The question of sin.

Sin- definition, an immoral act considered a transgression of divine law.

Every religion shoves this down our collective throats from the moment we enter the world, until our dying breath .

 I have yet to see any atheists disagree with this statement. I don’t understand why it’s so difficult to let go of the idea that it’s possible to ‘sin ‘if you don’t believe that divine law exists. If we atheists truly do not believe that any gods exist, why do we give any credence to the concept of divine law?  The only laws to be concerned with are the ones we’ve come to agree upon in our country of origin. It’s bad enough that many of these laws were based on the religious doctrine of each region, but if the separation of church and state truly mean anything in your country, it should mean if any law is there because of religious beliefs and only those beliefs, why is it there at all? 

The words are meant to make us feel guilty and bad about being human. This tactic is used by any organization that wants to control your behavior. They tell us that we must be torn down in order to be built back up correctly. Who says what is correct? Perhaps it’s time we all let go of the idea of perfection and realize that as humans we are all capable of acts of great kindness, altruism and generosity as well as acts of brutality and cruelty. Perhaps it’s time to stop listening to the people who want to control us and stop believing something just because you’ve heard it your whole life.  Just because a statement is familiar, doesn’t mean it’s true. 

I see atheists everywhere telling people to question religious authority. so why not question the concept of sin? Are we afraid of the freedom this might give us all to be human without the guilt and shame required to control our behavior?  As humans,  we all do shitty things in varying degrees. These things are mistakes and making mistakes is how we learn what not to do. There is plenty of retribution in this world. We don’t have to make up eternal retribution. 

I, for one believe that we are capable of controlling ourselves without threat of eternal suffering, or supernatural judgements.  Think about the worst thing you’ve ever done in life. Chances are it’s nothing in comparison to the things the godly do in the name of their faith every day.  Taking away people’s rights, calling for death upon those who  choose to disagree, or who were born with different proclivities, or who were born female.  These are the acts of the fearful and the cowardly, hiding behind the fantasy that they’re special because they have permission to hate. We all hate. We do not all act on it. 

There will always be mentally ill people doing horrid things. But perhaps there would be less mental illness if we weren’t spoon fed the idea that we should feel bad about ourselves from birth forward because of an invisible man up in the sky who gives a fuck about every little fart .