Sin, according to Wesley's mother

[Teluog]

In a letter to his mother, John asked her for a definition of "sin."

Here's her reply: "Take this rule. Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off your relish of spiritual things...that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may be in itself."

Yes? No? Discuss.







P.S. I should add that my own mother has a similar definition: Anything that kills.

Thus, driving a car is sin because it harms and kills the environment, according to her.

[KingsGambit]

Wesley had kind of his own extreme views on such things (he also argued that it was wrong to grow gardens that weren't for practically growing food or to read books in leisure time). And I think his mother's definition is a little too loose. There are some seeds of good ideas, but it needs to be more specific because I could easily conclude from it that almost anything not specifically mentioned in the Bible is sin.

Link to my claim about Wesley (from a source that I was disappointed to see endorse it:) http://www.denverseminary.edu/craig-...e-all-you-can/

I don't believe driving a car is sinful. One could argue that using any electricity requires using natural resources, but I'm not about to go join the Amish. I believe we should try to be good stewards but we can't take things to an extreme, and certainly can't condemn others for using automobiles.

[Cow Poke]

I like what James said...

James 4:17 (KJV)

17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

[Manwë Súlimo]

I know Ravi Zacharias likes this quote. I think it's more or less true.

Thus, driving a car is sin because it harms and kills the environment, according to her.

If someone wants to be this pedantic, you literally can't do anything without killing something. You can't even be a vegetarian without killing plants or little animals during the harvesting process, or microbial life, etc.

[RBerman]

I like Wesley's mom's definition. Teluog's mom's definition, not so much.

[Manwë Súlimo]

That's why I had to break off my relationship with her.

[Teluog]

You don't even wanna hear what Manwe's mom's definition is.

[Manwë Súlimo]

"Take this rule. Whatever is weak like Teluog, impairs the tenderness of your conscience against Teluog, obscures your sense of Teluog hatred, or takes off your relish of hurting Teluog....that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may be in itself."

[lee_merrill]

I would say anything that is not done in love, for "love fulfills the law" (Rom. 13:8). Though I do like what Wesley's mom says, and what your mom says is along the same lines as Wesley's.

Blessings,
Lee

[Cow Poke]

My mom did laundry 6 days a week, because we had 9 kids, mom, dad, gramma, and usually a cousin or two. EVERY day was laundry day (except Sunday, of course). You would THINK that she would look for reasons NOT to launder certain items, but she would come into my room to round up dirty clothes, and there would be a shirt laying on the bed, and Mom would ask, "is this dirty or clean". If I did not POSITIVELY answer that it was CLEAN, mom would say....

"if it's doubtful, it's dirty". And into the laundry it would go.

She taught the same thing about sin.

[KingsGambit]

I'm not sure I should best apply that to my own life because I have really bad OCD and I sometimes fear that everything I do in everyday life is sin.

[Cow Poke]

I'm not sure I should best apply that to my own life because I have really bad OCD and I sometimes fear that everything I do in everyday life is sin.

Hmmm... really? I guess I don't really understand OCD, because I have a friend who says pretty much the same thing. I need to learn more about this.