What are the 3 elements of sin?

Answer 1

Hebrews 4:15 states, "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." In other words, Jesus did not face every possible temptation, but every possible type of temptation. These types or categories are given in 1 John 2:16 where it says, "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." These same three categories are typified in the gospel stories documenting the temptations Jesus faced (for example, Matthew 4) as well as by the story of original sin (Genesis 3).

Answer 2

Catholic Answer.

Broadly speaking, sins are divided into two categories. All sin, of course, is evil. Sins are referred to as mortal or venial. Mortal sin is 1) serious matter (killing a human being, as opposed to swatting a fly), 2) Full knowledge that it is a sin - you have to know that this is a serious insult to God; but remember, one is responsible for properly educating oneself so just trying to remain in ignorance is not going to work; and 3) full consent of the will. Venial sin is when this things are missing. For instance, stealing is always wrong. Stealing a large amount is serious, stealing a small amount when that is all a poor person has to survive on would also be serious. A young child stealing a quarter from his mother would not be a mortal sin. A young man stealing a twenty dollar bill from a poor mother with other children to feed might fall into the mortal category.

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The distinction between the two is evident in Scripture, (Cf. 1 Jn 5:16-17) and has become part of the tradition of the Church. It is corroborated by human experience. Venial sin is that which fails those three conditions. Please not that if you are lacking in full knowledge, you are not "off the hook" because every person has a grave obligation to learn and abide by the truth - feigned ignorance and hardness of heart (Mk 10:19) do not diminish, but rather increase, the voluntary character of sin.

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Also, venial sin weakens charity . . . deliberate and unrepented venial sin disposes us little by little to commit mortal sin. (CCC 1863)

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The Catechism explains the difference:

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from

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, English translation 1994

1855

Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God's law; it turns man away from God, who is his ultimate end and his beatitude, by preferring an inferior good to him.

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Venial sin

allows charity to subsist, even though it offends and wounds it.

1863

Venial sin weakens charity; it manifests a disordered affection for created goods; it impedes the soul's progress in the exercise of the virtues and the practice of the moral good; it merits temporal punishment. Deliberate and unrepented venial sin disposes us little by little to commit mortal sin. ...

Protestant Answer

The best and simplest answer is sin against God and sin against man. All sin is an offense to God. Some are against man. This is the sum of the 10 commandments. This why Jesus said that the law is ultimately about loving God and loving your fellow man.

Also:

As stated above, Jesus broke the Ten Commandments down into the two main categories: Love God and love one another.

I John 3:4 defines sin as the "breaking of the Commandments"... so technically, there are "ten types" of sin. All ten of which break down, once again, into our "failure to love God and one another."

Within the Ten Commandments, also, we find that the "twolongest" ones are "idolatry and remembering the Sabbath day" -- which are historically the "two types of sin" or "laws that people transgress" the most.

Answer 3

It depends on the elements which you mark as sins. It is possible that the thing or an act which is pious at one place can be a sin at any other place. It is a very personal choice and the rudiment of the society.

For example, in the past polygamy was a very common thing among most of the barbarians but with the course of time and with the Biblical teachings it was declared as a sin, so you see sin is also a transient phenomenon and it can change with the changing values of the society. Generally they say that wine, woman, and wealth are the three evil things which can destroy a good human beings but in the present world wine is a social culture, woman is a partner and constancy of relations is a thing of past, and likewise wealth is the god of the 21st century.

If we stick to numbers and don't want to think beyond them, then you can name any three things which your society prohibits you from doing as sins.

Answer 4

It would depend on which religion you follow. If you do not have a religion then there are no sins.