what is a sin? and who determines whether an action is a sin or not?

The Anti-Theists really have a problem here.

Why would anyone denying the 'Golden Rule' or the 'Moral Laws' keep refering to 'Evil' or 'Good'..

.. or even why these things are 'good' or 'bad' or 'right' or 'wrong'?

Its as if we already have some common inherint understanding that there IS some sort of 'Moral Law'?

.........

But anyway.. to answer the question (basically)

The original word 'Sin' would most literally mean "To Miss the Mark"

Tying this altogether now.. Even the word "Sin" is implying there is a 'Mark' we should want to hit - a 'Moral Code'

 

Very good points, Brockt....oooops I mean Quetzlcoatl, I agree for the most part.

 

Blacky.. Check out my new Sig!



Classic!!

 

I am humbled by your continued support of my writing.
and you even got the no. right this time, awwwww
sniffle..

 

There's two parts to a sin.

In this case, the important part is intent. They intended to do good. They did not intend to harm the woman. They intended to save her life.

However, if they intended to save her life yet killed her, they committed a sin by doing so. Had they not acted in that way they would not have killed a woman. Even if the woman was to die anyway, it's still a sin- their actions caused her death. A bit of a gamble huh.

If one intends to worsen something and doesn't physically do so, some people may consider it a sin. For example, if the doctors intended to kill the woman by removing the tumor, but actually her life, they still sinned. They intended to kill her. They wanted to kill her. (Biblically our THOUGHTS are ours, we are actually supposed to be better people if we have sinful thoughts and do not sin, than if we never had the thoughts at all, because we're making conscious effort to not sin..) Our INTENTIONS are not ours, we are judged on our intentions, but never on our thoughts.

So to me, it's a sin if you try/intend to do harm, it's a black mark against you. If you do harm regardless of intent, it's still a black mark against you, just a more public one.

 

God has sinned against me.

 

Tell me, Disarm, do animals sin?