Sin and state laws

  • Thread starter Thread starter xfaust42x
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
X

xfaust42x

Guest
A i seem to be at a crossroads. a point where i wouldn’t call myself an atheist. However, neither would i call myself a catholic, out of respect for actual practicing members. I refuse to be a hypocrite.

In light of this I post a simple question. If god is absolute truth. And anything done breaking the laws of god is a sin. Then how should we handle the breaking of state laws as sin?

Obviously, things as theft and murder are equally recognized as inherantly evil by all nations. There are ones that I believe others must be more closely examined.

I’ll give a simple example.

2 teenagers. both 16 years of age. One lives in New York, and is an american citizen. The other lives in Hamburg, Germany. And is a German citizen. both abiding by there respective governing system.

The american teenager, goes to a party where there is alchohol, and has a couple drinks. He has broken the law, He is drinking underage and therefore (as i have heard from countless people, especially Christians and Neocon’s) he is immoral. He is a bad influence to his peers, and should be shunned as a delinquent. He has broken the law, and therefore has sinned.

The German teenager goes to the local Gasthaus (a pub more or less) with a few friends and drinks the same amount. He has not done anything wrong. The German culture (as well as the Greek, french, belgian, etc.) does not demonize alchohol, as some horrible devil’s elixer. Children drink with their families. So the parents are able to teach them correct and safe drinking habits.

I have heard and read that breaking the law is committing a sin. So answer me. if god is absolute truth, how can one of these people be committing a sin and not the other, when their partaking of the same act?
 
A i seem to be at a crossroads. a point where i wouldn’t call myself an atheist. However, neither would i call myself a catholic, out of respect for actual practicing members. I refuse to be a hypocrite.

In light of this I post a simple question. If god is absolute truth. And anything done breaking the laws of god is a sin. Then how should we handle the breaking of state laws as sin?

Obviously, things as theft and murder are equally recognized as inherantly evil by all nations. There are ones that I believe others must be more closely examined.

I’ll give a simple example.

2 teenagers. both 16 years of age. One lives in New York, and is an american citizen. The other lives in Hamburg, Germany. And is a German citizen. both abiding by there respective governing system.

The american teenager, goes to a party where there is alchohol, and has a couple drinks. He has broken the law, He is drinking underage and therefore (as i have heard from countless people, especially Christians and Neocon’s) he is immoral. He is a bad influence to his peers, and should be shunned as a delinquent. He has broken the law, and therefore has sinned.

The German teenager goes to the local Gasthaus (a pub more or less) with a few friends and drinks the same amount. He has not done anything wrong. The German culture (as well as the Greek, french, belgian, etc.) does not demonize alchohol, as some horrible devil’s elixer. Children drink with their families. So the parents are able to teach them correct and safe drinking habits.

I have heard and read that breaking the law is committing a sin. So answer me. if god is absolute truth, how can one of these people be committing a sin and not the other, when their partaking of the same act?
You seem to be confusing breaking civil law with breaking God’s laws. Knowingly and willingly breaking one of God’s laws is committing a sin. Breaking a given civil law may also be breaking God’s laws, so it is possible in that case to be committing a sin while breaking a civil law.
 
You seem to be confusing breaking civil law with breaking God’s laws. Knowingly and willingly breaking one of God’s laws is committing a sin. Breaking a given civil law may also be breaking God’s laws, so it is possible in that case to be committing a sin while breaking a civil law.
Exactly.

The law is a collection of rules laid down by man, which may be moral, or immoral. The fact that they are called “the law” does not transform them into objective moral codes.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top