Confused About Sin...

[Cyceri]

Hi,

I’m a little confused about whether a certain situation is sinful. For example, a man is…I don’t know…let’s say talking about someone behind their back, sharing some distasteful news about that person to some friends. While doing so, he doesn’t realize it’s wrong. But immediately after he gossips, he realizes that that was probably not a good idea. And before he even got into this situation, he already knew gossip was a sin. But he just didn’t recognize what he was doing while he was doing it. Did he sin or not?

Thanks and God bless

 

[kristie_m]

Hi,

I’m a little confused about whether a certain situation is sinful. For example, a man is…I don’t know…let’s say talking about someone behind their back, sharing some distasteful news about that person to some friends. While doing so, he doesn’t realize it’s wrong. But immediately after he gossips, he realizes that that was probably not a good idea. And before he even got into this situation, he already knew gossip was a sin. But he just didn’t recognize what he was doing while he was doing it. Did he sin or not?

Thanks and God bless

Let me preface this by saying that I’m not an expert on sin. (In fact, I wish I were much LESS versed in it!!) However, it would seem to me that if the man’s conscience were pointing out to him that what he’d done is gossip, and gossiping is a sin, then yes, he sinned.

There are a great many grey areas, aren’t there? I was recently offered some free merchandise from a store employee…items that would be discarded if not sold, but weren’t really supposed to be given away. The employee basically offered them to me, then said “but please don’t say anything!” which automatically sent up a red flag for me. While I was tempted to accept, knowing that the store wouldn’t have really lost anything in the deal, my conscience kept telling me how utterly dishonest that would be. A sin? I don’t know, but I think I’d rather not risk it!

 

[Trishie]

He needs to become more aware of the gospel and the commandments of love in his life. The wrong he has done to another person is like ripples that go one and on. This person tells another, this another person and so on. Often there is no remedy. Does he know that terrible feeling people have when they find that their good name has been besmirched or destroyed? It is a kind of murder to the person. It affects their relationships with anyone, makes them defensive and anxious.

Jesus said that we should love one another as He loves us; to love others as ourselves. We ardently protect our own reputation, we should as be as ardent with protecting others.
The man has sinned against that person, and needs to assimilate and take more seriously the commandments of love that Jesus has give us. Having realised what he has done, the man would hopefully grow in gospel charity!

 

[Trishie]

Prayer for understanding of others

Jesus, please open us to receive each other with love, so that we no longer betray God’s Love that re-creates us in each moment of life. Reveal to us our sins against charity, and heal us of fears and prejudices that lead to judgement of others.

How easily even the generous Christian reduces others to categories, judging them with unconscious pride and lack of empathy! How carelessly, with convincing appraisal and bias, we dismiss others in their seeming sin, error or foolishness. How often we misjudge them in their difficulties and achievements, and underestimate their intrinsic worth as persons!

Jesus, please forgive us that we presume to deal uncharitably with anyone! Each person is Your own creation lovingly spoken out of Yourself in the private language of love chosen for each alone! No matter how different from one’s own character or journey, the path and meaning of each person is treasured mystery hidden within You!

Let us share in Your love for others, rejoicing in Your image within them whether evident or not. Let us reverence our dissimilarity and their individuality. Let us be respectful and discreet in our helpfulness. Have mercy on our prayer and goodwill for them, so that we may love them with Your Love. Jesus, I am so sorry for the times I fail to love others wisely and respectfully.

 

[Trishie]

Judgement of others

Jesus, please alert us when we are tempted to judge other people. Our judgements may be based on another’s opinion, on flimsy evidence or on past observations, without full knowledge of someone’s situation and nature. Even if others appear to blatantly sin, we cannot judge them according to Your vision. Please give us grace to extend impartiality and compassion to all others, friend, foe or stranger.

We cannot know others’ motivations or all the influences affecting them, so we have doubtless misjudged others more frequently than we realise. Give us grace to avoid unkind or scandalous gossip. Enlighten those who see a few incidents or an isolated occurrence or appearance, even from years past, and then presume to make a permanent judgement like “he always does this.” “She always is like that.” “He is that sort of person.” How unjust to judge others in this way! Even if former perceptions happen to be accurate, who can judge that any person has not advanced in wisdom or grace!

If we defend victims of misjudgement, some accusers reconsider their opinion, while others cling to prejudice. Some people believe that their subjective view of people, reality, and events is the only valid one; therefore, we cannot expect them to be open to contrary evidence or testimony. They honestly believe that their judgements are correct. They seem not to be fully responsible for the injustice of their viewpoints.

We cannot judge even these people for perhaps they suffer from personal insecurity or desire for ascendancy over others, due to immaturity or low self-esteem. Their lack of respect and compassion may be hurtful to someone we love or respect, but let us respond with Christian maturity, without besmirching their reputations. Please expand their mental and emotional maturity so that with just and empathetic understanding of others, they—and we—may make reparation for the reputation and welfare of anyone who has been maligned or misjudged.

We trust in Your love to pardon us and to greatly bless anyone we have sinned against by judgement or unkindness. Jesus, help us truly to love our sisters and brothers, whether or not we understand them. October 1999

“Question your friend, he may have done nothing at all, and if he has done something he will not do it again. Question your neighbour, he may have said nothing at all, and if he has, he will not say it again. Question your friend, for slander is very common, do not believe all you hear. A man sometimes makes a slip, without meaning what he says; and which of us has never sinned by speech?” [Ecclesiasticus 1913-17]

My:twocents: worth