Originally posted by post-it:
This is correct. My wife owned a daycare in which she saw a 4 year old try to kill his own sister twice. Once he gave the baby a whole bottle of asprin. Next he tried to throw the baby out of the car window as the drove home. The little boy hated his sister and was trying to kill her. He also fought with other children to the point they had to always watch him 100% of the time.
This is a tragic situation. That is without doubt. But does that mean what he did was not a sin? No. I come from a family of alcholics. As a matter of fact, if you name a male member of my family, they either are one or died because of it. Does this mean I can drink and be drunk just because it is in my genetic makeup? Simply, no. It is something I must fight on a daily basis....if I simply give in to it, I am sinning...it is that simple.
Is he responsible for this imperfection or is original sin? I don't think he can be held responsible for his disposition as a sin, but the law can hold him responsible for breaking the law at a later age. For these individuals it can't be a sin. If you or I without this imperfection tries to kill, it would be a sin.
Do you believe it is fair that we all be judged for Adam's and Eve's singular descision to eat the apple? The simple fact is that we inheritid the original sin from them. This being true, we are now responsible to seek resolution through Jesus Christ and repent, move on and try to sin no more.
Under your system, if you and are to go out and have a 6 pack each, you are sinning, I am simply a sad product of my genetic code. Though this seems a nice, easy definition of sin, it simply falls way short when you think about it more. Believe me, I have given this quite a bit of thought. You see, an aunt of mine is a lesbian. One of the hurdles I had when accepting Christianity was coming to the realization that it is a sin....it didn't matter that I loved her, that she was a good person. What she did was sinful. Same as when I swear or when you get drunk (or me for that matter....if I get drunk it is a sin as well...).
Please answer this question then: Is looking at porn a sin? How about making porn (not with your husband or wife...I'm talking movies mass consumption etc etc)?
What we have in these two situations is:
1. A situation where you really aren't hurting anyone...and if you don't have conviction of the holy spirit, you are not sinning (under your system). But looking at pornography is a sin. As a matter of fact, I would wager it is probably one of the most hidden sins in the male christian world. If I subscribe to your ideology, I could do it as I pleased and be confident in myself that I am not sinning.
2. Making it is even more gray. If no conviction exists on your heart...you could pose nude for playboy, make the next orgy movie for mass consumption throughout the world and still not sin.
Both of these last things could be argued to be inclinations as well. Some people are more exotic and have proclivities of the exhibitionist style. To deny their heart and self would be sin, but to indulge in them is only be true to themselves??? Is that what you would have us believe? How about looking to fulfill the need for "variety" and to relieve the basic need of sexual tension? Would that be ok? We all have those needs! Is that what you want? I, for one, do not. "Get behind thee Satan".
One thing you need to realize is that by taking one situation (boy above) and saying it is not a sin because of "this imperfection" in him, you
must say that
all things which stem from imperfections are not sin as well. Even I know you can't do that, hence, a dichotomy.
In Christ,
jason