Transcript “ the sin of the century is the loss of the meaning of sin”.

SIN
Definition of Sin
 An
offense against God;
 An action that breaks our
relationship with God,
neighbor, oneself;
 Purposefully doing wrong.
Sin as individual act
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Individual sin is a selfish choice
made by one person which has
destructive consequences flowing
immediately, directly and nearexclusively from the choice.
Ex. A person decides to punch
someone who angers him/her.
Sin as individual act
 Sin:
an act of human freedom;
 It proceeds from our
knowledge;
 A person is always responsible
for his/her sins.
Loss of Meaning of Sin
Pope Pius XII said “ the
sin of the century is the
loss of the meaning of
sin”.
Loss of Meaning of Sin
Humanity is suffering greatly
because the notion of sin is
being lost, and with it the
notion of what is good and
evil.
Social Sin – More Complex

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It is a result of thousands and even
millions of different selfish choices by
many different people.
It results from selfish omissions
rather than selfish acts. Ex. Poverty
Social Sin

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Powerful social mechanisms and
forces that lead people into a
sinful behavior
Refers to sinful structures
resulting from personal sin and
leading to social conditions and
institutions that do not embody
God’s love.
Sinful Social Structures
 Ways
societies are structured
resulting in unjust distribution
of power, benefits, and
privileges.
Some factors that
contribute to the loss of
the sense of sin:
Cultural and Ethical Relativism

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Moral relativism grew out of
the belief that we have to be
tolerant to people with other
beliefs.
People think that they can
follow whatever morality
they want.
Cultural and Ethical Relativism

However, if you have no moral or
ethical belief system, it can lead to
problems (sexual slavery, genital
mutilation, stoning, public cutting
off the hand for stealing,
corruption, deception, etc.)
Statements of Modern Psychology
 Victory
of the therapeutic.
 Dr.
Phil, Oprah, self-help
books
 People
are not sinful, they
are dysfunctional
Secularism
Secularism is a philosophy that
rejects any reference to God or
religion and seeks the
improvement of human society
through purely human means.

Ex. Science, human reason