A third way of understanding sin

by Krystofer Penner | Published 25th November 2012 in Spiritual Concerns

Reverend Billy and The Church of Earthalujah and the Stop Shopping Choir
Credit: Brennan Cavanaugh, http://www.flickr.com/photos/voterevbilly/5857566318/

Geez co-editor Aiden Enns has been searching for a third way to understand sin. The first understanding he had when he was young: sin is a moral failing, you basically do something your elders say is wrong. The second understanding came when he discovered the social gospel: sin is a social structure, these are the things society does as a whole, such as not caring for the poor.

“This leads me to a third understanding of sin. It is a sense of despair and alienation that comes from withdrawing from full participation in our life situation. This can be a personal sense of resignation, aloofness, a nebulous decision that nothing matters. But it is also a society-wide pattern of behaviour…”