Does Sin Even Exist Anymore?
Mollie Hemingway, Ed. ·
May 28, 2012 at 5:14pm
Gallup has published results of what Americans find sinful (or, in their words, morally wrong) and I have to admit I find the results somewhat surprising.
Take a look at the results of what various people find morally acceptable. Such a low bar, really. We're not talking about whether these things should result in capital punishment or any kind of legal action at all. Just whether they're morally wrong or not:
We're doomed, right?
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Jun '10
Re: Does Sin Even Exist Anymore?
I guess I'm going to have to keep the "transplant my brain into my younger clone" plan on the down low...
Jun '10
Re: Does Sin Even Exist Anymore?
Mollie Hemingway, Ed.:
We're doomed, right? · · 10 minutes ago
Yes. Completely and utterly doomed.
When 54 percent of the public believe that there is no moral dimension whatsoever to having a child out of wedlock [not to mention the obviously higher number who perceive no moral constraint on pre-marital sex], we are, to use a Peter Robinsonism, "well and truly" doomed.
This country is in dire need of a transplant that will reinsert a sense of shame into the body politic.
Sep '10
Re: Does Sin Even Exist Anymore?
If you want evidence of how effective the gay agenda has been in our culture, just look at the difference in attitudes towards homosexual relations and polygamy. Just a few decades ago the disapproval ratings would have been approximately equal.
Edited on May 28, 2012 at 5:35pmDec '11
Re: Does Sin Even Exist Anymore?
Sin exists and will always exist. Sin is not defined by man. It is defined by God. What we are seeing in our country are utterly predictable consequences. They were predicted in Proverbs 14:12 (NKJV):
Every society attempts to redefine the "right" way. And that way always leads to that society's demise.
Jun '11
Re: Does Sin Even Exist Anymore?
The poll appears to confirm what we already know -- that marriage and family as we have always conceived of them are slowly fading away (perhaps not so slowly).
I've spoken recently with several very intelligent members of the under-30 crowd (including my late-20s-age daughters) about gay marriage. It's not that they're pro gay marriage that bothers me. What is truly disturbing is their utter inability to articulate any moral rationale supporting it (other than "fairness") and their utter inability to grasp the moral/societal arguments against it. They lump defenders of traditional marriage with the slaveholders of old, and attempts to point out the absurdity of the analogy are met with the metaphorical (and nearly literal) fingers in the ears and "la la la" singsong.
I don't know if this evolution of the concept of family means we're doomed, but one can certainly worry about a society that lacks the ability to formulate, articulate or defend moral principles.
On the other hand, a couple of these items give me some hope (e.g., abortion, married men and women having an affair). Call me worried but not fatalistic.
Nov '10
Re: Does Sin Even Exist Anymore?
Paul foresaw and related to Timothy, his faithful follower who he called "my own son" the following: "But this know, that in the last days difficult times shall be there; for men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, evil speakers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, profane, without natural affection, implacable, slanderers, of unsubdued passions, savage, having no love for what is good, traitors, headlong, of vain pretensions, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; having a form of piety but denying the power of it...".
I, therefore, as a Christian expect nothing else from "civilized" society.
Jun '10
Re: Does Sin Even Exist Anymore?
As usual, I am not really pessimistic with regard to a poll like this. First, I do not believe their samples are large or diverse enough. This could be broken down by geography, race, age, etc and produce much different results. Second, polling questions do not allow for contingencies. Most people think divorce is wrong but know of or can imagine scenarios in which it might be justified.
Re: Does Sin Even Exist Anymore?
I'm one of those people and would still respond "morally wrong" on that question. We seem to rule by exception these days.
Dec '11
Re: Does Sin Even Exist Anymore?
As things get darker, people value light more. To say it another way, the price of goodness just went up.
Mar '12
Re: Does Sin Even Exist Anymore?
Sin exists. But, too many have been blinded by moral relativism and PC to be able to discern it.
“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts,
Lest they should see with their eyes,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.” John 12:40
Jan '11
Re: Does Sin Even Exist Anymore?
Pornography is less morally acceptable than abortion‽ Not that I would want to be in that industry nor any other member of my family but we're talking about a voluntary exchange of [whatever you want to classify it] for money by an audience who values such things. And more people find this behavior more objectionable than terminating the life of the unborn‽ As Stossel might say: "Give me a break!"
Come to think of it, polygamy is a voluntary arrangement, too; right?
May '10
Re: Does Sin Even Exist Anymore?
Except there is no universal definition of sin. Follow the Torah religiously (no pun intended) and you would go stir crazy.
Ask the grocer if all the fruit in the store are from trees older than three years and see what reaction you get. (Leviticus 19:3) Or if the farmer tithed (19:23) And according to Numbers (6:3), grapes are Devil's spawn: fresh, dried, or made into wine or even vinegar.
Outside of murder and theft, what are universal sins?
Re: Does Sin Even Exist Anymore?
EJHill:
Outside of murder and theft, what are universal sins? · 3 minutes ago
First off, neither of those are universal sins, as a semester at college can quickly learn ya.
I'm pretty sure the only sins left are particular types of racism, particular types of bullying and any moral statement questioning homosexuality.
Re: Does Sin Even Exist Anymore?
Actually, the only universal sin for real, EJ Hill, would be some sexual crimes against children (although I give that 5-7 years tops).
Dec '11
Re: Does Sin Even Exist Anymore?
EJHill:
Outside of murder and theft, what are universal sins? · 3 minutes ago
Voting Democratic.
Photoshopping.
Edited on May 28, 2012 at 6:41pmJun '10
Re: Does Sin Even Exist Anymore?
LowcountryJoe:
Come to think of it, polygamy is a voluntary arrangement, too; right? · 13 minutes ago
No. In places where polygamy is practiced the women have little say in the matter.
Jun '10
Re: Does Sin Even Exist Anymore?
10 cents
EJHill:
Outside of murder and theft, what are universal sins? · 3 minutes ago
Voting Democratic.
Photoshopping. · 1 minute ago
Edited 0 minutes ago
From the left, the universal sins are the individual collection of capital (earned or otherwise), hate speech, hate thoughts, racism, sexism, and all the other isms of the "studies departments."
Edited on May 28, 2012 at 6:45pmMay '10
Re: Does Sin Even Exist Anymore?
There was an interesting post/discussion on Ann Althouse's blog yesterday. She was responding to a Post article defending Dan Quayle's remarks about Murphy Brown, 20 years after the fact. Althouse seemed to be most upset that Quayle had put his argument in moral terms instead of just explaining that single motherhood might be more difficult than the show portrayed.
It was encouraging to see how many of her commenters defended the idea that it really was morally wrong to pursue single motherhood.
On the otherhand, there were very few who articulated why it was morally wrong, outside of some statistical arguments about the likelihood of the child committing crimes as an adult.
Apr '12
Re: Does Sin Even Exist Anymore?
What translation is this? The reference is to an ascetic sect refraining from using any form of wine (alcohol).
Apr '11
Re: Does Sin Even Exist Anymore?
What makes us think that the attitudes expressed in the survey above are some how very unique to this time period? Do we have mass surveys of Medieval people? How far back to surveys like this go?
Why are conservatives so constantly down on things...I mean seriously when has society not been crumbling into a sea of wretched sinfulness for us? Was there ever a time when we were becoming more moral rather than less?
I am personally amazed 30+% of people think wearing fur and leather is immoral. Strange.