Quote:
Originally Posted by Racnad
If you had the opportunity to steal something you wanted with a very low probability of getting caught, would you do it? If your definition of sin is not derived from religion, then what makes it a sin, if you're not going to get caught & punished?
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Been there, done that.
When I was putting my car back together, I would always spend a few hours on the weekend prowling a pick 'n' pull junkyard for parts. Every once in a while I'd come across an item that they'd charge an arm and a leg for, most of the time it wouldn't cost that much less than a new part from the dealership. But I needed it to get my car running (Question 1 answered). So I'd pull the part and bury it in a ziploc bag I had with my hand tools and place it in my toolbox (Question 2 answered) and continue on buy the bigger parts that I pulled. When I left the junkyard, they'd check my reciept and make me open my toolbox to see if I was making off with anything. Even though the part was right there in the ziploc bag, the never noticed it. They'd punch my reciept and send me on my way, and my car would be one step closer to becoming functional again (Question 3 answered).
It's all about those three questions. It's not whether or not I have the opportunity to steal something, it's whether or not I need to steal it in order to take care of business. It's not just stealing, it's anything. It could be adultery (1. Do I or the woman I'm fooling with have a sexual desire that needs to be fulfilled? 2. Do I have game? 3. If we play our cards right, can we continue this without being discovered? Is the sex going to be worth the risk of ending the relationship with our SO?), or an act of vengeance (1. Am I angry enough over what was done to seek an eye for an eye? 2. Do I have a weapon of opportunity? 3. Can I dispose of the body, can I get a good trial lawyer, or is what I'm about to do worth a 25-to-life prison sentence?), or whatever. If you can answer yes to all three, then you can pass go and collect $200.
To me, sin is merely what the law/commandments/sharia/etc. says is wrong.
This should not be confused with what I personally find objectionable because there are cases in which a violation against a person is not viewed as wrong before the holy laws (i.e. 'honor killings'), and there are cases where actions that violate no one is forbidden by holy laws(i.e. gay marriage).
In essence, most things are wrong simply because somebody tells you that it is wrong.