Would Christianity Do Better or Worse Without Sin


Author Stephen Prothero wrote in his successful book, God is Not One, that if one focused not on what theologians write and lecture but on what those in the pews think about it would be summarized in one word, SIN. Christians just love to worry about their sin and afterlife. 

Sometimes when I write about this view of Prothero comments show up here saying he, and those in the pews, are wrong. With noses quite high in the air, commenters have explained that if one understood Christianity correctly, he would know that "substitutional atonement theory" trumps other theories about sin. This theory is Jesus suffered that our sins will be forgiven. This theory does not put the faithful at ease with sin, however, because no one has ever seen it happen. Besides, we are not to know the "mind of God." So, worries of the faithful remain on what they know best, sin.

To amuse myself when I attend our nearby liberal church I count the number is times the word "sin" is uttered from the pulpit. Now, this is a church that holds gay weddings. When the word "sin" is used it is never followed by an example of sin. I can attest, however, the word sin is uttered an average of eight times per hour. 

The link author and life-long Catholic sounds like someone I would like to know. She writes to other Catholics and suggests it might be time to put the concept of sin on the shelf. Every decade old sins are retired because they have become to be seen as harmless by the public. I need not run the list of behaviors no longer thought to be sins worth being concerned about but the list is long. This month it is "transgender." In time it will not be a sin. In the 1920's it was a sin to mention "evolution."

In these modern times, she suggests, it would be better for the faith if it focused on the portion of the Jesus narrative that shows love and concern for our fellow man. This selflessness of the Jesus character portrayed in the Bible almost has a copywrite and offers something attractive to nonbelievers. Punishment for sin falls short, especially when we don't know what sin means anymore. And, how can we know the negotiated deal called atonement was ever finalized.

I think the faith should attempt to leave sin out of its message. It might help reverse its current declining fortunes. 


Comments

  1. tsmFebruary 28, 2023 at 6:01 PM

    too bad you don't have a mirror at home. think of all the sins that you and your nutty leftist friends have conjured up. despoling the planet. driving petrol polluting cars. over consuming. etc. shame, shame,shame. go to confession to Mother Earth.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ardy BMarch 2, 2023 at 8:05 AM

    From the outside it seems strange the Jesus dictate to love one another has spawned seven primary Christian movements and 40,000 denominations worldwide. Something is askew.

    In my experience the “hate the sin, love the sinner” construct is bull-beep. The very notion of sin generates hate. Hate for sin, hate for sinners, and hate for haters.

    An Official List of Sins (New Testament) includes as many as 124 immoral acts. I guess that’s enough for “total depravity”. There are confessional iPhone apps to keep our sins straight. An early version even offered seven acts of contrition to choose from.

    Sin has kept Christian clerics employed for millennia. It is the life blood of the faith. Without it Christianity would be a corpse. Although, in a few expressions of the faith they seem to have resurrected blood sucking vampires and zombies void of rational thought. It is unlikely the primary focus on love for one another and tolerance for variability in the human species will displace todays Christian appetite for holier-than-thou political activism.

    https://www.christianvalour.com/christian-denominations-guide/

    https://truediscipleship.com/official-list-sins-new-testament/

    ReplyDelete
  3. JonMarch 2, 2023 at 8:32 AM

    Ardy B "It is the lifeblood of the faith."

    It certainly seems that way. I've heard many a Christian say the faith is about love and forgiveness. But what gets the juices flowing, what motivates believers to screen in front of abortion clinics is hate, the hate of sin.

    Just now where I live the state legislature is getting ready to wind up its year. The hopper of bill include many which try to identify and demonize trans children. That's happening "in the name of Jesus."

    ReplyDelete

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