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Troosha - the problem I have with the word is how it is often used
The common understanding of what the word means is; any contravention of the moral code of conduct as decreed by a divine entity. This leaves all kinds of leeway for anyone thinking that they know what their God wants from us to brand just about anything as a sin.
posted by
gomedome
on November 12, 2008 at 12:55 PM
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gomedome
The word sin was also used in old English archery – a term used for “missing the mark”. In the context of your post, as humans we don’t get it exactly right all the time. In any other context I dislike the word or maybe it’s its close association with devil, redemption, absolution, etc. that puts me off.
posted by
Troosha
on November 12, 2008 at 12:35 PM
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Sunnybeach7 - that is all it is, especially in its off the shelf forms
You have to give credit where it is due however. That originial sin idea is the best control scam ever invented. Convince the peasants that all of their children are born with an invisible plague, have them rush their little babies right to the church for indoctrination as soon as they are born and then provide a "cure" for the invisible plague that needs a booster shot once a week. Then if the brilliance of this scam isn't evident enough, the cost effectiveness of the "cure", which is nothing more than words and water, should at least get an honorable mention.
posted by
gomedome
on November 11, 2008 at 10:21 PM
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mysteria - Re: Well Put GomeDome
I wish everyone would make that their one commandment.
posted by
gomedome
on November 11, 2008 at 10:14 PM
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Re: gomedome, somehow this confessional business is too childish for me
Bhaskar.ing - too funny, thanx for my laugh of the day.
posted by
gomedome
on November 11, 2008 at 10:12 PM
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Gome,
I really don't believe in "sin". In my opinion it's just a word created to hold power over people.
posted by
Afzal_Sunny7
on November 11, 2008 at 12:01 PM
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Well Put GomeDome
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posted by
mysteria
on November 11, 2008 at 11:33 AM
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You've almost written a gospel here,
or at the very least, an epistle.
posted by
Xeno-x
on November 11, 2008 at 4:30 AM
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gomedome, somehow this confessional business is too childish for me
An elderly 'gentleman' once went to the local church for confession.and said: "Father ... During World War II, a beautiful Jewish woman from our neighbourhood knocked urgently on my door and asked me to hide her from the Nazis. So I hid her in my attic. "That was a wonderful thing you did", replied the priest,"and you have no need to confess that."
"There is more to tell, Father... She started to repay me with sexual favors. This happened several times a week, and sometimes twice on Sundays."
The priest said, "That was a long time ago and by doing what you did, you placed the two of you in great danger, but two people under those circumstances can easily succumb to the weakness of the flesh. However, if you are truly sorry for your actions, you are indeed forgiven."
"Thank you, Father. That's a great load off my mind. I do have one more question." "And what is that?' asked the priest.
"Should I tell her the war is over?''
posted by
Bhaskar.ing
on November 10, 2008 at 11:13 PM
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ammon - I was playing with in that last comment
When someone tells me that they were interested in religion when they were young to a point where they were "independently reading the bible and other texts", there is one of two things taking place. They are either kidding themselves and attempting to string me along with them as they revise their childhood, or they were one very strange kid.
I'm well aware of the protestant viewpoint thank you.
posted by
gomedome
on November 10, 2008 at 10:51 PM
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Actually your response is very Catholic,
because Catholics see priests as intermediaries between themselves and God. You may or may not know that the Protestant viewpoint is quite different, wherein every person has direct access to God through prayer, study, and meditation. The experience is quite different when one comes to God of their own accord, as opposed to being pressed from behind.
posted by
ammon
on November 10, 2008 at 10:14 PM
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Re: Our backgrounds are totally opposite.
ammon - that's really sad and back then there would be no one to take those religious books away from you to let you grow up like a normal kid. Most of society back then didn't realize how harmful letting kids read religious books could be, understanding the deleterious effects of self indoctrination was in its infancy back then.
All you can hope is that in time the effects will wear off.
posted by
gomedome
on November 10, 2008 at 6:00 PM
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Our backgrounds are totally opposite.
I was reared outside of the church and rarely, if ever, taken or made to go to church. My interest in religion was largely self-initiated, at a young age, when I begin independently reading and studying the Bible and other texts. I find this contrast in our backgrounds very compelling.
posted by
ammon
on November 10, 2008 at 3:56 PM
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Re: It creeps me out that you were forced into dark cubicles as a child
ammon - It wasn't quite like the way you are implying. There was no fear or anything like that associated with stepping into a confession cubicle when the rest of the class was sitting a few feet away and taking turns to do the same thing. The only anxiety involved was in the fact that it was far too frequent and sins had to be fabricated. You also learned what not to say as a fabricated sin, it had to be something that didn't invite questions. Lying and swearing were the best ones to use. Typically you had to whip around the rosary a few times or say a few dozen Hail Mary's or Our Fathers . . . which of course every last kid completed without fail.
As for the Catholic church and accusations of molestation, people have no idea the extent to which they are complicit, no one really does know except the Catholic church.
posted by
gomedome
on November 10, 2008 at 2:59 PM
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It creeps me out that you were forced into dark cubicles as a child
and chastised by religious zealots. The accusations of molestation in Catholicism are way too frequent.
posted by
ammon
on November 10, 2008 at 2:14 PM
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