“There is no sin. There is no sin; no one can commit sin! Since sin is an act of disobedience to God’s law….and there is no God, there is no sin.” proclaims the atheist. He continues, “Only the laws of man have any authority and they can be adapted and changed as man wills it. For instance, although I find the atrocities against people in Stalinist Russia and Nazi Germany to be repugnant, they were committed in accordance with the laws in effect in those countries at the time. Therefore they are consistent with the norms of those societies, as drawn up by those in power. No sin exists.” Some atheists will go to the extreme as to contend that the Holocaust was the fault of the Jews themselves, since they believed in God…; they had faith in God. Many of the postmodern atheists will never admit to the existence of sin because then they will be admitting to the existence of the supernatural….God.

Accepting that some individuals will not accept the concept of sin, how do the majority, who admit to the existence of sin, define sin? In short, they conclude that sin is the disobedience to God’s will; another way of stating it, sin is the abuse or misuse of the good things God has provided man. One only has to observe life to know with certainty that sin exists. Good things, such as food, drink, and sex, are frequently misused every day. As man sins, he becomes attached ever more to its intoxication and becomes addicted to it, as surely as a drug addict is imprisoned by addiction to drugs. Bishop Fulton J. Sheen noted that sin is relentless. “If we remain in sin through the denial of sin, despair takes possession of our souls. The condition of despair induced by unrepented sin often reaches a point where there is a positive fanaticism against religion and morality. He who has fallen away from the spiritual order will hate it, because religion is the reminder of his guilt.”

Unfortunately, even among those individuals that accept the existence of God and of sin, sin is often minimized or mitigated, excusing it for any number of reasons. Some people even suggest that sin can be accepted and even promoted. For example, many politicians and some clergy readily approve of the killing of the unborn or accept that people of the same sex are truly candidates for marriage; thus denying the violence done by those actions to the natural order. It is possible to list numerous activities that have become “acceptable” behavior, despite these activities being clear, serious violations of the Ten Commandments, God’s laws. Sin is sin, despite any protestations to the contrary by individuals calling themselves Jews, Christians or Catholics. 

Unrepentant and unforgiven sin leads to an eternal separation from God – damnation… a consequence freely chosen by the sinner, not imposed by God. As with any action of man, there are consequences for sin, regardless of the excuses created to justify it. Man cannot escape the consequences of his actions, just as an addict cannot escape the effects of his addiction, so the sinner will face the consequences of his sins.   

Fortunately, there is an escape from the confinement of sin; it is God’s forgiveness. Forgiveness allows man to return to God’s grace and to again practice obedience to His will, leading to true happiness. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross created an avenue for man to achieve forgiveness. Christ showed that true forgiveness is the answer to the problem of sin (evil). He gained for man the freedom from addiction to man’s sins and offered forgiveness through his sacrifice on the cross. All man must do is ask for His forgiveness and follow God’s commandments. His forgiveness knows no bounds or limitations. Just ask for it! It is never too late to seek God’s forgiveness.

 Unfortunately for some, the issue is that, since they will not accept some clearly sinful acts as sins, they do not accept the need to ask for God’s forgiveness.  Unwanted consequences await them.