Sin is the Only Bad Word Left

A couple of years ago, I wrote a blog post about a celebrity that went viral. Hundreds of thousands of people read it, and several hundred chimed in to let me know how much they loved or, more often, despised what I had said about the situation. I got plenty of hate mail of all kinds over the post, but I’ll never forget what one woman said to me in the comments section: People like you are the reason that I literally hate Christians.

My reaction to the whole dust up was complete disbelief that people cared so much what one inconsequential girl in west Texas said about the content of a movie. I felt like the most loathed person in America for a couple of weeks–all because I had dared to utter the word sin in the same sentence as the name of a well-loved actor.

Since that time I have learned that this word never goes over well. In fact, using the word is just about the biggest–well, sin–that a person can commit in our culture. Abortion isn’t sin….it’s a choice. Homosexuality isn’t sin….it’s simply a path to happiness. Adultery isn’t sin….the heart just wants what it wants. Pornography isn’t sin….it’s all in good fun. Gossip isn’t sin….it’s a way to share concerns. Pride isn’t sin….it’s standing up for yourself. Gluttony isn’t sin….I’m a foodie.  Greed isn’t sin….get all you can while you can.

We are told we need to drop the word sin from our vocabulary. This word, we’re told, is hateful. It is unloving. And, the world’s cries fill our ears, We literally hate you because we don’t think you love enough. Oh, the irony.

But, not just the world. Our churches. Our own Christian brothers and sisters. Stop harping on sin! Just love! You’re giving us a bad name!

And, in love, we go on. In Christ’s name. Trying to kill the sin in our own lives. Trying to encourage others to kill the sin in theirs. Because sin is deadly and dangerous and bad for everyone.

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