Bree

The idea for this thread was stolen from this one.

Have at it, folks.

Cutter

Since the word 'sin' carries largely, and perhaps to some people solely, religious conatations, and since atheists don't adhere to any religion, I'd have to say no.

Personally, the closest I would come to calling something 'sinful' would be anything that I would call morally repugnant.

rebelnerd

sin -

1. - the willful breaking of religious or moral law

2. - any offense or fault -vi sinned, sin'ning to commit a sin

Webster's New World Dictionary

As an atheist I would say no to the religious definition, the "moral law" part leaves a little wiggle room.

I believe the word sin is mainly associated with religious morality (there's an oxymoron) and is a loaded word. I would be much happier using immoral as a descriptor. Can an atheist be immoral? Naw, atheists are perfect!

Filo

[ September 26, 2002: Message edited by: Filo Quiggens ]</p>

Plump-DJ

Wether atheists believe in God or not is irrelevant to the issue i think. If God exists (and an atheist may not believe even if God did) that still means the potential for "Sin" exists. In a nutshell sin rests upon the idea that God exists and that human beings fall short of the glory of God, and thus we sin and do all sorts of nuaghty things.

Well at least that's what all the apologists keep telling me.

Perchance

I think of "sin" as meaning that there's an objective moral law to the universe (whether it comes from God or somewhere else). But I haven't found any traces of an objective moral law in the universe, and don't believe one exists. Until I saw one, I would have to say no, an atheist can't sin. Of course, I don't think that religious people are sinning either, except in their own minds and maybe the minds of those who share particular thoughts about certain actions.

Murder, child abuse, rape, and other things that I personally think are wrong aren't sins. I don't think there's any message in the stars saying, "Murder is wrong."

-Perchance.

I ate Pascal's Wafer

Well, if a sin is a violation of religious principle I would say Atheists can sin. Our EVIL actions are no different than those of Christians, and we don't get a "get out of hell free" card just because we don't believe. If the said deity did exist he would hold us accountable for our so-called sins. "Ignorance of the law is no excuse" right? Maybe God is the supreme highway patrolman, and we are the speeders...

Of course whether or not we care is different. If God does not exist, our "sins" make no difference. Sure, we may violate somebody's religious code somewhere, but what does it matter to us? We aren't going to be judged for making sacrilegious pictures in the photoshop thread because there's nobody to judge us.

-Nick

Amos

It is impossible for athiests to sin because one must be under the conviction of the law to sin.

Christians also have been set free from the law because "It was for Liberty that Christ freed us" Gal.5:1. The question now becomes, if atheists can't sin and Christians can't sin (1Jn.3:9; "he who is in Christ cannot sin"), who can?

RJS

Are you suggesting that only atheists and Christians exist? Maybe deep down you feel that the Christians are right by lumping Muslims, Hindus, etc in with the atheists

Amos

LOL, but no, just throwing a curve into the argument.

Shake

From <a href="http://www.m-w.com" target="_blank">Mirriam-Webster Online</a> we have this: So, can an atheist sin? IMO using defintion:
1. yes
2. no, since atheists don't believe in god

So, it depends on your definition of 'sin.'