A sin is a violation of a religious precept.
A sin is a voluntary transgression of religious precepts . The term, which comes from the Latin peccatum , implies the violation of moral norms and can have different degrees of seriousness.
For Christianity, sin is man 's departure from the will of God, which appears recorded in the sacred books (the Bible ). When people violate some of the divine commandments, they commit a sin. The way to correct this error is through forgiveness and the sacrament of confession.
Types of sin
It is possible to distinguish between different types of sin. Original sin is the first committed by Adam and Eve , the parents of Humanity, when they disobeyed God 's command and ate from the forbidden tree, after being persuaded by a snake, which symbolizes evil incarnate. The Catholic Church maintains that all human beings are born with original sin, a guilt that must be expiated through baptism.
Mortal sin , on the other hand, is one that is committed with full knowledge of violating God 's commandment in a serious matter (such as murder or kidnapping), while a venial sin is less serious (weakens the relationship with God) . , but it doesn't break it).
Finally, there are the capital sins, which are those from which the other types arise, and they are the following seven: lust , gluttony, greed, laziness, envy , anger and pride .
In theocratic States , sins can be condemned by deprivation of liberty, torture and even death . Some territories that currently belong to this class are Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Vatican City.
Envy is a capital sin.
The concept beyond religion
It is interesting to note that the use of the term sin is not exclusive to religious people, although in the case of atheists and agnostics there is usually a much lower degree of understanding of the characteristics and consequences of an infraction of this nature. In fact, for those who do not embrace any religion, it is possible to use this word with complete lightness, even in a tone of mockery, while a Christian, for example, knows in detail the weight and content of the concept .
The fear of committing a sin is one of the sensations that accompany many people who live or have lived religion very intensely. It is very understandable that after an education based on structures that should not be broken and rules that must be followed, the mere idea of leaving the scheme established by the elders seems dangerous, although many find a very attractive nuance in said transgression.
Sin and crime
A sin must be distinguished from a crime : the first deceives a deity, a superior being and creator of life ; The second, on the other hand, implies non-compliance with a series of rules established by the human being himself.
Although the same action can fall into both classifications, if the person responsible is a religious person, he will not only have to pay the penalty decided by a judge, but he will suffer for having failed his highest authority, his Father , and that will weigh heavily on him. more than worldly suffering.
Other uses of the notion
Outside the religious sphere, certain excesses or defects are usually considered sins; For example, it is said that wasting food is a sin, since we live on the same planet as the millions of people who are dying of hunger.
On the other hand, the term is usually used in less serious contexts to lament a situation that is not very important, generally when talking about someone who does not take advantage of some opportunity. In these cases, it can be replaced by pity , another word that can express a wide range of severity.