including Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox, differ little from [[Judaism]] in their holding of what sin is and how to reconcile it--except that animal sacrifices have never been part of Orthodox tradition.

==== The Reformation ====
In [[1517]], [[Martin Luther]] led the most serious break from Roman Cat
Luther is most famous for his "95 precepts nailed to the church-house door." The most important of these is the principle that he stated in Latin as ''Sola Scriptura''--literally, "Scripture only." Luther rejected out-of-hand most of the various categories of sin, and the elaborate rituals that attended its so-called reconciliation.
e to observe God's commandments or other Godly precepts that one may determine from the actual teachings of [[Jesus]] and of His [[Apostle]]s (especially [[Paul]], the most prolific writer among them). ''Reconciliation'' from sin was a ''private'' matter between God and any of His followers. A priest or minister ''was not'' required, because that would imply that a human being, of whatever office, could stand in the place of God--a thing Luther regarded as an insult to God, which is the definition of [[blasphemy]].

Nor was any animal sacrifice required, because [[Jesus]] Himself madtrictly by grace. Luther drew directly on the letters of [[Paul]] that addressed this very subject.

==== The Baptist Tradition ====
The [[Baptist|Baptists]] would generally agree with Luther. Like him, Baptists hold that sin is an act or omission that displeases God, and the state of being that the perpetrator falls into, and remains in until he has confessed this sin.

Baptist churches do not tSH*Tend to engage in corporate, collective confessions. Rather, Baptist practice depends heavily on {{Bible ref|book=Matthew|chap=18|verses=15-20|version=KJV}}, which prescribes this procedure for the handling of sin that gives offense to a fellow believer:

# The aggrieved person, or the minister if . In suciven offense). Some observers suggest that churches suffer when they fail to practice discipline as they should.
SH&T SH&T SH^T SH^T SH^T FU*K FU*K FU*K

==== Fundamentalists ====
: ''Main Article: [[Sin (Fundamentalism)]]''

The above article is a comprehensive theory of sin, and its effects on the offender, on mankind as a whole, and on the entire world.

=== Islam ===
In [[Islam]], sin is very simple: anything that runs counter to the will of [[Allah]] (Arabic for [[God]]). In Islam, sin is simply an act, never a state of being.
SH^TSH^T SHT FUK FUK FUK FUK FUK FUK DANM COK COK COK SUKER MOTHAFUKA!
Islam recognizes five gradations of sin, in order of severity:

# Mistakes.
# Immorality.
# Transgressions.
# Wickedness and depravity.
# Ascribing a partner to God. Thus this one special instance of [[blasphemy]] is held worse than any other sin a man can commit.

In Islam, permanent reconciliation cannot come in lifnon-adherents to Islam.

Other Muslims will say that ''jihad'' is not physical at all, but refers instead to a personal struggle that every Muslim must engage in continually against sin and the temptations thereto.

Still others state that two forms of Jihad are known:
# The greater Jihad, which is the internal struggle within a person against sin.
# The lesser Jihad, physical war against the infidel.

Those who make that distinction state that what they call the "lesser jihad" is practiced only by fanatical holders to Islam. A ''fanatic'' is one who holds to a set of beliefs uncritically--that is, without being willing to judge them. Since the [[World Trade Center incident]], a number of Muslims ''have'' begun a critical analysis of Muslim doctrine (both verbal and written) and the place of Islam in the civilized world. Whether those voices can find sufficent logical support in the written texts that define Islam is debatable.

=== Objectivism ===
Objectivism does not admit to any kind of divinity, but it still has its own code of morality. Though a student of Objectivism does not normally use the word ''sin'', one may best infer what Objectivism considers sinful by examining what it teaches man to value. A basic, but by no means exhaustive, list would include:

# Failure to be relentlessly rational in everything one does.
# Coveting the fruits of another's labor without being willing to pay for those fruits.
# Failure to give value for value received.
# Violation of another person's right to pursue his life in a non-offensive manner.
# Initiating the use of force against another person or group of persons.
# Accepting as real anything one cannot see.
# Refusing to accept reality.
# Attempting to create one's own reality.

Reconciliation for sin, beyond restitution to another to whom one has brought material loss by his sin, is not generally required. In the Objectivist model, one pays the consequences of his particular sins in the form of loss of trade, loss of respect, ''et cetera.'' Because Objectivism admits no heaven, it admits no [[hell]], either, and therefore all of the consequences of sin ''must'' occur in this life.

=== Cults and cult figures ===
A [[cult]], properly speaking, is a belief system centered on one person, or the group of persons led by that person. In the context of a cult, sin is any refusal to uphold the decisions or obey the orders of the leader, and anything else that gives offense to the leader. Reconciliation is generally at the leader's own discretion.

=== Totalitarianism ===
[[Totalitarianism]] is a [[philosophy]] of [[government]] that holds that the government ''must'' have absolute authority over ''all'' aspects of life. [[Communist]]s are totalitarians, just as the [[Nazi]]s were.

Totalitarian authorities and their apologists have their concept of sin as well: it is anything that works against the government, or tries to thwart its goals. This is true even in a regime that is explicitly [[Atheism|atheistic]] in world view. Reconciliation generally requires recantation.

=== Socialism ===
[[Socialism]], whether as a system of government or as a school of philosophy, has a definite standard of value: "the greatest good for the greatest number of people." Sin under socialism is anything that undermines this. Theoretically, sin also includes ''conspicuous consumption'' at a level beyond that attainable by "the average person."

=== Environmentalism ===
[[Environmentalism]] also has a standard of value: ''the good of the planet as a wild system.'' Anything that harms the earth or makes it less wild is sinful in this system. The controversy surrounding [[global warming]] is, at root, a controversy about environmentalism as a source of moral values, and the allegation that humans in general, and/or some humans in particular, have transgressed against the environmentalist moral standard.

== Summary ==
Some religious and philosophical traditions consider sin to be a deliberate act; others say that it can be merely a mistake. Some say that reconciliation for sin requires a certain work; others that reconciliation is by the grace of [[God]] (or, for some, a cult leader), and still others (most notably the Objectivists) say that reconciliation is not required, except perhaps to any particular affronted person.

As mentioned, [[atheism|atheists]] do not necessarily lack a concept of sin (though they might not call it by that name). But ''amoral'' individuals, if such exist, cannot understand sin, because sin presupposes a moral code that someone might breach.

== References ==
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin Sin] by [[Wikipedia]]
* [http://creationwiki.org/Sin Sin] by [[CreationWiki]]

[http://www.oca.org Orthodox Church in America]

[[Category:Bible]]
[[Category:Bible study]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Philosophy]]
[[Category:Sin]]

Sin

2007-07-18T10:39:06Z

Kcuf: /* The Baptist Tradition */

[[Sin]] (from [[Old English]] ''synn'', from either [[Old Norse]] ''synd'' or [[German]] ''Sünde'', from ''sun(d)jo'' it is true, from [[Sanskrit]](?) ''es-'' it is) is any failure to conform to the letter of a given code of [[morality]], or the state of being of one so failing to conform, or the state of the world that results from such failure.

== Meaning of sin ==
The root meaning of the [[English]] word ''sin'' is actually, "He is guilty ;lkmfp9oqm2390mnfas charged." This in turn implies that the person committing the offense knew, ldsdfor ought to have known, that his act would ''be'' an offense before he committed it. This word actually captures the meaning that many religious traditions ascribe to sin.

The [[Greek]] word used in the original [[New Testament]] and translated "sin" in English is '''ἁμαρτία''' (''hamartia'') (whence ''[[hamartoma]]'' a malformation of [[cell]]s thasdft are within their usual place in the body). This word captures the ''[[Christian]]'' meaning of sin much better. ''Hamartia'' means ''missing a target.'' Thus sin does not require bad intentions, but might result from a missafafdfunderstanding. This is not to say that the consequences are any lp;ojagpojiess dire, however. It does mean that sin need not be intentional; it can be a knowing (but not intentional), reckless, or negligent act.
f
=== Required: a moral context =dsafaf==
Sin, which is a moral failure, cannot exist in the absence of a code of [[morality]]. [[Objectivism]] defines morality as "a code of values accepted by choice."

This is not to say that sin requires a context of ''divinity.'' Objectivism, for example, refuses to admit [[God]], while still prescribing a standard of value and a code of morality that follows from it. (Whether such a code can properly stand, by the rules of Objectivism itself, is another matteras,dkfj0984e.) The context in which sin ceases to have meaning is not [[atheism]] ''per se'' but rather [[amoralism]]--the doctrine that says that no person may dsfadssagproperly define what is moral for another, because no two people will ever value the same thing to the same degree, or value the same collection of things by the same rank structure.

Whether any man ''ever'' lives without somsadfe form of moral code--even if that code is, "I denounce as sin any disagreement with myself or any attempt to stand in my way"--is [[Can any man live without some code of morality?|debatable]]. Nevertheless, without ''some'' form of moral context, sin has no meaning.

== Differing views of sin ==
==== Jewish ====
In [[Judaism]], and certainofqij093284jrfq0pfoly in ancient practice, the preflferred method of atonement for sin was [[blood sacrifice]]. The Book of [[Leviticus]] prescribed multiple animal sacrifices for atonelsaiodjf0982f02934jffment for various types of sin. But by far the most important atonement--on the [[Day of Atonement]] (''Yowm Kippur'')--was made by the high priest of the [[Hebrew]] people (originally [[Aaron]], brother of [[Moses]]). This involved making a blood sacrifice, entering the [[Holy of Holies]] (in [[Latin]], ''sanctum sanctorum''), and sprinkling some of the blood from the sacrifice on the [[Ark of the Covenant]].

Animal sacrifice has not lkfqij0932fjmbeen part of Jewish practice since the destruction of the [[Temple of Jerusalem]] by the future [[Rome|Roman]] [[Emperor]] [[Titus]] in [[70 AD]]. But the [[Old Testament]] did not implfqlpok093fy that animal sacrifice was the sole ''necessary'' measure for reconciliation. lqkjiwf098430Simple repentance and prayer sufficed numerous times in [[Bible]] history.

Today, though animal sacrifices are no longer observed, Jews do observe ''Yom Kippur'lfqoim2k0f9jf' and other festivals related to repentance and reconciliation. But a movement now exists to flqij0239jf9attempt to regain exclusive control of the [[Temple Mount]] area in [[Jerusalem]], rebuild the Temple, and resume the burnt offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings prescribed in the [[Torah]].

In traditional Jewish thought, sin mayfoi9kmj203m09fj be balanced by the good deeds one performs throughout life; the image of scales weighing one's life are prominent in folklore, similar to other ancient Middle Eastern religions such as ancient Egypt.

=== Christian views ===
==== Roman Catholic ====
[[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] doctrine distinguishes [[original sin]], or the sin of [[Adam]], from ''personal'' sins, which require individual reconcivenial'' (a less grave matter that could result from a misunderstanding). The RCC distinction is: Mortal sins cut a person off from the grace of God; venial sins do not, but still injure one's relationship to God.

The one mortal sin that, to a Catholic, would be unforgivable (because its successful commission leaves no opportunity for reconciliation later), is [[suicide]]. t, a person may receive reconciliation for a mortal sin by making [[Confession (Catholic)|confession]] to a [[Priest (Catholic)|priest]] and receiving the ceremony of [[Absolution from sin|absolution]]. One can reconcile from a venial sin by the sacrament of reconciliation, or by receiving communion, or [[Holy Eucharist]].

Roman Catholic doctrine histo relatives to the Church. The other is the [[indulgence]], a fee paid to the church by the perpetrator in advance. Indulgences have not been sold for centuries, and recently [[Pope]] [[Benedict XVI]] issued an [[encyclical]] casting doubt on the entire concept of purgatory.

===== Virgin Mary =====
Roman Catholic doctrine holds thatwas [[Jesus]] sinless, but so, also, was His Mother, [[Virgin Mary|Mary]]. The belief that the Virgin Mary was sinless at conception is called the Immaculate Conception.
rch]] teaches that the Virgin Mary was born with Original Sin but that she was cleansed of this sin at the time of the Annunciation. The Church also teaches that by free will she did not commit any actual sin.

==== Anglican Communion ====
The [[Anglican Communion]], essentially the breakaway church of the [[United Kingdom]], retains the Roman Catholic tradition of confession and absolution of sin. But instead of an individual process, confession in Anglican churches is a group activity, and absolution is pronounced by a [[Minister (Protestant)|minister]] to the entire church-going group. Purgatory and indulgences have no place in Anglican doctrine.

==== Eastern and Oriental Orthodox ====

In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] there are no "categories" of sin as found in the Christian West. In the pre-Vatican II Roman Catholic catechism, sins were categorized as "mortal" and "venial." These categories do not exist in the Orthodox Church.

Orthodoxy believes that, while everyone bears the consequences of the first sin, the foremost of which is death, only Adam and Eve are guilty of that sin. Roman Catholicism teaches that everyone bears not only the consequence, but also the guilt, of that sin.

The Orthodox churches, including Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox, differ little from [[Judaism]] in their holding of what sin is and how to reconcile it--except that animal sacrifices have never been part of Orthodox tradition.

==== The Reformation ====
In [[1517]], [[Martin Luther]] led the most serious break from Roman Cat
Luther is most famous for his "95 precepts nailed to the church-house door." The most important of these is the principle that he stated in Latin as ''Sola Scriptura''--literally, "Scripture only." Luther rejected out-of-hand most of the various categories of sin, and the elaborate rituals that attended its so-called reconciliation.
e to observe God's commandments or other Godly precepts that one may determine from the actual teachings of [[Jesus]] and of His [[Apostle]]s (especially [[Paul]], the most prolific writer among them). ''Reconciliation'' from sin was a ''private'' matter between God and any of His followers. A priest or minister ''was not'' required, because that would imply that a human being, of whatever office, could stand in the place of God--a thing Luther regarded as an insult to God, which is the definition of [[blasphemy]].

Nor was any animal sacrifice required, because [[Jesus]] Himself madtrictly by grace. Luther drew directly on the letters of [[Paul]] that addressed this very subject.

==== The Baptist Tradition ====
The [[Baptist|Baptists]] would generally agree with Luther. Like him, Baptists hold that sin is an act or omission that displeases God, and the state of being that the perpetrator falls into, and remains in until he has confessed this sin.

Baptist churches do not tSH*Tend to engage in corporate, collective confessions. Rather, Baptist practice depends heavily on {{Bible ref|book=Matthew|chap=18|verses=15-20|version=KJV}}, which prescribes this procedure for the handling of sin that gives offense to a fellow believer:

# The aggrieved person, or the minister if . In suciven offense). Some observers suggest that churches suffer when they fail to practice discipline as they should.
SH&T SH&T SH^T SH^T SH^T FU*K FU*K FU*K

==== Fundamentalists ====
: ''Main Article: [[Sin (Fundamentalism)]]''

The above article is a comprehensive theory of sin, and its effects on the offender, on mankind as a whole, and on the entire world.

=== Islam ===
In [[Islam]], sin is very simple: anything that runs counter to the will of [[Allah]] (Arabic for [[God]]). In Islam, sin is simply an act, never a state of being.

Islam recognizes five gradations of sin, in order of severity:

# Mistakes.
# Immorality.
# Transgressions.
# Wickedness and depravity.
# Ascribing a partner to God. Thus this one special instance of [[blasphemy]] is held worse than any other sin a man can commit.

In Islam, permanent reconciliation cannot come in life. Instead, at death, a person has his "good deeds" measured against his "bad deeds" (sins). If the good outweighs the bad, then the person must walk a tightrope over a lake of fire in order to cross into heaven. Islam, however, offers one important exception: any person who dies ''in the course of an act that advances the Muslim faith'' gains automatic entry into heaven, regardless of any prior sins he has committed. The usual, and some Muslims (particularly the [[Wahhabism|Wahabbi]] sect) say the only, context for such a death is ''[[jihad]]'', literally ''holy [[war]]''. Furthermore, ''jihad'' is a ''physical'' war against non-adherents to Islam.

Other Muslims will say that ''jihad'' is not physical at all, but refers instead to a personal struggle that every Muslim must engage in continually against sin and the temptations thereto.

Still others state that two forms of Jihad are known:
# The greater Jihad, which is the internal struggle within a person against sin.
# The lesser Jihad, physical war against the infidel.

Those who make that distinction state that what they call the "lesser jihad" is practiced only by fanatical holders to Islam. A ''fanatic'' is one who holds to a set of beliefs uncritically--that is, without being willing to judge them. Since the [[World Trade Center incident]], a number of Muslims ''have'' begun a critical analysis of Muslim doctrine (both verbal and written) and the place of Islam in the civilized world. Whether those voices can find sufficent logical support in the written texts that define Islam is debatable.

=== Objectivism ===
Objectivism does not admit to any kind of divinity, but it still has its own code of morality. Though a student of Objectivism does not normally use the word ''sin'', one may best infer what Objectivism considers sinful by examining what it teaches man to value. A basic, but by no means exhaustive, list would include:

# Failure to be relentlessly rational in everything one does.
# Coveting the fruits of another's labor without being willing to pay for those fruits.
# Failure to give value for value received.
# Violation of another person's right to pursue his life in a non-offensive manner.
# Initiating the use of force against another person or group of persons.
# Accepting as real anything one cannot see.
# Refusing to accept reality.
# Attempting to create one's own reality.

Reconciliation for sin, beyond restitution to another to whom one has brought material loss by his sin, is not generally required. In the Objectivist model, one pays the consequences of his particular sins in the form of loss of trade, loss of respect, ''et cetera.'' Because Objectivism admits no heaven, it admits no [[hell]], either, and therefore all of the consequences of sin ''must'' occur in this life.

=== Cults and cult figures ===
A [[cult]], properly speaking, is a belief system centered on one person, or the group of persons led by that person. In the context of a cult, sin is any refusal to uphold the decisions or obey the orders of the leader, and anything else that gives offense to the leader. Reconciliation is generally at the leader's own discretion.

=== Totalitarianism ===
[[Totalitarianism]] is a [[philosophy]] of [[government]] that holds that the government ''must'' have absolute authority over ''all'' aspects of life. [[Communist]]s are totalitarians, just as the [[Nazi]]s were.

Totalitarian authorities and their apologists have their concept of sin as well: it is anything that works against the government, or tries to thwart its goals. This is true even in a regime that is explicitly [[Atheism|atheistic]] in world view. Reconciliation generally requires recantation.

=== Socialism ===
[[Socialism]], whether as a system of government or as a school of philosophy, has a definite standard of value: "the greatest good for the greatest number of people." Sin under socialism is anything that undermines this. Theoretically, sin also includes ''conspicuous consumption'' at a level beyond that attainable by "the average person."

=== Environmentalism ===
[[Environmentalism]] also has a standard of value: ''the good of the planet as a wild system.'' Anything that harms the earth or makes it less wild is sinful in this system. The controversy surrounding [[global warming]] is, at root, a controversy about environmentalism as a source of moral values, and the allegation that humans in general, and/or some humans in particular, have transgressed against the environmentalist moral standard.

== Summary ==
Some religious and philosophical traditions consider sin to be a deliberate act; others say that it can be merely a mistake. Some say that reconciliation for sin requires a certain work; others that reconciliation is by the grace of [[God]] (or, for some, a cult leader), and still others (most notably the Objectivists) say that reconciliation is not required, except perhaps to any particular affronted person.

As mentioned, [[atheism|atheists]] do not necessarily lack a concept of sin (though they might not call it by that name). But ''amoral'' individuals, if such exist, cannot understand sin, because sin presupposes a moral code that someone might breach.

== References ==
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin Sin] by [[Wikipedia]]
* [http://creationwiki.org/Sin Sin] by [[CreationWiki]]

[http://www.oca.org Orthodox Church in America]

[[Category:Bible]]
[[Category:Bible study]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Philosophy]]
[[Category:Sin]]

Sin

2007-07-18T10:38:11Z

Kcuf: /* Christian views */

[[Sin]] (from [[Old English]] ''synn'', from either [[Old Norse]] ''synd'' or [[German]] ''Sünde'', from ''sun(d)jo'' it is true, from [[Sanskrit]](?) ''es-'' it is) is any failure to conform to the letter of a given code of [[morality]], or the state of being of one so failing to conform, or the state of the world that results from such failure.

== Meaning of sin ==
The root meaning of the [[English]] word ''sin'' is actually, "He is guilty ;lkmfp9oqm2390mnfas charged." This in turn implies that the person committing the offense knew, ldsdfor ought to have known, that his act would ''be'' an offense before he committed it. This word actually captures the meaning that many religious traditions ascribe to sin.

The [[Greek]] word used in the original [[New Testament]] and translated "sin" in English is '''ἁμαρτία''' (''hamartia'') (whence ''[[hamartoma]]'' a malformation of [[cell]]s thasdft are within their usual place in the body). This word captures the ''[[Christian]]'' meaning of sin much better. ''Hamartia'' means ''missing a target.'' Thus sin does not require bad intentions, but might result from a missafafdfunderstanding. This is not to say that the consequences are any lp;ojagpojiess dire, however. It does mean that sin need not be intentional; it can be a knowing (but not intentional), reckless, or negligent act.
f
=== Required: a moral context =dsafaf==
Sin, which is a moral failure, cannot exist in the absence of a code of [[morality]]. [[Objectivism]] defines morality as "a code of values accepted by choice."

This is not to say that sin requires a context of ''divinity.'' Objectivism, for example, refuses to admit [[God]], while still prescribing a standard of value and a code of morality that follows from it. (Whether such a code can properly stand, by the rules of Objectivism itself, is another matteras,dkfj0984e.) The context in which sin ceases to have meaning is not [[atheism]] ''per se'' but rather [[amoralism]]--the doctrine that says that no person may dsfadssagproperly define what is moral for another, because no two people will ever value the same thing to the same degree, or value the same collection of things by the same rank structure.

Whether any man ''ever'' lives without somsadfe form of moral code--even if that code is, "I denounce as sin any disagreement with myself or any attempt to stand in my way"--is [[Can any man live without some code of morality?|debatable]]. Nevertheless, without ''some'' form of moral context, sin has no meaning.

== Differing views of sin ==
==== Jewish ====
In [[Judaism]], and certainofqij093284jrfq0pfoly in ancient practice, the preflferred method of atonement for sin was [[blood sacrifice]]. The Book of [[Leviticus]] prescribed multiple animal sacrifices for atonelsaiodjf0982f02934jffment for various types of sin. But by far the most important atonement--on the [[Day of Atonement]] (''Yowm Kippur'')--was made by the high priest of the [[Hebrew]] people (originally [[Aaron]], brother of [[Moses]]). This involved making a blood sacrifice, entering the [[Holy of Holies]] (in [[Latin]], ''sanctum sanctorum''), and sprinkling some of the blood from the sacrifice on the [[Ark of the Covenant]].

Animal sacrifice has not lkfqij0932fjmbeen part of Jewish practice since the destruction of the [[Temple of Jerusalem]] by the future [[Rome|Roman]] [[Emperor]] [[Titus]] in [[70 AD]]. But the [[Old Testament]] did not implfqlpok093fy that animal sacrifice was the sole ''necessary'' measure for reconciliation. lqkjiwf098430Simple repentance and prayer sufficed numerous times in [[Bible]] history.

Today, though animal sacrifices are no longer observed, Jews do observe ''Yom Kippur'lfqoim2k0f9jf' and other festivals related to repentance and reconciliation. But a movement now exists to flqij0239jf9attempt to regain exclusive control of the [[Temple Mount]] area in [[Jerusalem]], rebuild the Temple, and resume the burnt offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings prescribed in the [[Torah]].

In traditional Jewish thought, sin mayfoi9kmj203m09fj be balanced by the good deeds one performs throughout life; the image of scales weighing one's life are prominent in folklore, similar to other ancient Middle Eastern religions such as ancient Egypt.

=== Christian views ===
==== Roman Catholic ====
[[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] doctrine distinguishes [[original sin]], or the sin of [[Adam]], from ''personal'' sins, which require individual reconcivenial'' (a less grave matter that could result from a misunderstanding). The RCC distinction is: Mortal sins cut a person off from the grace of God; venial sins do not, but still injure one's relationship to God.

The one mortal sin that, to a Catholic, would be unforgivable (because its successful commission leaves no opportunity for reconciliation later), is [[suicide]]. t, a person may receive reconciliation for a mortal sin by making [[Confession (Catholic)|confession]] to a [[Priest (Catholic)|priest]] and receiving the ceremony of [[Absolution from sin|absolution]]. One can reconcile from a venial sin by the sacrament of reconciliation, or by receiving communion, or [[Holy Eucharist]].

Roman Catholic doctrine histo relatives to the Church. The other is the [[indulgence]], a fee paid to the church by the perpetrator in advance. Indulgences have not been sold for centuries, and recently [[Pope]] [[Benedict XVI]] issued an [[encyclical]] casting doubt on the entire concept of purgatory.

===== Virgin Mary =====
Roman Catholic doctrine holds thatwas [[Jesus]] sinless, but so, also, was His Mother, [[Virgin Mary|Mary]]. The belief that the Virgin Mary was sinless at conception is called the Immaculate Conception.
rch]] teaches that the Virgin Mary was born with Original Sin but that she was cleansed of this sin at the time of the Annunciation. The Church also teaches that by free will she did not commit any actual sin.

==== Anglican Communion ====
The [[Anglican Communion]], essentially the breakaway church of the [[United Kingdom]], retains the Roman Catholic tradition of confession and absolution of sin. But instead of an individual process, confession in Anglican churches is a group activity, and absolution is pronounced by a [[Minister (Protestant)|minister]] to the entire church-going group. Purgatory and indulgences have no place in Anglican doctrine.

==== Eastern and Oriental Orthodox ====

In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] there are no "categories" of sin as found in the Christian West. In the pre-Vatican II Roman Catholic catechism, sins were categorized as "mortal" and "venial." These categories do not exist in the Orthodox Church.

Orthodoxy believes that, while everyone bears the consequences of the first sin, the foremost of which is death, only Adam and Eve are guilty of that sin. Roman Catholicism teaches that everyone bears not only the consequence, but also the guilt, of that sin.

The Orthodox churches, including Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox, differ little from [[Judaism]] in their holding of what sin is and how to reconcile it--except that animal sacrifices have never been part of Orthodox tradition.

==== The Reformation ====
In [[1517]], [[Martin Luther]] led the most serious break from Roman Cat
Luther is most famous for his "95 precepts nailed to the church-house door." The most important of these is the principle that he stated in Latin as ''Sola Scriptura''--literally, "Scripture only." Luther rejected out-of-hand most of the various categories of sin, and the elaborate rituals that attended its so-called reconciliation.
e to observe God's commandments or other Godly precepts that one may determine from the actual teachings of [[Jesus]] and of His [[Apostle]]s (especially [[Paul]], the most prolific writer among them). ''Reconciliation'' from sin was a ''private'' matter between God and any of His followers. A priest or minister ''was not'' required, because that would imply that a human being, of whatever office, could stand in the place of God--a thing Luther regarded as an insult to God, which is the definition of [[blasphemy]].

Nor was any animal sacrifice required, because [[Jesus]] Himself madtrictly by grace. Luther drew directly on the letters of [[Paul]] that addressed this very subject.

==== The Baptist Tradition ====
The [[Baptist|Baptists]] would generally agree with Luther. Like him, Baptists hold that sin is an act or omission that displeases God, and the state of being that the perpetrator falls into, and remains in until he has confessed this sin.

Baptist churches do not tend to engage in corporate, collective confessions. Rather, Baptist practice depends heavily on {{Bible ref|book=Matthew|chap=18|verses=15-20|version=KJV}}, which prescribes this procedure for the handling of sin that gives offense to a fellow believer:

# The aggrieved person, or the minister if . In suciven offense). Some observers suggest that churches suffer when they fail to practice discipline as they should.

==== Fundamentalists ====
: ''Main Article: [[Sin (Fundamentalism)]]''

The above article is a comprehensive theory of sin, and its effects on the offender, on mankind as a whole, and on the entire world.

=== Islam ===
In [[Islam]], sin is very simple: anything that runs counter to the will of [[Allah]] (Arabic for [[God]]). In Islam, sin is simply an act, never a state of being.

Islam recognizes five gradations of sin, in order of severity:

# Mistakes.
# Immorality.
# Transgressions.
# Wickedness and depravity.
# Ascribing a partner to God. Thus this one special instance of [[blasphemy]] is held worse than any other sin a man can commit.

In Islam, permanent reconciliation cannot come in life. Instead, at death, a person has his "good deeds" measured against his "bad deeds" (sins). If the good outweighs the bad, then the person must walk a tightrope over a lake of fire in order to cross into heaven. Islam, however, offers one important exception: any person who dies ''in the course of an act that advances the Muslim faith'' gains automatic entry into heaven, regardless of any prior sins he has committed. The usual, and some Muslims (particularly the [[Wahhabism|Wahabbi]] sect) say the only, context for such a death is ''[[jihad]]'', literally ''holy [[war]]''. Furthermore, ''jihad'' is a ''physical'' war against non-adherents to Islam.

Other Muslims will say that ''jihad'' is not physical at all, but refers instead to a personal struggle that every Muslim must engage in continually against sin and the temptations thereto.

Still others state that two forms of Jihad are known:
# The greater Jihad, which is the internal struggle within a person against sin.
# The lesser Jihad, physical war against the infidel.

Those who make that distinction state that what they call the "lesser jihad" is practiced only by fanatical holders to Islam. A ''fanatic'' is one who holds to a set of beliefs uncritically--that is, without being willing to judge them. Since the [[World Trade Center incident]], a number of Muslims ''have'' begun a critical analysis of Muslim doctrine (both verbal and written) and the place of Islam in the civilized world. Whether those voices can find sufficent logical support in the written texts that define Islam is debatable.

=== Objectivism ===
Objectivism does not admit to any kind of divinity, but it still has its own code of morality. Though a student of Objectivism does not normally use the word ''sin'', one may best infer what Objectivism considers sinful by examining what it teaches man to value. A basic, but by no means exhaustive, list would include:

# Failure to be relentlessly rational in everything one does.
# Coveting the fruits of another's labor without being willing to pay for those fruits.
# Failure to give value for value received.
# Violation of another person's right to pursue his life in a non-offensive manner.
# Initiating the use of force against another person or group of persons.
# Accepting as real anything one cannot see.
# Refusing to accept reality.
# Attempting to create one's own reality.

Reconciliation for sin, beyond restitution to another to whom one has brought material loss by his sin, is not generally required. In the Objectivist model, one pays the consequences of his particular sins in the form of loss of trade, loss of respect, ''et cetera.'' Because Objectivism admits no heaven, it admits no [[hell]], either, and therefore all of the consequences of sin ''must'' occur in this life.

=== Cults and cult figures ===
A [[cult]], properly speaking, is a belief system centered on one person, or the group of persons led by that person. In the context of a cult, sin is any refusal to uphold the decisions or obey the orders of the leader, and anything else that gives offense to the leader. Reconciliation is generally at the leader's own discretion.

=== Totalitarianism ===
[[Totalitarianism]] is a [[philosophy]] of [[government]] that holds that the government ''must'' have absolute authority over ''all'' aspects of life. [[Communist]]s are totalitarians, just as the [[Nazi]]s were.

Totalitarian authorities and their apologists have their concept of sin as well: it is anything that works against the government, or tries to thwart its goals. This is true even in a regime that is explicitly [[Atheism|atheistic]] in world view. Reconciliation generally requires recantation.

=== Socialism ===
[[Socialism]], whether as a system of government or as a school of philosophy, has a definite standard of value: "the greatest good for the greatest number of people." Sin under socialism is anything that undermines this. Theoretically, sin also includes ''conspicuous consumption'' at a level beyond that attainable by "the average person."

=== Environmentalism ===
[[Environmentalism]] also has a standard of value: ''the good of the planet as a wild system.'' Anything that harms the earth or makes it less wild is sinful in this system. The controversy surrounding [[global warming]] is, at root, a controversy about environmentalism as a source of moral values, and the allegation that humans in general, and/or some humans in particular, have transgressed against the environmentalist moral standard.

== Summary ==
Some religious and philosophical traditions consider sin to be a deliberate act; others say that it can be merely a mistake. Some say that reconciliation for sin requires a certain work; others that reconciliation is by the grace of [[God]] (or, for some, a cult leader), and still others (most notably the Objectivists) say that reconciliation is not required, except perhaps to any particular affronted person.

As mentioned, [[atheism|atheists]] do not necessarily lack a concept of sin (though they might not call it by that name). But ''amoral'' individuals, if such exist, cannot understand sin, because sin presupposes a moral code that someone might breach.

== References ==
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin Sin] by [[Wikipedia]]
* [http://creationwiki.org/Sin Sin] by [[CreationWiki]]

[http://www.oca.org Orthodox Church in America]

[[Category:Bible]]
[[Category:Bible study]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Philosophy]]
[[Category:Sin]]

Sin

2007-07-18T10:37:20Z

Kcuf: /* Jewish */

[[Sin]] (from [[Old English]] ''synn'', from either [[Old Norse]] ''synd'' or [[German]] ''Sünde'', from ''sun(d)jo'' it is true, from [[Sanskrit]](?) ''es-'' it is) is any failure to conform to the letter of a given code of [[morality]], or the state of being of one so failing to conform, or the state of the world that results from such failure.

== Meaning of sin ==
The root meaning of the [[English]] word ''sin'' is actually, "He is guilty ;lkmfp9oqm2390mnfas charged." This in turn implies that the person committing the offense knew, ldsdfor ought to have known, that his act would ''be'' an offense before he committed it. This word actually captures the meaning that many religious traditions ascribe to sin.

The [[Greek]] word used in the original [[New Testament]] and translated "sin" in English is '''ἁμαρτία''' (''hamartia'') (whence ''[[hamartoma]]'' a malformation of [[cell]]s thasdft are within their usual place in the body). This word captures the ''[[Christian]]'' meaning of sin much better. ''Hamartia'' means ''missing a target.'' Thus sin does not require bad intentions, but might result from a missafafdfunderstanding. This is not to say that the consequences are any lp;ojagpojiess dire, however. It does mean that sin need not be intentional; it can be a knowing (but not intentional), reckless, or negligent act.
f
=== Required: a moral context =dsafaf==
Sin, which is a moral failure, cannot exist in the absence of a code of [[morality]]. [[Objectivism]] defines morality as "a code of values accepted by choice."

This is not to say that sin requires a context of ''divinity.'' Objectivism, for example, refuses to admit [[God]], while still prescribing a standard of value and a code of morality that follows from it. (Whether such a code can properly stand, by the rules of Objectivism itself, is another matteras,dkfj0984e.) The context in which sin ceases to have meaning is not [[atheism]] ''per se'' but rather [[amoralism]]--the doctrine that says that no person may dsfadssagproperly define what is moral for another, because no two people will ever value the same thing to the same degree, or value the same collection of things by the same rank structure.

Whether any man ''ever'' lives without somsadfe form of moral code--even if that code is, "I denounce as sin any disagreement with myself or any attempt to stand in my way"--is [[Can any man live without some code of morality?|debatable]]. Nevertheless, without ''some'' form of moral context, sin has no meaning.

== Differing views of sin ==
==== Jewish ====
In [[Judaism]], and certainofqij093284jrfq0pfoly in ancient practice, the preflferred method of atonement for sin was [[blood sacrifice]]. The Book of [[Leviticus]] prescribed multiple animal sacrifices for atonelsaiodjf0982f02934jffment for various types of sin. But by far the most important atonement--on the [[Day of Atonement]] (''Yowm Kippur'')--was made by the high priest of the [[Hebrew]] people (originally [[Aaron]], brother of [[Moses]]). This involved making a blood sacrifice, entering the [[Holy of Holies]] (in [[Latin]], ''sanctum sanctorum''), and sprinkling some of the blood from the sacrifice on the [[Ark of the Covenant]].

Animal sacrifice has not lkfqij0932fjmbeen part of Jewish practice since the destruction of the [[Temple of Jerusalem]] by the future [[Rome|Roman]] [[Emperor]] [[Titus]] in [[70 AD]]. But the [[Old Testament]] did not implfqlpok093fy that animal sacrifice was the sole ''necessary'' measure for reconciliation. lqkjiwf098430Simple repentance and prayer sufficed numerous times in [[Bible]] history.

Today, though animal sacrifices are no longer observed, Jews do observe ''Yom Kippur'lfqoim2k0f9jf' and other festivals related to repentance and reconciliation. But a movement now exists to flqij0239jf9attempt to regain exclusive control of the [[Temple Mount]] area in [[Jerusalem]], rebuild the Temple, and resume the burnt offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings prescribed in the [[Torah]].

In traditional Jewish thought, sin mayfoi9kmj203m09fj be balanced by the good deeds one performs throughout life; the image of scales weighing one's life are prominent in folklore, similar to other ancient Middle Eastern religions such as ancient Egypt.

=== Christian views ===
==== Roman Catholic ====
[[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] doctrine distinguishes [[original sin]], or the sin of [[Adam]], from ''personal'' sins, which require individual reconciliation with [[God]]. A personal sin may be ''mortal'' (a particularly grave matter that the perpetrator commits by deliberate intent) or ''venial'' (a less grave matter that could result from a misunderstanding). The RCC distinction is: Mortal sins cut a person off from the grace of God; venial sins do not, but still injure one's relationship to God.

The one mortal sin that, to a Catholic, would be unforgivable (because its successful commission leaves no opportunity for reconciliation later), is [[suicide]]. Beyond that, a person may receive reconciliation for a mortal sin by making [[Confession (Catholic)|confession]] to a [[Priest (Catholic)|priest]] and receiving the ceremony of [[Absolution from sin|absolution]]. One can reconcile from a venial sin by the sacrament of reconciliation, or by receiving communion, or [[Holy Eucharist]].

Roman Catholic doctrine historically included two other controversial holdings. One is [[purgatory]], a place where the soul must be held to "purge" him of all traces of sin before he can gain entry to [[heaven]]. Redemption from purgatory allegedly required the payment of a monetary fee by the deceased's relatives to the Church. The other is the [[indulgence]], a fee paid to the church by the perpetrator in advance. Indulgences have not been sold for centuries, and recently [[Pope]] [[Benedict XVI]] issued an [[encyclical]] casting doubt on the entire concept of purgatory.

===== Virgin Mary =====
Roman Catholic doctrine holds that not only was [[Jesus]] sinless, but so, also, was His Mother, [[Virgin Mary|Mary]]. The belief that the Virgin Mary was sinless at conception is called the Immaculate Conception.

The [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] teaches that the Virgin Mary was born with Original Sin but that she was cleansed of this sin at the time of the Annunciation. The Church also teaches that by free will she did not commit any actual sin.

This doctrine, called ''Marianism'', is not ''universally'' held by all Catholics, however.

==== Anglican Communion ====
The [[Anglican Communion]], essentially the breakaway church of the [[United Kingdom]], retains the Roman Catholic tradition of confession and absolution of sin. But instead of an individual process, confession in Anglican churches is a group activity, and absolution is pronounced by a [[Minister (Protestant)|minister]] to the entire church-going group. Purgatory and indulgences have no place in Anglican doctrine.

==== Eastern and Oriental Orthodox ====

In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] there are no "categories" of sin as found in the Christian West. In the pre-Vatican II Roman Catholic catechism, sins were categorized as "mortal" and "venial." These categories do not exist in the Orthodox Church.

Orthodoxy believes that, while everyone bears the consequences of the first sin, the foremost of which is death, only Adam and Eve are guilty of that sin. Roman Catholicism teaches that everyone bears not only the consequence, but also the guilt, of that sin.

The Orthodox churches, including Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox, differ little from [[Judaism]] in their holding of what sin is and how to reconcile it--except that animal sacrifices have never been part of Orthodox tradition.

==== The Reformation ====
In [[1517]], [[Martin Luther]] led the most serious break from Roman Catholic doctrine and tradition, the [[Protestant Reformation]]. This occurred at about the time that King [[Henry VIII]], then of the [[Kingdom of England]], formed the Church of England, the forerunner of the Anglican Communion.

Luther is most famous for his "95 precepts nailed to the church-house door." The most important of these is the principle that he stated in Latin as ''Sola Scriptura''--literally, "Scripture only." Luther rejected out-of-hand most of the various categories of sin, and the elaborate rituals that attended its so-called reconciliation.

To Luther, and to his intellectual heirs in the [[Lutheran Church]] and the [[Dutch Reformed Church]], the Bible tells all one needs to know about sin. Sin, according to Luther, is any failure to observe God's commandments or other Godly precepts that one may determine from the actual teachings of [[Jesus]] and of His [[Apostle]]s (especially [[Paul]], the most prolific writer among them). ''Reconciliation'' from sin was a ''private'' matter between God and any of His followers. A priest or minister ''was not'' required, because that would imply that a human being, of whatever office, could stand in the place of God--a thing Luther regarded as an insult to God, which is the definition of [[blasphemy]].

Nor was any animal sacrifice required, because [[Jesus]] Himself made the One Total and Complete Sacrifice of His own life for the sin condition of the world (see below) and for the sins of individual people, past, present ''and future''. Salvation was strictly by faith and strictly by grace. Luther drew directly on the letters of [[Paul]] that addressed this very subject.

==== The Baptist Tradition ====
The [[Baptist|Baptists]] would generally agree with Luther. Like him, Baptists hold that sin is an act or omission that displeases God, and the state of being that the perpetrator falls into, and remains in until he has confessed this sin.

Baptist churches do not tend to engage in corporate, collective confessions. Rather, Baptist practice depends heavily on {{Bible ref|book=Matthew|chap=18|verses=15-20|version=KJV}}, which prescribes this procedure for the handling of sin that gives offense to a fellow believer:

# The aggrieved person, or the minister if the aggrieved person has asked him to, tries to encourage the perpetrator to repent. ''Repentance'' (Greek ''metanoia'') means a change of mind, or a change of heart.
# Failing that, whoever tried to talk to the perpetrator the first time, tries a second time and brings a witness.
# If this still does not bring repentance, and a cessation of the behavior, then and only then does the matter come before the entire church. The minister lays out the case, and puts the matter to a vote as to whether the offender ought to be allowed to remain in fellowship.

Not all Baptist churches practice this discipline, however. In such environments, sin is a matter between the offender and God (and the person or persons to whom the offender might have given offense). Some observers suggest that churches suffer when they fail to practice discipline as they should.

==== Fundamentalists ====
: ''Main Article: [[Sin (Fundamentalism)]]''

The above article is a comprehensive theory of sin, and its effects on the offender, on mankind as a whole, and on the entire world.

=== Islam ===
In [[Islam]], sin is very simple: anything that runs counter to the will of [[Allah]] (Arabic for [[God]]). In Islam, sin is simply an act, never a state of being.

Islam recognizes five gradations of sin, in order of severity:

# Mistakes.
# Immorality.
# Transgressions.
# Wickedness and depravity.
# Ascribing a partner to God. Thus this one special instance of [[blasphemy]] is held worse than any other sin a man can commit.

In Islam, permanent reconciliation cannot come in life. Instead, at death, a person has his "good deeds" measured against his "bad deeds" (sins). If the good outweighs the bad, then the person must walk a tightrope over a lake of fire in order to cross into heaven. Islam, however, offers one important exception: any person who dies ''in the course of an act that advances the Muslim faith'' gains automatic entry into heaven, regardless of any prior sins he has committed. The usual, and some Muslims (particularly the [[Wahhabism|Wahabbi]] sect) say the only, context for such a death is ''[[jihad]]'', literally ''holy [[war]]''. Furthermore, ''jihad'' is a ''physical'' war against non-adherents to Islam.

Other Muslims will say that ''jihad'' is not physical at all, but refers instead to a personal struggle that every Muslim must engage in continually against sin and the temptations thereto.

Still others state that two forms of Jihad are known:
# The greater Jihad, which is the internal struggle within a person against sin.
# The lesser Jihad, physical war against the infidel.

Those who make that distinction state that what they call the "lesser jihad" is practiced only by fanatical holders to Islam. A ''fanatic'' is one who holds to a set of beliefs uncritically--that is, without being willing to judge them. Since the [[World Trade Center incident]], a number of Muslims ''have'' begun a critical analysis of Muslim doctrine (both verbal and written) and the place of Islam in the civilized world. Whether those voices can find sufficent logical support in the written texts that define Islam is debatable.

=== Objectivism ===
Objectivism does not admit to any kind of divinity, but it still has its own code of morality. Though a student of Objectivism does not normally use the word ''sin'', one may best infer what Objectivism considers sinful by examining what it teaches man to value. A basic, but by no means exhaustive, list would include:

# Failure to be relentlessly rational in everything one does.
# Coveting the fruits of another's labor without being willing to pay for those fruits.
# Failure to give value for value received.
# Violation of another person's right to pursue his life in a non-offensive manner.
# Initiating the use of force against another person or group of persons.
# Accepting as real anything one cannot see.
# Refusing to accept reality.
# Attempting to create one's own reality.

Reconciliation for sin, beyond restitution to another to whom one has brought material loss by his sin, is not generally required. In the Objectivist model, one pays the consequences of his particular sins in the form of loss of trade, loss of respect, ''et cetera.'' Because Objectivism admits no heaven, it admits no [[hell]], either, and therefore all of the consequences of sin ''must'' occur in this life.

=== Cults and cult figures ===
A [[cult]], properly speaking, is a belief system centered on one person, or the group of persons led by that person. In the context of a cult, sin is any refusal to uphold the decisions or obey the orders of the leader, and anything else that gives offense to the leader. Reconciliation is generally at the leader's own discretion.

=== Totalitarianism ===
[[Totalitarianism]] is a [[philosophy]] of [[government]] that holds that the government ''must'' have absolute authority over ''all'' aspects of life. [[Communist]]s are totalitarians, just as the [[Nazi]]s were.

Totalitarian authorities and their apologists have their concept of sin as well: it is anything that works against the government, or tries to thwart its goals. This is true even in a regime that is explicitly [[Atheism|atheistic]] in world view. Reconciliation generally requires recantation.

=== Socialism ===
[[Socialism]], whether as a system of government or as a school of philosophy, has a definite standard of value: "the greatest good for the greatest number of people." Sin under socialism is anything that undermines this. Theoretically, sin also includes ''conspicuous consumption'' at a level beyond that attainable by "the average person."

=== Environmentalism ===
[[Environmentalism]] also has a standard of value: ''the good of the planet as a wild system.'' Anything that harms the earth or makes it less wild is sinful in this system. The controversy surrounding [[global warming]] is, at root, a controversy about environmentalism as a source of moral values, and the allegation that humans in general, and/or some humans in particular, have transgressed against the environmentalist moral standard.

== Summary ==
Some religious and philosophical traditions consider sin to be a deliberate act; others say that it can be merely a mistake. Some say that reconciliation for sin requires a certain work; others that reconciliation is by the grace of [[God]] (or, for some, a cult leader), and still others (most notably the Objectivists) say that reconciliation is not required, except perhaps to any particular affronted person.

As mentioned, [[atheism|atheists]] do not necessarily lack a concept of sin (though they might not call it by that name). But ''amoral'' individuals, if such exist, cannot understand sin, because sin presupposes a moral code that someone might breach.

== References ==
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin Sin] by [[Wikipedia]]
* [http://creationwiki.org/Sin Sin] by [[CreationWiki]]

[http://www.oca.org Orthodox Church in America]

[[Category:Bible]]
[[Category:Bible study]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Philosophy]]
[[Category:Sin]]

Sin

2007-07-18T10:36:43Z

Kcuf: /* Meaning of sin */

[[Sin]] (from [[Old English]] ''synn'', from either [[Old Norse]] ''synd'' or [[German]] ''Sünde'', from ''sun(d)jo'' it is true, from [[Sanskrit]](?) ''es-'' it is) is any failure to conform to the letter of a given code of [[morality]], or the state of being of one so failing to conform, or the state of the world that results from such failure.

== Meaning of sin ==
The root meaning of the [[English]] word ''sin'' is actually, "He is guilty ;lkmfp9oqm2390mnfas charged." This in turn implies that the person committing the offense knew, ldsdfor ought to have known, that his act would ''be'' an offense before he committed it. This word actually captures the meaning that many religious traditions ascribe to sin.

The [[Greek]] word used in the original [[New Testament]] and translated "sin" in English is '''ἁμαρτία''' (''hamartia'') (whence ''[[hamartoma]]'' a malformation of [[cell]]s thasdft are within their usual place in the body). This word captures the ''[[Christian]]'' meaning of sin much better. ''Hamartia'' means ''missing a target.'' Thus sin does not require bad intentions, but might result from a missafafdfunderstanding. This is not to say that the consequences are any lp;ojagpojiess dire, however. It does mean that sin need not be intentional; it can be a knowing (but not intentional), reckless, or negligent act.
f
=== Required: a moral context =dsafaf==
Sin, which is a moral failure, cannot exist in the absence of a code of [[morality]]. [[Objectivism]] defines morality as "a code of values accepted by choice."

This is not to say that sin requires a context of ''divinity.'' Objectivism, for example, refuses to admit [[God]], while still prescribing a standard of value and a code of morality that follows from it. (Whether such a code can properly stand, by the rules of Objectivism itself, is another matteras,dkfj0984e.) The context in which sin ceases to have meaning is not [[atheism]] ''per se'' but rather [[amoralism]]--the doctrine that says that no person may dsfadssagproperly define what is moral for another, because no two people will ever value the same thing to the same degree, or value the same collection of things by the same rank structure.

Whether any man ''ever'' lives without somsadfe form of moral code--even if that code is, "I denounce as sin any disagreement with myself or any attempt to stand in my way"--is [[Can any man live without some code of morality?|debatable]]. Nevertheless, without ''some'' form of moral context, sin has no meaning.

== Differing views of sin ==
==== Jewish ====
In [[Judaism]], and certainly in ancient practice, the preferred method of atonement for sin was [[blood sacrifice]]. The Book of [[Leviticus]] prescribed multiple animal sacrifices for atonement for various types of sin. But by far the most important atonement--on the [[Day of Atonement]] (''Yowm Kippur'')--was made by the high priest of the [[Hebrew]] people (originally [[Aaron]], brother of [[Moses]]). This involved making a blood sacrifice, entering the [[Holy of Holies]] (in [[Latin]], ''sanctum sanctorum''), and sprinkling some of the blood from the sacrifice on the [[Ark of the Covenant]].

Animal sacrifice has not been part of Jewish practice since the destruction of the [[Temple of Jerusalem]] by the future [[Rome|Roman]] [[Emperor]] [[Titus]] in [[70 AD]]. But the [[Old Testament]] did not imply that animal sacrifice was the sole ''necessary'' measure for reconciliation. Simple repentance and prayer sufficed numerous times in [[Bible]] history.

Today, though animal sacrifices are no longer observed, Jews do observe ''Yom Kippur'' and other festivals related to repentance and reconciliation. But a movement now exists to attempt to regain exclusive control of the [[Temple Mount]] area in [[Jerusalem]], rebuild the Temple, and resume the burnt offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings prescribed in the [[Torah]].

In traditional Jewish thought, sin may be balanced by the good deeds one performs throughout life; the image of scales weighing one's life are prominent in folklore, similar to other ancient Middle Eastern religions such as ancient Egypt.

=== Christian views ===
==== Roman Catholic ====
[[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] doctrine distinguishes [[original sin]], or the sin of [[Adam]], from ''personal'' sins, which require individual reconciliation with [[God]]. A personal sin may be ''mortal'' (a particularly grave matter that the perpetrator commits by deliberate intent) or ''venial'' (a less grave matter that could result from a misunderstanding). The RCC distinction is: Mortal sins cut a person off from the grace of God; venial sins do not, but still injure one's relationship to God.

The one mortal sin that, to a Catholic, would be unforgivable (because its successful commission leaves no opportunity for reconciliation later), is [[suicide]]. Beyond that, a person may receive reconciliation for a mortal sin by making [[Confession (Catholic)|confession]] to a [[Priest (Catholic)|priest]] and receiving the ceremony of [[Absolution from sin|absolution]]. One can reconcile from a venial sin by the sacrament of reconciliation, or by receiving communion, or [[Holy Eucharist]].

Roman Catholic doctrine historically included two other controversial holdings. One is [[purgatory]], a place where the soul must be held to "purge" him of all traces of sin before he can gain entry to [[heaven]]. Redemption from purgatory allegedly required the payment of a monetary fee by the deceased's relatives to the Church. The other is the [[indulgence]], a fee paid to the church by the perpetrator in advance. Indulgences have not been sold for centuries, and recently [[Pope]] [[Benedict XVI]] issued an [[encyclical]] casting doubt on the entire concept of purgatory.

===== Virgin Mary =====
Roman Catholic doctrine holds that not only was [[Jesus]] sinless, but so, also, was His Mother, [[Virgin Mary|Mary]]. The belief that the Virgin Mary was sinless at conception is called the Immaculate Conception.

The [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] teaches that the Virgin Mary was born with Original Sin but that she was cleansed of this sin at the time of the Annunciation. The Church also teaches that by free will she did not commit any actual sin.

This doctrine, called ''Marianism'', is not ''universally'' held by all Catholics, however.

==== Anglican Communion ====
The [[Anglican Communion]], essentially the breakaway church of the [[United Kingdom]], retains the Roman Catholic tradition of confession and absolution of sin. But instead of an individual process, confession in Anglican churches is a group activity, and absolution is pronounced by a [[Minister (Protestant)|minister]] to the entire church-going group. Purgatory and indulgences have no place in Anglican doctrine.

==== Eastern and Oriental Orthodox ====

In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] there are no "categories" of sin as found in the Christian West. In the pre-Vatican II Roman Catholic catechism, sins were categorized as "mortal" and "venial." These categories do not exist in the Orthodox Church.

Orthodoxy believes that, while everyone bears the consequences of the first sin, the foremost of which is death, only Adam and Eve are guilty of that sin. Roman Catholicism teaches that everyone bears not only the consequence, but also the guilt, of that sin.

The Orthodox churches, including Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox, differ little from [[Judaism]] in their holding of what sin is and how to reconcile it--except that animal sacrifices have never been part of Orthodox tradition.

==== The Reformation ====
In [[1517]], [[Martin Luther]] led the most serious break from Roman Catholic doctrine and tradition, the [[Protestant Reformation]]. This occurred at about the time that King [[Henry VIII]], then of the [[Kingdom of England]], formed the Church of England, the forerunner of the Anglican Communion.

Luther is most famous for his "95 precepts nailed to the church-house door." The most important of these is the principle that he stated in Latin as ''Sola Scriptura''--literally, "Scripture only." Luther rejected out-of-hand most of the various categories of sin, and the elaborate rituals that attended its so-called reconciliation.

To Luther, and to his intellectual heirs in the [[Lutheran Church]] and the [[Dutch Reformed Church]], the Bible tells all one needs to know about sin. Sin, according to Luther, is any failure to observe God's commandments or other Godly precepts that one may determine from the actual teachings of [[Jesus]] and of His [[Apostle]]s (especially [[Paul]], the most prolific writer among them). ''Reconciliation'' from sin was a ''private'' matter between God and any of His followers. A priest or minister ''was not'' required, because that would imply that a human being, of whatever office, could stand in the place of God--a thing Luther regarded as an insult to God, which is the definition of [[blasphemy]].

Nor was any animal sacrifice required, because [[Jesus]] Himself made the One Total and Complete Sacrifice of His own life for the sin condition of the world (see below) and for the sins of individual people, past, present ''and future''. Salvation was strictly by faith and strictly by grace. Luther drew directly on the letters of [[Paul]] that addressed this very subject.

==== The Baptist Tradition ====
The [[Baptist|Baptists]] would generally agree with Luther. Like him, Baptists hold that sin is an act or omission that displeases God, and the state of being that the perpetrator falls into, and remains in until he has confessed this sin.

Baptist churches do not tend to engage in corporate, collective confessions. Rather, Baptist practice depends heavily on {{Bible ref|book=Matthew|chap=18|verses=15-20|version=KJV}}, which prescribes this procedure for the handling of sin that gives offense to a fellow believer:

# The aggrieved person, or the minister if the aggrieved person has asked him to, tries to encourage the perpetrator to repent. ''Repentance'' (Greek ''metanoia'') means a change of mind, or a change of heart.
# Failing that, whoever tried to talk to the perpetrator the first time, tries a second time and brings a witness.
# If this still does not bring repentance, and a cessation of the behavior, then and only then does the matter come before the entire church. The minister lays out the case, and puts the matter to a vote as to whether the offender ought to be allowed to remain in fellowship.

Not all Baptist churches practice this discipline, however. In such environments, sin is a matter between the offender and God (and the person or persons to whom the offender might have given offense). Some observers suggest that churches suffer when they fail to practice discipline as they should.

==== Fundamentalists ====
: ''Main Article: [[Sin (Fundamentalism)]]''

The above article is a comprehensive theory of sin, and its effects on the offender, on mankind as a whole, and on the entire world.

=== Islam ===
In [[Islam]], sin is very simple: anything that runs counter to the will of [[Allah]] (Arabic for [[God]]). In Islam, sin is simply an act, never a state of being.

Islam recognizes five gradations of sin, in order of severity:

# Mistakes.
# Immorality.
# Transgressions.
# Wickedness and depravity.
# Ascribing a partner to God. Thus this one special instance of [[blasphemy]] is held worse than any other sin a man can commit.

In Islam, permanent reconciliation cannot come in life. Instead, at death, a person has his "good deeds" measured against his "bad deeds" (sins). If the good outweighs the bad, then the person must walk a tightrope over a lake of fire in order to cross into heaven. Islam, however, offers one important exception: any person who dies ''in the course of an act that advances the Muslim faith'' gains automatic entry into heaven, regardless of any prior sins he has committed. The usual, and some Muslims (particularly the [[Wahhabism|Wahabbi]] sect) say the only, context for such a death is ''[[jihad]]'', literally ''holy [[war]]''. Furthermore, ''jihad'' is a ''physical'' war against non-adherents to Islam.

Other Muslims will say that ''jihad'' is not physical at all, but refers instead to a personal struggle that every Muslim must engage in continually against sin and the temptations thereto.

Still others state that two forms of Jihad are known:
# The greater Jihad, which is the internal struggle within a person against sin.
# The lesser Jihad, physical war against the infidel.

Those who make that distinction state that what they call the "lesser jihad" is practiced only by fanatical holders to Islam. A ''fanatic'' is one who holds to a set of beliefs uncritically--that is, without being willing to judge them. Since the [[World Trade Center incident]], a number of Muslims ''have'' begun a critical analysis of Muslim doctrine (both verbal and written) and the place of Islam in the civilized world. Whether those voices can find sufficent logical support in the written texts that define Islam is debatable.

=== Objectivism ===
Objectivism does not admit to any kind of divinity, but it still has its own code of morality. Though a student of Objectivism does not normally use the word ''sin'', one may best infer what Objectivism considers sinful by examining what it teaches man to value. A basic, but by no means exhaustive, list would include:

# Failure to be relentlessly rational in everything one does.
# Coveting the fruits of another's labor without being willing to pay for those fruits.
# Failure to give value for value received.
# Violation of another person's right to pursue his life in a non-offensive manner.
# Initiating the use of force against another person or group of persons.
# Accepting as real anything one cannot see.
# Refusing to accept reality.
# Attempting to create one's own reality.

Reconciliation for sin, beyond restitution to another to whom one has brought material loss by his sin, is not generally required. In the Objectivist model, one pays the consequences of his particular sins in the form of loss of trade, loss of respect, ''et cetera.'' Because Objectivism admits no heaven, it admits no [[hell]], either, and therefore all of the consequences of sin ''must'' occur in this life.

=== Cults and cult figures ===
A [[cult]], properly speaking, is a belief system centered on one person, or the group of persons led by that person. In the context of a cult, sin is any refusal to uphold the decisions or obey the orders of the leader, and anything else that gives offense to the leader. Reconciliation is generally at the leader's own discretion.

=== Totalitarianism ===
[[Totalitarianism]] is a [[philosophy]] of [[government]] that holds that the government ''must'' have absolute authority over ''all'' aspects of life. [[Communist]]s are totalitarians, just as the [[Nazi]]s were.

Totalitarian authorities and their apologists have their concept of sin as well: it is anything that works against the government, or tries to thwart its goals. This is true even in a regime that is explicitly [[Atheism|atheistic]] in world view. Reconciliation generally requires recantation.

=== Socialism ===
[[Socialism]], whether as a system of government or as a school of philosophy, has a definite standard of value: "the greatest good for the greatest number of people." Sin under socialism is anything that undermines this. Theoretically, sin also includes ''conspicuous consumption'' at a level beyond that attainable by "the average person."

=== Environmentalism ===
[[Environmentalism]] also has a standard of value: ''the good of the planet as a wild system.'' Anything that harms the earth or makes it less wild is sinful in this system. The controversy surrounding [[global warming]] is, at root, a controversy about environmentalism as a source of moral values, and the allegation that humans in general, and/or some humans in particular, have transgressed against the environmentalist moral standard.

== Summary ==
Some religious and philosophical traditions consider sin to be a deliberate act; others say that it can be merely a mistake. Some say that reconciliation for sin requires a certain work; others that reconciliation is by the grace of [[God]] (or, for some, a cult leader), and still others (most notably the Objectivists) say that reconciliation is not required, except perhaps to any particular affronted person.

As mentioned, [[atheism|atheists]] do not necessarily lack a concept of sin (though they might not call it by that name). But ''amoral'' individuals, if such exist, cannot understand sin, because sin presupposes a moral code that someone might breach.

== References ==
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin Sin] by [[Wikipedia]]
* [http://creationwiki.org/Sin Sin] by [[CreationWiki]]

[http://www.oca.org Orthodox Church in America]

[[Category:Bible]]
[[Category:Bible study]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Philosophy]]
[[Category:Sin]]

Feminism

2007-07-18T10:34:57Z

Kcuf: /* Quotations */

Feminism is a philosophy which argues for equal treatment and responsibilities for men and women, and boys and girls.

==History==

Roots of the movement in the United States and the United Kingdom include the [[Women's Suffrage]] movement of the early 1900's and the [[Women's Liberation]] (or "Second Wave Feminist") movement of the 1960's and 1970's.

The [[Equal Rights Amendment]], which proponents claimed would address the inadequacies of the [[Fourteenth Amendment]] concerning women and citizenship, was proposed in the US in 1923. The amendment passed Congress in 1972 but was ultimately defeated, falling just three states short of the required two-thirds majority on June 30, 1982. The majority of Americans felt that its passage would entail several consequences, including making girls subject to the military draft, the integration of single-sex schools, the possible recognition of homosexual marriage, and the revocation of laws that protect women in dangerous jobs, such as factory or mining work.

The feminist movement in the West evolved in the 1980s with the rise of so-called [[Post-Feminism]] (also called "[[Third-Wave]]" feminism), which stresses that women have many rights that go unrecognized, often by women themselves, in everyday life, and in the American legal structure. Most members of the feminist movement support reproductive rights currently guaranteed by American law, including the legal right to [[abortion]]. This stance is opposed by many conservatives, leading political commentator [[Rush Limbaugh]] to coin the term "Femi-nazis" to refer to extreme feminist activists.

During the administration of [[Bill Clinton]] Feminism made a partial resurgence, but feminist leadership largely failed to criticize President Clinton's [[sexist]] behavior toward female employees as both Arkansas Governor and U.S. President.

==Quotations==

The English novelist and critic [[Rebecca West]] said <ref>http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/rebecca_west.html</ref> :

<blockquote> "I myself have never been able to find out what feminism is; I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat or a prostitute." </blockquote>

==See also==
*[[Gender equality]]

==References==
<references/>

==External Links==
*[http://www.feministezine.com/feminist/ The Feminist eZine] Archive of articles about Feminist History.
*[http://www.cia-on-campus.org/surveil/steinem.html Gloria Steinem and the CIA], ''The New York Times'', February 21, 1967.
*[http://www.mail-archive.com/ctrl@listserv.aol.com/msg02217.html Inside the CIA with Gloria Steinem], Nancy Borman, ''The Village Voice''.

Buddhism

2007-07-18T10:33:38Z

Kcuf: /* See Also */

'''Buddhism''' is the fifth largest [[list of religions based on followers|religion in the world]]. It is a belief system which teaches that desire causes suffering and if desire is eliminated, [[Buddhist enlightenment|enlightenment]] and [[Nirvana]] are attained. Buddhism is a [[Dharmic religion]]. The term buddha means "the enlightened one."

Buddhism's foundations lie with an Indian prince, [[Siddhartha Gautama]], who, after being sheltered until adulthood, finally observed the suffering of his people. After that he worked to discover the reason for suffering and pain. He studied a number of the disciplines of the day, seeking ultimate truth. After finding other approaches to understanding lacking, he went into meditation for 49 days, vowing not to move until he had attained enlightenment. After great personal struggle he achieved enlightenment, and began to teach the principles that are now associated with Buddhism.

The philosophy has its roots in [[Hinduism]] and Vedic religion, to which Gautama belonged until the foundation of Buddhism.

Buddhist scriptures acknowledge that gods exist, but does not consider that knowledge crucial to an individual's practice of Buddhist teachings. Many modern strains of Buddhism are [[atheist|atheistic]] in nature, thus creating a paradox as to why they are called a religion. Certain denominations, such as the Mahayana tradition, believe in [[Bodhisattvas]], or quasi-divine cosmic beings that seek to benefit others by remaining in a state of [[Samsara]], or eternal rebirth. These are prayed to, for advice and spiritual guidance, and often venerated.

The highest ideal for a Buddhist is the state of Nirvana, or release from eternal rebirth, a state beyond conceptual thought described by the Buddha as follows:
''
"There is O monks, an Unborn, Unoriginated, Uncreated, Unformed. Were there not, o monks, this Unborn, Unoriginated, Uncreated, Unformed, there would be no escape from the world of the born, originated, created, formed. ~ Udana, 80-81"''

The Buddha taught that we should not speculate about what we cannot know, and that speculation about God is pointless. Buddhism is a very practical philosophy, which teaches us to focus our attention on personal experience, to determine what is the cause of our discontents ([[dukkha]]) and to find a way to liberate ourselves from these, all the while expressing [[metta]], which is universal, unconditional love, and [[karuna]], which roughly translates to 'compassion', towards others. These teachings are encapsulated in the [[Four Noble Truths.]][http://www.parami.org/buddhistanswers/what_about_god.htm]

Regardless belief in Buddhist teachings does not excude belief in other religions. For example there are Buddhist Christians who follow the religious teachings of Christ and also incorporate the philosophical teachings of Buddhism.

Humanism

2007-07-18T10:31:26Z

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'''Humanism''' is a philosophy that relies entirely on [[reason]] without [[religion]], based originally on Greek philosophy.

==Origins==

A movement that developed in [[Renaissance]] Europe, with the rediscovery of classical Greek and Latin works that had been thought lost. Humanism sought to return to "original sources". It argued that the height of western civilization had been in the classical period, and with the fall of Rome, most knowledge had been lost, and the much of the knowledge that remained had been corrupted by false traditions. It was the responsibility of the scholar, therefore, to rediscover the original Greek and Latin texts, and separate real wisdom from false interpretation.

This movement had a profound effect on society, and, with its emphasis on classical texts and the rejection of much of the religious tradition that developed in the Middle Ages, helped lead to the Protestant [[Reformation]], and, in fact, some of the new humanist Bibles, such as [[Erasmus]]'s Greek New Testament, were important sources for both [[Martin Luther]]'s translation of the Bible and the King James Version of the Bible.

Humanists also looked to Ancient Greece and Rome for inspiration as to how to develop society and political structures. The poet [[Petrarch]] rediscovered writings by the ancient Roman orator and politician [[Cicero]], and Cicero's ideas about the role and structure of government inspired the humanists to reconsider established views about society and call for expanded civic participation in the state. In addition to Cicero, other classical sources were also consulted and referred to. [[Niccolo Machiavelli]] wrote his "Discourses on Livy", in which he commented on the history of ancient Rome written by the Roman historian [[Livy]], and used Livy's history to show the virtues of the Roman Republic and how a republican state should behave.

==Secular Humanism==

Philosophy that relies entirely on reason without religion, based originally on Greek philosophy. Humanism rejects the idea that there is a supernatural being responsible for the creation of the universe. Humanists believe instead that people are responsible for their actions and that purpose in the universe is far more complicated than a faith in a God. The IHEU has a Minimum Statement on Humanism:

<blockquote>"Humanism is a democratic and ethical life stance, which affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. It stands for the building of a more humane society through an ethic based on human and other natural values in the spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities. It is not theistic, and it does not accept supernatural views of reality."</blockquote>

A principle element of humanism is the assumption of fundamental human rights - which may include a right to life, to liberty, freedom of speech, the right to pursue happiness, a right to a family life, and similar things. Humanism does not claim these rights are given by a God, but are an inherent property of human intelligence and worthy of defending, although the exact definition of rights is not universally agreed upon by humanists. Humanists encourage self will and independent thought in all matters, which can include [[Judeo-Christian]] as well as Humanist principles.

==Criticism==
[[Image:Lahaye-family-01.jpg|right|400px|thumb|from Tim LaHaye, ''The Battle for the Family'', 1982.]]
Critics of secular humanism are fuktards.

==See also==
*[[Religion]]
*[[Atheism]]

==References==
<references/>

[[category:philosophy]]