159
Q.
Are some sins worse or better than others?
different from them aren’t really allowed a free pass when it comes to cleans-
ing their conscience.
Even within the Ten Commandments, some are quite obviously good
guidelines but some are a little hazy. Don’t kill anyone. Don’t take what’s
not yours. Don’t lie. Stop checkin’ out your neighbor’s fi rm butt because you
might try to do something about it.
Solid advice. Telling your buddy that the hideous item of clothing that
he’s fallen in love with looks good on him... well, yes that may be bearing
false witness, but it comes from a good place, so that’s gotta be OK, right?
The whole “sin” thing seems to be on a sliding scale to me, but I’ve
always operated under the idea that all sins are not created equally and that
the best we can do is to avoid the big ones and try to learn not to commit the
smaller ones... often.
Scriptural References
Exodus 20; 21:23–25; Matthew 23:23–24; Romans 3:9–18; 6:1–13
Suggested Additional Sources for Reading
- Sallie McFague, Models of God (Fortress Press, 1987).
- Reinhold Niebuhr, Moral Man and Immoral Society (Charles Scribner’s
Sons, 1932). - Steven Paulson, Luther for Armchair Theologians (Westminster John Knox
Press, 2004). - Paul Tillich, Shaking the Foundations (Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1940).
Suggested Questions for Further Discussion/Thought
- What is the punishment for a sin? Does punishment vary by sin?
- Can you truly cleanse yourself of a sin? If so, how? (i.e., confession, Hail
Mary, asking forgiveness on Yom Kippur, etc.) - What is the difference between being in a state of Sin and committing sin?
- Do you believe in original sin (the idea that all humans live in sin because
Adam and Eve were sinful)? Why or why not?