Sin

The biblical meaning of sin is to “miss the mark.” Thus, sin denotes how human beings deviate from the true standard of life. There are many ways to conceive of sin; here we present four. The first is evil deeds, which typically comprise murder, stealing, sexual immorality, lying and drunkenness. The world’s religions are unanimous in condemning these sins. The second meaning of sin is a self-centered mindset, by which we do harm to others whether intentionally or unintentionally. This is a more subtle understanding; it invites introspection about the motives behind our behavior and the way our daily life impinges on others. Sin has power: it binds us and blocks our approach to God. A third way to understand sin is to see it as all-pervasive imperfection and fallenness, a universal condition of humankind. In this light, Father Moon explains that all sin is the result of Human Fall, which severed our original relationship with God and left us in a state of alienation and strife.