a quick (sinful) thought

If cookies and candy were health foods, would we all be in tip top shape, or would we be sneaking out of the house to munch on carrots when no one was looking?

The point of the question is to highlight a quirk of human nature:  if we don't sin, is it because we choose not to, or is it because we don't really have the opportunity?  And if we don't have the opportunity at hand, won't we invent one in short order?  This is the point where most of us take a step back and reflexively defend our virtue to ourselves.  "No, not me; I'm noble and can abstain", we say with self-righteousness and pride, which is another kind of sin according to some. If we are naturally compelled to sin, why and what exactly is that?

Of course, sin has been debated by all manner of theologians and philosophers who have made a deep study of the subject.  Presumably one would like to see his own vices included on the list that is acceptable to the Lord; the other guy's sin is the abomination.  Sin, along with the other tenets of religion, is as necessary to the whole construct as are acts of worship, grace, forgiveness, etc.

In the simplest, objective sense, sin is a proscribed activity or state of being, as defined by a given, self-distinguishing (discriminatory) group.  The intentions behind the concept are that sin is used to clear-up the boundary between"us" and "them", and to keep the membership in line.  These are the practical reasons, but like so many of our odd behaviors and ideas, the list of sins is attributed to Divine Authorship.  I'm going on record here by saying the Creator of everything in the known and unknown universe doesn't give a fig if you eat meat on Fridays.  Besides, isn't that a special day of thanks, as in,"Thank God it's Friday"?  Why not celebrate it with a feast of fatted calf?

The list of sins for fundamentalist Christians used to be longer, but God is relaxing a little on all those abominations - Nice Guy that he is.  (I don't know if Allah is all that laid back with his flock.)  At one time you didn't want the Almighty catching you wearing garments woven of mixed fibers.  When you attended a public stoning, or went to collect taxes from the poor, you had better be wearing pure linen or pure wool so God would smile on you. (Deut.22:11) Also, you couldn't eat rabbit, or shrimp or flying insects, they were unclean.  (I still abstain from eating flying insects.)  Over the centuries, these have somehow become clean. If only he would relax on some of the other sins, those that are currently dearest to our hearts.

We find ourselves in possession of a magnificent mind that can turn its attention to God, and to showing compassion and taking care of others.  Or it can turn in myriad other directions.  These are distractions, at least, from the most important human business and most of these are on some list of sins.  Anything that would interrupt the connection to God or to higher callings is a sin, so naturally we're all guilty as charged - and there's not much point in drawing too many distinctions.  Let God do the judging.

Well, from one sinner to another...carry on.

Self-righteousness is the inevitable fruit of simple moral judgments.

Reinhold Niebuhr