Sin is disagreeing with the Messiah
From the Westminster Shorter Catechism:
Q. 14. What is sin? A. Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.From the Baltimore Catechism:
Q. 278. What is actual sin? A. Actual sin is any willful thought, word, deed, or omission contrary to the law of God.From Senator Obama:
Q. Do you believe in sin? OBAMA: Yes. Q. What is sin? OBAMA: Being out of alignment with my values.Not that there is anything to the chatter about Senator Obama’s “Messiah complex,” mind you.
Comments
To be fair, his answer is ambiguous but I think he's talking about himself. That is, sin is when he does something contrary to what he believes. Read it again and tell me if I'm crazy.
Posted by: Duffy | August 12, 2008 8:15 AM
Well, it depends.
Something can still be a sin if it's wrong, even if it doesn't conflict with your values. To pick an obvious, and somewhat extreme, example, many members of the Mob have no problem with intimidation and violence to further their means, even against innocents. While it doesn't go against their values, it's still a sin. Something's not a sin just because it disagrees with our values; it's a sin because it's wrong.
Ultimately, Obama here is arguing for a purely subjective world-view.
But there is a bit of snark thrown in as well.
Posted by: Paul Smith Jr | August 12, 2008 10:22 AM
Subjectivity, I agree. Smacks of moral relativism.
Posted by: Duffy | August 12, 2008 11:20 AM