Semi-random thought

[unixronin]

The problem with believing in a god who forgives all of one's sins is that it leads to the assumption that all sins are forgiveable, and therefore permissible.  (But perhaps that's the point.)

Discuss.

Comments

[meglimir.livejournal.com]

In the context of "a god who forgives all of one's sins", a sin is a non-permissible item that is doable (or thinkable) and forgiveable. Permissible items (action, thought, etc.) are not candidates for forgiveness, because an item cannot be both forgiveable and permissible - the states are mutually exclusive. To put another way, if for any given item forgiveness is absolutely always automatic and transparent to the potential recipient, that item is by definition not a sin. (Any permissible item can be imagined to be a sin; but that is outside the scope of this reply.)

The statement "believing in a god who forgives all of one's sins" is ambiguous, and certain assumptions about that ambiguity can indeed lead to the rationale that all is permissible rather than forgiveable, thus nullifying the concept of sin. Other assumptions about the same ambiguity can lead to the rationale that forgiveness for some or all sins is available in theory but unattainable in practice, thus nullifying the concept of forgiveness.