Is Sin Real?

[graphicsguy]

The Bible states that ALL have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. It states we are born in sin because of Adam. It states that the human heart is exceedingly wicked.

It is true that human beings are capable of incredible cruelty, but as a whole are we exceedingly wicked?

I mean, does everybody on earth have a "dark side"?

I know I used to have one when my hormones were out of whack. I think I was certainly capable of doing some very horrendous deeds considering some of the things I used to imagine doing or becoming.

I do believe that any human being is also capable of very surprising amounts of evil.

I also believe that any human being is capable of doing great good.

I have known and heard of very good non-Christians.
I have known and heard of very bad Christians.
I have known and heard of very good Christians.
I have known and heard of very bad non-Christians.

So, is "sin" just a term for "normal" human behavior or is it actually real and we are just simply slaves to its biddings?

[I.Caine]

It is true that human beings are capable of incredible cruelty, but as a whole are we exceedingly wicked?

I would like to explore the term wicked, if only for a moment, because there seems to be a consensus that the term is synonymous with evil, cruelty, or a "dark side" but this is not the only definition. Wicked also means ungodly. The argument, if I can formulate it correctly, goes that if God is infinitely wise and benevolent and we are not God then we are not infinitely wise or benevolent, therefore we fall short of God. Also, God is pure and since we fall short of that purity then we are unpure and thus wicked. It is in this sense that wickedness is ungodliness that I prefer to use the term.

This begs the question, what is godliness? The full blunt of that question should be explored in a separate thread but for now lets turn to the 10 commandments. If we take all the commandments as equals and that no commandment is worse than another or carries more weight then taking the Lords name in vain is on the same level as murder.

The Commandments tell us it is wrong to commit adultery. Later in the bible we are told that whoever looks lustfully upon a woman has committed adultery with her in his heart. By this logic any man who has checked out a woman has committed an act comparable to murder. But how can this be? Is the act of checking out a woman cruel to anyone (though some may argue the case of objectification)? Is it indicative of a dark side? I don't think so yet this simple act is still deemed wicked. I must admit that I enjoy going out and "watching the frilly panties run." The hearts of man are inheritably wicked only because of thier impurity in comparison to God.

On a whole then, if one is to accept this definition, humans are wicked but it does not necessarily follow that humans are evil.