Hell and Sin. Is there a hierarchy of sin? What is the very worst sin an individual can commit? Is there such thing as a place called Hell? If so, what does it look like? If not, why not? Why do some people believe in Hell and others do not?
I do believe there is a Hell because I am christian and there are multiple instances where it is mentioned in the bible. There is a hierarchy of sin because the worse the crime, the more you have to pay in the afterlife. The worst sin you can commit is the sin that Satan committed, betrayal and treachery. The weakest sin would be lust. Hell looks like how everyone has first thought of it. Flames everywhere which makes you have eternal thirst. It is the worst place you can live in. I think the reason why some other people don't believe in Hell is because they are afraid of it. Some people really don't want Hell to exist because of their previous sins and their inability to atone for it.
Yes, there is a hierarchy of sin, a measure of how serious a committed sin is compared to other sins. The very worst sin an individual can commit is murder, because it is an act of heinously taking away another individual's life. I'm not sure if there is a place called Hell, but if there is a Hell, it would be a fiery pit where the worst sinners are condemned to. Hell would be where Satan resides, far away from the presence of God. Some people believe in Hell, and some people do not. They are taught what they believe at a young age through family, religion, or their own experiences. I have yet to fully understand if I believe in Hell or not.
There's definitely a hierarchy of sin because all sins are not equally bad. The worst sin is probably murder because when someone takes another person's life, they're playing God and using power that wasn't given to them. I'm not sure if Hell actually exists since there is no real evidence of it. The only way to know is to die and see where you go; if you go anywhere at all. Different people believe in different things based upon what they are taught (or not taught) in their specific religion.
I agree with you on how there's a hiearchy of sin and that murder is probably the most henious of sins. Though I believe in hell, I understand the reasoning behind why you personally don't because there is no physical evidence to prove its existence. Because I was raised with religion, the concept of hell has been in my mind since I was a child, however it is still justifyed for one to not believe in it because there's no proof.
I believe that a hierarchy of sin does exist, for some wrong doings are less severe than others. For example, lying to your parents about where you've been does not equate to the sin produced by somebody who murdered a child. In my opinion, the worst sin a person can commit is intentional murder. I believe that it is heinous for one to do harm to another person with the intent of hurting them, while it isn't as horrid if somebody accidentally commits murder, such as through a car accident. With this being said, I admit that I do believe in hell with different levels as outlined in Dante's Inferno. Different people that committed different kinds of sin are placed in their proper "level" based on how severe their actions were, and as the levels go down the punishment increases. Hell exists in my eyes because I believe that retribution should exist after somebody passes. Though I personally believe in hell, I do understand why others would not, for there is no physical evidence to prove its existence.
I completely agree with your response; I believe hell exists for the people who have committed sins because there should be retribution for a wrongdoing and that there are different levels of severity for each sin.
I believe there are different level of sin. A child telling a white lie to their parents isn't as deceiving as a dictator of a country, killing innocent people everyday. I don't think there's a sin that is "the worst." There are a lot of sins that are unforgivable, and giving just one the title of "the worst" makes all the others seem better, which they shouldn't be. For example, murder is extremely punishable, but so is standing by, watching murder, and not doing anything by it. I don't believe in hell. I think people like to think that in the end everyone gets what they deserve. Yet, I just think we no longer exist the way we think we do in life. I don't think all the good people go one place, and all the bad people go another. People seem to want to think that out of hope for justice in the end.
I like what you're saying about how defining the worst sin makes all the others not as bad to us. Without meaning to we let people get away with crimes because they are 'not that bad'
i believe that hell does exist and it is used. the hiearchy to sin is what the sin is and how badly it was commited. i think lieing is a really bad sin because then your not telling the truth to yourself and to god. hell does exist in the catholic church and i am a comfirmed catholic so yes i do believe in hell but just because some do dosnt mean all people believe and that is their right and opinion. it could have something to do with religion like me or from tv movies that other people believe.
Many people regard sins in different levels, those that are more or less serious. In this case, there are sins that could be more forgiving than others. The worst sin that I think someone can commit is when an individual cannot recognize/admit that what they have done is a sin. As of today we do not know if there is a Hell. Books, the internet, and many other sources have depicted Hell as dark and horrendous, a place where the more terrifying sin you commit, the closer you are to Satan. Many people believe that this place exists because they are taught to believe that exists. When you are taught about both Heaven and Hell, it is your choice to believe that it exists or not, which is why some people also choose not to believe in Hell.
I personally think that there is a hierarchy of sin and the worst sin an individual can commit is taking away other's life either directly and indirectly. Taking away others' lives also takes away all of their opportunities to do something. However, although humans can commit sin, I do not think think there is such thing as a place called Hell. As Stephen Hawking quotes "there is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark," I also think that the story of Hell is made up. I think people who are afraid of the end of their mortal lives made up the concept of heaven and hell in order to assure themselves by the concept of immortal lives that they can have after their current lives.
You have an interesting point-- I initially stated in my post that people probably believe a heaven or hell as an incentive to do good in life, but I completely agree with the last portion of your statement. I think religion in general is a form of reassurance for a lot of people.
The hierarchy of sin is self-evident in our society. Once people act on their feelings of wrath or envy via murder, society punishes them to the highest allowance of the law. However, hardly ever are people punished for feeling lazy or being a glutton (all-you-can-eat buffets, anybody?). As one of the theologists said, sin is a violation of one's relationship with a neighbor or God. Although each of these relationships are equal in importance, there are varying levels of trespass.
As for Hell, sinners may feel guilty and be in a mental hell. The idea of Hell after death is up for discussion for religious people v. atheists.
I do suppose there is a hierarchy of sin. If sin is, by definition, "a separation from 'God'" the worst sin an individual can commit is difficult to say because I do not believe in 'God'. However, I do believe there are social/ethical sins one can commit, and the worst sin someone can commit is probably genocide, or torture/murder of a large group of people.I do not believe there is such thing as a place called Hell because there is no hard evidence of a Heaven or Hell. I look at things from a scientific standpoint so I believe that when an individual dies, the body and the mind or "soul" die together, and there is no such "afterlife". I think some people believe in Hell because it could be an incentive to do good things in life.
I believe that there is a hierarchy of sins. Some sins definitely are more extreme than others. For example, simply being disrespectful to someone is miles better than stealing from someone. Then, having a hierarchy of sins implies that there is one absolute worst sin. In my opinion, the worst possible sin is murder. Unlike the other sins, which can be undone or alleviated in some way, murder is irreversible.
The existence of hell depends on one's beliefs. Though a Christian may be quick to point out the existence of hell, an atheist may maintain the nonexistence of hell, possible out of lack of evidence or general unbelief in an afterlife. In any case, the existence of hell largely depends on one's beliefs and faith.
I agree with the last statement entirely. Hell is not something that is common in all religions - though I do believe that every religion and or belief system has a way to ensure that those that have sinned and wronged others pay for what they have done - whether it is being through going to hell, being reincarnated in a lower form, or going to jail - those that have sinned will, in one way or another, pay for their sins (that is, unless they repent, which, for atheists, may mean admitting one's wrongdoing and asking for forgiveness and accepting one's punishment, or for religions meaning speaking to a rabbi or priests and attempting to atone your sins to be able to reconnect with God).
I completely agree with you Tony. There are sins worse than other sins like the one you mentioned about being disrespectful and murder. In addition to what you said about hell, I agree that the existence of hell depends on one's beliefs.
A hierarchy of sin most definitely exists; most of the world's judicial systems operate on the basis of multiple levels of punishment. The worst of these are usually those that make the victim desire death instead of continued life, for some argue that life is God's greatest gift. This is probably why crimes like sexual assault or physical torture are especially heinous. But as for the notion of Hell, I don't know if it exists or not. There are different opinions on Hell probably because of the different levels of importance people give it - some hold it as their primary motivation to do good, while others believe that fear of such a place is not necessary in order to lead a moral life.
I definitely agree with Oliver that there are multiple levels of sin. For example murder is a heinous crime but there are different levels such as first-degree and second-degree murder. Therefore there is a hierarchy of sin whether we want to believe or not.
I think that their is a hierarchy for sins because it depends on the sin that the person has committed and how much it has affected. I am not sure on what is the worst sin that one can commit but I think it just depends on the person and how far he/she has gone with that sin. I do believe in hell and I think it is a dark place where people go to get rid of their guilt and sins. I think that religious people believe in hell a lot more than non religious. The reason being because religious people probably believe that it ruins the person's relationship with God.
I don't think there is a hierarchy for sins because I think no matter what you do and how bad it is, in the end it is still bad. You can't excuse doing something bad because it isn't "as bad"; however, I do think that some things are worse than others, but it still all sin in the end. Since I don't think there is a hierarchy for sins, I don't think there is a "worst sin", but I think how bad the act is, is based on the thought process and actions of the person who commits it. I do believe there is a Hell and I think that there is only one level of Hell. I think that it is a deep pit of fire where people have no energy to do anything. I think that people will be burning and desperately trying to get water, but they will never be freed from the torture. I think some people believe in Hell because they also believe in the higher power, God. Because the bible states that there is both Heaven and Hell, people who believe in the bible, will believe there is a Hell. I think that some people don't believe there is a Hell because they are afraid that if there really is a Hell, it would be too horrible for them to handle.
You have a very fantastic point Ms.Fan but I beg to differ. Some crimes are definitely worse than others because murder and pickpocketing are not the same.Very awesome representation of hell and it sounds pretty accurate to me! I also agree that people will be scared to believe that there is hell because of the possible torture and atrocities happen there.
I agree that there is no hierarchy for sins because either way you are violating the relationship with the neighbor and with God. Even if it is not "as bad" it is still bad and in the end, still a sin. But, I don't quite agree with Hell because, who ends up in hell? Nobody is perfect and everybody has sinned. Thus, I don't know what I believe where people would go after death but I don't quite believe that everybody is separated. I believe in more of a limbo state that people can't get out of.
I do not believe that there is are levels of sin. All sins in God's eyes are seen as equal, the sin of cheating is the same sin as lust. Jesus's died for all sins regardless of what they were, thus all sins in my opinion are equal. Thus no sin can be worse than the other. I believe that there is a place called hell. However it is not quite the lakes of fire, as many believe it is, however it is a place where God is not. And because God is not there, suffering occurs there. Many people will not believe in God and thus not believe in hell because they do not believe that there is evidence to support the existence of God. If they do not believe that a God exists, then logically they would not believe that hell exists then.
I didn't include some of the things you said, but I completely agree with what you said about Hell being a place where God is not and thus suffering occurs.
I'm not going to be insulting religion, i'm going to be questioning logic. Rather not start a religion flame war.
I find it interesting how there are no levels of "sin." Winston, what would you define as "sin?"
I also find it interesting as to how you say that one sin cannot be worse than another. Would you explain this further? As an athiest i'm not sure about how God would look and judge each person's sin, but logically i would want to punish the person who murders an innocent, helpless family, far more than the person who cheated on his wife.
But adding on to your side I hold a belief that no matter the person, people do actions based on what is most logical to them respectively. If God objectifies, and makes laws equal, then he must take into account the logic of the person, which may explain why he punishes every "sin."
In your very left-brained (logical, and soundly argued) statement about hell, i concur. But do you believe there is a personal hell for people? Something outside of religion?
Doesn't that stance devalue the concept of sin itself? I mean, why should anyone care that they're a sinner if all that means is that they're in the same category as gluttons and procrastinators?
Sin is what separates us from God. Because every person is born into this world with sin, we all are sinners. So if sin is what separates from God, then whether you are cheating on a test or murdering, both separate us from God because we have fallen short of the standard that God has set for us.
I dont really understand your actions part, not exactly sure what you are asking Sujeeth. Simply put Hell is a place where God isn't eternal seperation from God, and I dont believe that there is a personal hell for people. It's hell or heaven that's it.
There is a hierarchy of sin because there are different levels of crime. For example, stealing an apple isn't regarded as the same as killing a person. Though both are considered a "sin", they are at different degrees.The worst sin an individual can commit is harming others. I don't believe that there is a place called Hell, but I'm not a hundred percent sure of that. One's perspective of Hell depends on how you were raised and with what mindset. I think Hell is a tool that people use to justify why they shouldn't do certain things, and over time gained a religious connotation. Some people believe in Hell for religious purposes, while others simply don't. In a way, many don't want to believe in Hell because it is often associated with Christianity or other viewpoints.
I agree with your views on the hierarchy of sin and existence of Hell. I am particularly interested by the idea that Hell being a "tool that people use to justify why they shouldn't do certain things" and whether or not it came before religion or was created by religion.
I agree with Nandita's point about having different levels of crime. Stealing is certainly not the same as taking a life, so the punishments that follow should not be of the same severity. I also feel that motive also plays an important role in determining how terrible the crime is. If a person takes a life without feeling an ounce of remorse, the offense is undoubtedly even more serious.
I also agree with the idea of hierarchy of sins, though Winston's idea that all sins carry the same weight is certainly and interesting one. Petty sins are easier to deflect or recover from than severe sins, but both types are wrong nonetheless. I also agree that one's intention behind a sin is crucial to determining the seriousness, though the severity of a sin is not quantitative and therefore hard to measure anyway.
I believe that sin also has an hierarchy depending on how severe the sin is and how the person feels about committing the sin. There are many factors to how a sin is committed and motive certainly plays an important role in determining severity. Murder is definitely one of the worsts sins a person can commit, as it takes another's life with force. Traditionally, hell is described as a burning pit filled with flames where its inhabitants are tortured for the sins they have committed in life. Having a hell prevents people from committing crimes and keeps a close relationship with God. Some people may not believe in hell simply because of preference or lack or religious beliefs. I can definitely understand why someone would deny the existence of an afterlife at all since we do not know what comes after death.
I agree with Tiffany. There are different ways to judge the severity of a crime. Our judicial system is an example of that. Murder gets others involved, so it is probably one of the most severe crimes. I also believe that Hell has gained a strong religious implication. It is technically impossible to determine whether Hell exists or not until you die. Overall, I agree with most of Tiffany's opinions. She has an interesting perspective.
I believe that there is a hierarchy of sin, as some actions are certainly “worse” than others. For example, lying is less serious stealing, which itself is less serious than committing murder. I believe that the worst sins violate others - murder, rape, torture, oppression, and others. I personally do not believe in the existence of Hell. Both Heaven and Hell are kinds of afterlife, and as I don’t believe in an afterlife I therefore do not believe in Hell. Of course, there’s no concrete way to prove the lack of an afterlife. Some people believe in Hell because they have either have a religion that has such a concept, while others do not believe in it for the lack of it in their religion. Other reasons may be personal, such if not believing in an afterlife is better for one’s mental health.
I agree that there is no way to prove there is or is not an afterlife, but that is why it is called a belief. I think people want to believe that there is a heaven and a hell so that they can strive to do good and be rewarded in the end.
I agree that there is obviously no way to prove the existence of an afterlife, so the belief in hell is up to the individual. I think some people like the idea of hell because it punishes all the people who have wronged them or that they just don't like. Other people prefer not to believe in a hell because it is easier not to have to worry about eternal damnation for mistakes or lapses in judgment.
Is there a hierarchy of sin? Sure. I mean, obviously, littering or cheating at cards doesn't reach the level of, for example, murder.
As for Hell... well, I can't technically know for sure, but I'm inclined to say it doesn't exist. As there's no particular reason for me to think it does. It's a comforting notion for some, that the universe punishes bad behavior and rewards good behavior. But it seems somewhat too convenient to me.
I agree that some people believe in hell because it's convenient to believe that bad behavior is punished and good behavior is rewarded. I think that part of religion is to encourage people to do good things.
You say its comforting that good behavior is smiled upon and rewarded, would you also be inclined to say that bad behavior is not so comforting? Since you may end up in either one of the good and evil spectrum.
There is a hierarchy of sins. Every sin is different, and has a different impact on its victims, and therefore no two sins can be punished in the same way. For example, theft is generally regarded as less harmful of a sin than murder, simply because it still leaves the victim with a chance in life. Every situation is different however, and must be analyzed separately from the rest, and dealt with accordingly. As for the concept of hell, I do not know whether it exists yet because I haven't seen any concrete proof. Obviously religious people tend to believe in the existence of hell more so than the non-religious, because they trust and have faith in their deity.
I agree with you completely. We have very similar posts. It is hard to believe in Hell when there is scientific proof. But that is why its called a belief not a fact. The concept of Hell in my opinion is a bit confusing as how severe should be your sin in order to go to Hell.
I believe that there is a hierarchy of sin because some actions are worse than others. For example, I think murder is a worse sin than adultery. Betrayal is the worst sin because backstabbing anyone who trusted you in any way, whether you hurt them or not, is more evil than harming someone who you did not know. I don't believe in hell, but if I had to imagine it, it would be a deep chasm with fire blowing out everywhere, with the sinners tied to chains and being forced to walk through the fire. I don't believe in hell because I am not religious. Even though there isn't a physical hell, there may be hell that is symbolic to different people. Some people use the belief in hell to avoid doing bad things. Others don't believe in hell because they have committed many sins, and they don't want to believe that they have to suffer for them.
I agree with you, Raphael! Some sins definitely are more egregious than others. For example, I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone who'd equate being rude to betrayal.
Although I also agree that some people may believe in hell simply to prevent themselves from sinning, and that some may not believe in hell out of denial, I think many also do not believe in hell because they just are not religious.
Yes, there is a hierarchy of sin, as the different sins affect people on vastly different levels, such as petty theft, depriving someone of a couple bucks, to murder, depriving someone of their life. The worst sin by far is murder, as nothing is worse than depriving someone of their life. I personally believe that there is no Hell, as I am not a religious person, but I understand why others would believe in one, whether it be because of religious culture or to have a motivation to do good. I don't believe in a Hell purely because just scientifically, it doesn't seem possible to me, but if there were a Hell though, I imagine a cavern with fire all around it, covered in stalagmites, lava, demons, and with all the sinners shackled down, forced to do slave labor for the devil. Anyways, I understand why people would believe in Hell, as a motivation to avoid sin.
21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister[b][c] will be subject to judgment. Matthew 5: 21- 22
No matter what "crime" you committed or offense, all sin is the same before God. And everyone is judged in such a way equally.
I believe that there is a hierarchy of sin because there are some sins that are worse than others. A sin like cheating on your wife would be a lot worse than stealing a loaf of bread so you don't starve to death. Both are sins, but one is still considered worse than the other. The worst sin would be to commit murder or multiple murders. This is the worst because you are taking away someone's life and opportunities. You are also taking away their ability to enjoy life. I do not believe there is a Hell. There is no evidence that Hell actually exists. Therefore I do not believe it exists. I believe some people believe in it because it is used as a fear tactic to get people into behaving well and having morals. Hell is described as a scary place that no one would want to go to, so people believe in it because it can keep people in good behavior.
I completely agree with you, Mason! Our posts say pretty much the exact thing in every regard, especially with the concept of Hell mostly as a motivation to behave well.
I agree with you Mason, there are some sins that are worse than others and they have different consequences. Murder is in fact the worse sin that can be committed as you said. I disagree with you that there is no Hell but I understand why you don't believe in it since there is no evidence of there being a Hell. I agree that it is a scary place and that people say there is a Hell so that they have a reason to behave and prevent themselves from doing the wrong thing.
Yes, I think there is a hierarchy of sin because some sins are more serious than others. For example, killing someone is worse than stealing a pencil. Like Hillary Clinton said, there are sins of weakness and sins of malice. In general, sins of malice are worse than sins of weakness because there is the intention to commit the sin and hurt someone. The very worst sin an individual can commit is to kill, hurt, or betray a loved one. However, in Christianity before God, all sins are separations from God and therefore count equally. I do think there is a hell as described in the Christian Bible, a place of suffering due to the absence of God. Some people believe in Hell because their religion tells them so, and others are not religious and so do not believe in Hell. Some people do not believe in Hell because it is easier to not have to worry about eternal damnation.
I believe there is a Hell and that it looks dark and gloomy to punish those who are there for committing sins during their life. There is definitely a hierarchy of sin because certain sins are ranked higher than others and they determine how much you will have to pay for in the afterlife. Those who commit serious sins, murder being the most serious, are breaking and violating their relationship with God and ultimately drive themselves to Hell. I believe some people do not believe in Hell because there is no real proof of Hell and that they are afraid of ending up there because of sins they have committed. Samantha Meier
I definitely believe that a hierarchy of sins exists. Individuals should receive a much harsher punishment for murder than they should for a crime such as thievery. In my opinion, murder is the worst possible sin one can commit because a person's life is being taken away unfairly. I'm not sure if there really is a place called hell, but I do believe that people who commit heinous crimes will eventually be punished for their actions. I think most people who believe in hell feel that if they don't live a moral life then they will be put in hell.
Yes I believe that there is hierarchy in the classification of sin. Just logically speaking, there is magnitude of sin. Stealing lunch money from a classmate's backpack is much less severe from a bank robbery or a large scale fraud. In addition to the magnitude of sin, I believe there are different categories of sin. Take for example, robbery would ruin a victim until he/she could earn enough to get back on stable economic footing. However, murder takes away the life of the victim. The victim has no chance of recovering from this sin unlike robbery. For me, it is hard to specify which sin is the most severe. I think the severity of sin depends on the magnitude of the sin. I believe murder is a lesser sin in comparison to a major fraud that could ruin the livelihoods and lives of thousands.No I do not believe there is a place called Hell. Being an atheist, I think death is simply death, there is no more there is no less. I think some people believe in Hell to motivate them to do good things throughout their life.
I completely agree with your point about the sin's severity based on the victim's chance of recovery. It makes sense that a single-act murder is less sinful (but hopefully not by much) than a genocide.
A sin such as a robbery can temporarily impair, but a sin like murder will permanently end life. I also think that a sin that would deem a person incapable of fully returning to life in society is also comparable to the sin of murder. Often times, Hell on Earth can be worse than Hell (the Inferno), because Earth, in this context, signifies the opportunity of second chances and a goal to achieve in society.
I believe that there is a hell, but I wouldn't know what it would look like unless I checked it out myself (which I'm not planning to do anytime soon). Whether or not a person believes in Hell or not, we all fear it. Because people tend to believe what they want to believe, they'd prefer that life ends in black or that everyone gets to heaven eventually. Although we adhere to some sense of justice and we want to sort out the bad eggs, but we also want there to be a happy ending to every story, which is not the case in the real world.
I agree with your point that people will believe what they want to believe. Even if they say that they do not believe in hell, subconsciously, they absorb the information that other people do believe in hell and they understand that hell to others is a scary place and they fear it unconsciously.
I believe there is an hierarchy of sin but I believe that it depends on what the sin is. Everyone will have a different opinion on what the worst sin one can commit because everyone will have a different mindset but I believe the worst sin one can commit is committing a murder. I do believe that hell exists and I believe it would look like a place filled with flames. I believe hell is a place where you will get tortured for eternity and you will never escape. Many people believe that hell exists because they learned when they were young from their parents or from their religion. Some people don't believe in hell simply because they don't believe in God.
I believe that there is a hierarchy of sin, yet at the same time there is not. In Christian faith, sin is commonly described as "separation from God," and you can't really be more or less separate from God, or anything else. In this aspect, every sin is equal in weight. But at the same time, there are different punishments for different sins described in the Old Testament, some more or less severe, which gives them a hierarchy. But, in the end, especially after Christ, all sin is equally a betrayal against God. People most likely differ in opinion on the existence of Hell because of their different cultural and/or religious backgrounds. Being Christian, I definitely do believe in Hell.
As a born and raised Catholic, I do believe that a hell exists and that sins are ranked. The worst sin somebody can commit is a premeditated one, such as murder, where the person's malice is explicitly shown. On the other hand, people that commit sins but are not aware of their actions would be the least punishable. Other people think that hell is a burning cave in the underworld with seas of lava and the sort, but I believe that it is an eternal nightmare. The poor souls that dwell in hell have to live through the fears they had during their life and be haunted forever. That's is just my interpretation of what hell is. Some people might not believe in hell due to not believing in a God in the first place. They believe that there is no possible explanation for there being alternate universes that we can enter in the afterlife.
I agree with Chris that hell is kind of like an eternal nightmare. However, I believe that that you can eventually get out if you repent your sins. I kind of feel that the non believers are missing out even though they choose not too or there is not enough scientific evidence.
What about drunk driving? Usually people who kill people who are under the influence are not trying to kill people, but what you say is that they should be less punishable. I think that they should be treated as bad as a premeditated murder.
I believe that there is a hierarchy in hell. However, which sins are worse than the other might depend on the person. For example, someone who is religious might think that the worst sin that can be committed can be to betray God, but if they are not religious they might consider murder as the worst sin. I think that the worst sin that can be committed is murder. Taking away someone's life and ruining the loved ones around them is something that should be punished for. I think people believe in hell because they are curious to what happens after humans die and there are many references in different religions. People want to know what will happen in the future so I think hell is one of their predictions.
I do think that there is a hierarchy of sins. I do not think that every sin is equally bad, but that some sins are worse than others. I think the worst sin an individual can commit varies by circumstances. I think that one of the most extreme sins is to hurt another individual to the point of their death or extremely close- whether it be mental depression or physical death. There is a place called Hell. I do not know what it looks like. I think people have different beliefs on if their is Hell or not depending on their religion. I also think that some people want to believe that there is nothing after death because they do not want to repent for the mistakes they made in this life. They set tangible goals and put aside moralistic values to gain short term success. However, I believe in karma, and I believe that everything we do will one day come back to us, whether that be good or bad. I believe that it does not stop at death, that our souls still exist afterward.
I agree with your point that some individuals who don't believe in Hell feel that they will never have to pay for their crimes whereas believers in the existence of Hell are scared into living virtuously. As for Karma, I don't believe in the concept multiple existences, but I do feel that at some point everyone will have to face the aftermath of their right and wrong doings.
(I didn't copy+paste my entire post unfortunately) As a Christian, I believe that any sin would make a person impure, therefore a hierarchy shouldn't matter. However, I do believe that cheating on a test and murdering an entire nation based on race are on different levels.
A sin is a sin, and I don't think that there is a better sin or a worse sin. It holds equal definition of doing something wrong and illegal. I do, however, believe that there can be different magnitudes of consequences depending on the "sin" or criminal activity. I don't think you can define the "worst sin an individual can commit" because it varies from person to person. For example, someone can say that killing someone is the greatest sin, but someone else can argue by saying that torturing someone to the brink of death, but not finishing them off is worse. Who is more correct? I don't necessarily believe in Hell because in order for me to believe something, I like to see evidence and statistics. Just because the bible and other religions say that it is real, hell doesn't just materialize out of no where. Some people believe in Hell because it is in their religion and some people fear it. Others may be like me and want to take the more scientific approach and want solid proof.
I agree that the intensity of sin depends on each individual; however, I disagree that there's no better or worse sin. If people didn't believe in better and worse sins, there would be no such thing as the concept of law, crime, and punishment. Criminals in jail would not have different amounts of times they must serve in prison if every sin was at the same level. Also, I agree that Hell is not real. Technically, people pay for their sins with death or some other misfortune in their life.
At first I believed that the worst sin would be murder, but after reading yours I have come to realize that maybe there isn't a distinction of a worse or better sin. Your argument of someone can be tortured to the brink of death really had me realize that I would personally rather have someone kill me then brutally torture me to the brink of death. I personally think that torture is now the worst form of a sin.
Hell. Some topic to discuses. Each person has there own unique version of hell that they have created in their minds. Each person puts their belief of right and wrong for the levels of their hell. I personally believe that hell is something that is made to keep people accountable. I believe that there is sin that is worse than others. I believe the worst sin is the one that take takes you away from all that is holy. In this case being God. I do believe that sin is very real, and for my case I really hope hell is not real. I have sinned, alot, and would rather not burn for all of eternity. I dont want hell to be real, but sometimes I want God to be real, so I am pretty confused with what I believe in. I am hoping to figure all this out before college, but life is not something that people can figure out in a short amount of time.
That's pretty deep and I completely agree with you when you say that Hell is made to keep people accountable. I believe that if Hell isn't real, or no one has ever heard of it, the amount of crime will be much higher than what it is now. No one will have anything to fear because even if they sin, when they die, they will believe that they won't go anywhere. Also, when you say that the worst sin is one that takes you away from all that is holy, what do you mean? Doesn't every sin make you "unholy"?
I agree with you, that each person has their own version of hell. I believe that even if you don't believe hell actually exists, that there are still versions of it during your life. Like writing a 30 page paper might be considered hell for some. I really like your idea that the ultimate sin is that which takes you away from all things holy. That could be any number of things, and completely depends on the person. Do you think that the sin that is worse than the others that takes you away from being "holy" is just one act or could it be an accumulation of multiple sins?
I think the idea that each person has their own unique version of what Hell is true. People carry different perspectives on how they are held accountable for their actions. For some, believing in Hell encourages them to make better decisions and avoid what they would define as major sins. I think your idea on what sin is also really interesting. What would you personally classify as unholy?
I think there is a hierarchy of sin. With Wrath and lust being the worst and sloth being the least serious. I do not believe in a place called hell, however if it exists, it should look like the tartarus or abyss. I do not believe in hell because i believe in a different place after death, i made up my own explanations for things in the world to explain things that i though was weird or didnt make sense. I think some people believe in hell and others do not because the idea of hell is a punishment, its for those with morals and to explain why they have them, for more than just its the right thing to do, but also because if you do bad, bad things will happen to you.
I think that there are different degrees of sin because if there weren't any different heirarchies of sin, murder would be just as good as telling a lie. In my mind, the highest level is telling simple lies; the levels leading up to the worst is intentionally hurting others, murder, and other heinous crimes. The worst, lowest level of sin is betraying someone and challenging loyalty. By not being loyal, the other person will not only lose their trust in you, but also you have just shown that you are a two-sided person. I don't think there's a Hell because people just die and there's nowhere a person can go after death. I think others believe in Hell because they just want to believe that there's a place to go after death and think that the mind lives forever when, in fact, a person's brain, mind, and soul dies with the body at death.
Although i agree with your point what about self sins such as greed, sloth, pride, envy, and gluttony. These do not harm others directly hut they still hurt yourself. Also "soul" in not part of your physical body, so if you have a soul, it lives after death. So~ yea~ that~ I also agree that betrayal is one the o=the worst sins.
I completely agree that there are different hierarchies of sin, however, I believe that murder is the worst and lowest level of sin. Not only does murder take away the life of someone, but it breaks the hearts of families, friends, and taints the conscience. Why do you believe that betrayal is worse than murder? I also agree with you that there is no such thing as Hell and that it is something that people made up to give an answer for the mystery of what happens after someone dies.
I'm inclined to think that there is a hierarchy of sin, categorized based on the severity of the sin. I think that the worst sin an individual can commit is murder. I do not personally believe in a place called hell, because I do not identify as a Christian. I do not believe that one can accurately possess knowledge on whether we move onto another life after we die or not. Some people believe in a hell because they were taught that it is a real place from parents, church, etc. Some people do not believe in a hell because they do not believe in the Christian faith or they regard it as untrue.
One line from your response that caught my attention is, " I do not believe that one can accurately possess knowledge on whether we move onto another life after we die or not." I agree with you that no one can truthfully know what comes next. Life is more about faith than true knowlage of what is to come. We can guess, but we do not know for sure. I think the best we can do is do our best to prove our existence one day at a time and be the best we can be.
In my opinion there is a hierarchy of sin because murder is not the same as robbery. Murder would probably be the worst sin that one person can committ because not only are you putting yourself in jail and almost 100% in jail, you are also harming someone else's life in the process. Hell is a place that does not physically exist but one that every body believes exists in their minds. The phrase "you're going to hell" is a commonly used phrase in the world and when said is meant in more of a belief matter rather than in a case of actually believing that a place called hell exists. Almost all people have a different image of hell in their mind but in my mind hell is a place where everything is just burning and the people who have committed the worst crimes rule over the people that are in hell for crimes that don't mean as much. People are killed over and over again without actually dying in hell. Some people believe in hell because it serves as a incentive to behave in a proper manner while they are alive. Others don't believe in hell because they simply don't believe in an after life.
I believe that there is a hierarchy of sin because lying to a person, for example, does not equate to murdering a person. I think the worse kind of sin a person can commit is one that harms other people or any form of life. Although there is a hierarchy, I think that committing sins will harm not only those around the person committing the sin, but also the person him or herself. Therefore people should just strive to do the right things in life. I do believe that Hell exists for sinners. I'm not sure what it looks like but I think that it's a place people can leave after recognizing and repenting for their sins. I think the reason that some people don't believe in Hell is because they don't believe in after life and the reincarnation of human souls.
I do believe that there is a hierarchy of sin. By definition sin is "an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law." The phrase "immoral act" is very broad and general in that it is up to one's opinion to judge what is immoral and what is not. Because I do not believe in god, it is very hard to determine what is the worst sin. I do believe that you can commit unethical and immoral sins. I consider murder and torture as the worst form of a sin. It is obvious that cheating on a test versus committing murder would be on a totally different level.
I also don't believe in a hell because there is no hard evidence of it. I do believe in something but not necessarily a hell. It is very difficult to determine between what is right and wrong. It is all up to one's opinion. So who determines whether you go to heaven or hell?
I believe that there is a hierarchy of sin even though I'm an athiest. There are different levels of sins as they are committed. Some of these sins could range from examples such as killing to lying. Depending on the action that one commits, every kind of sin lies on its own level. I think that murder would be the most severe of them all because taking a life away from someone innocent is worse than just telling a simple lie, or cheating in life. I think that hell actually does exist as a sign for being punished in the afterlife. Although I don't actually know what it looks like (like I really want to know) I imagine the place to be a large pit of fires burning as you go further down into hell. I think some people believe in hell because they fear that it's the place they will go to in the afterlife if they commit many sins in life, as in what Catholics believe. Fear is a factor to why some people believe the existence of hell is real. I think others don't believe in hell because they don't really fear what will happen to them in the afterlife.
I am also an atheist, but I believe that there is such a hierarchy of sin. I also agree that "every kind of sin lies on its own level". Although there is no evidence to what Hell looks like or if it is real, who do think determines what level your sin is? You or someone else?
Hell does exist, and it is occupied, but you don't have to wait for it to become vacant, if you've just died and you have done a bunch of bad stuff in your life then you will slip right in no problem. Hell is hot, really hot, there are endless cliffs that go up and down and are surrounded by flames and lava and you just sorta chill out on those for the rest of time. Sin definitely has a hierarchy because some sins are a lot worse than others. Murder has to be the worst as you are taking somebody else's life prematurely.
I agree with you and think the cliffs and flames and lava and stuff is an accurate representation of hell, i also agree that murder is the worst sin one can commit.
I do believe there is a hierarchy of sin. Just take our judicial system for example. A person who steals from a store might be put on probation because the crime they committed is a misdemeanor. On the other hand, if the same person were to instead plan and commit a murder, they can be charged for life in the prison system for first degree murder. Evidently the punishment is proportional to the crime. I also think this would be how hell would be set up. I do think there is a hell and that, although no one can accurately predict what it will be like, each punishment is custom fit to each person and their sin. For example, I do not believe that a good person who does not believe in God will recieve the same punishment as a serial killer. Lastly, I think the reason that people believe in hell and heaven because it is a huge part of religion. Even if a person is not religious, they have their own idea of hell, being something they do not wish to do. People believe in life after death, be it in heaven or hell, because it religion is part of human nature and each individual has their own version
There are a lot of "good" people in this world who commit crimes and sin. Do they deserve to go to hell as well? What do you think defines a "good" person?How do you think non-religious people form their beliefs about heaven and hell? I agree that different sins should be repented differently.
I believe there is a hierarchy of sin. Just like how there are different degrees of crimes, such as theft or murder, there are also different degrees of sins. Not all sins carry the same weight, or else all of mankind would be sentenced to hell. Many people have good hearts but sometimes make the mistake of committing a sin due to outside influences. Regardless, this doesn't change their character and who they are and who they want to be. I believe the very worst sin a individual can commit is to lose sight of their morality and humanity, such as when somebody commits a murder. Although I believe in God, I find the idea of an afterlife in heaven or hell difficult to grasp. I mostly come to a conclusion on things based on scientific evidence, and since I cannot find reason about souls going to heaven or hell, I don't believe there is a hell. Those who are Christian believe in Hell, and those who follow a different religion may not. I think the idea of Hell and Heaven were made initially as a punishment/reward system to inspire people to do good deeds in life.
I think there is a hierarchy of sin because obviously stealing a pencil is a sin, but compared to murdering someone its not as bad. So through this example we can see that there are sins that are worse that others, and I believe that the worst sin that you can do is to waste your life or someone else's life. People should treasure their lives and make the most out of it, since they only have one. Time is limited for everyone and no one knows when their life will end, through natural causes or an accident. So I believe that wasting your or others lives is the worst thing you can do as a sin. I do not believe that hell exists, because i believe in a God that is loving and caring, like a Father. A caring and loving father would never put their children through such torment, and so I dont believe that God would put his creation into a hell to torment them for punishment.
I agree that there is a hierarchy of sin. However, what constitutes a "waste of life"? Is it defined as not doing any good, or can one waste their life by not reaching their potential? Furthermore, if you believe God is like a father, wouldn't he feel the need to discipline his children?
I do believe that there is a hierarchy of sin. The punishment should fit the crime, otherwise you might as well have drug users serve prison time with murderers (hold up...). I believe that the worst sin an individual can commit is murder, because you do not have the right to rob another individual of their life. I do not believe that Hell exists, because I am not particularly religious. I think that people who believe in Hell use the fear of Hell to motivate themselves to live life according to the teachings of their religion. Religion has been used throughout history to guide and control people, and the threat of Hell is just another motivation tactic.
I agree with you, Varun! I am not religious either, and although I respect other peoples religion, I do think that it has become too much of an issue in the world, and that it shouldn't be so forcefully incorporated into everyone's daily lives
I also agree Varun. However, I think relating sins to crimes is false because while some sins might be crimes not all are. Such as pride and gluttony. I also think that you can ruin some one's life without physically killing them but emotionally killing them and that is just as bad as taking their life. I agree that Hell is an imaginary place used by religions to control people.
I do believe there is a hierarchy of sins. Yet we are not the one to judge which sin is worst than another. And for sins to exist, is not for God to punish people, is for people to be able to wash off the sin and brings people closer to God. I also believe there is hell. I think its just going to be a large fire pit, where sinner who didn't repent are going to be burn in hell, and eventually burning off their sins in order for them to be given a second chance to be close to God. Some people believe in hell because they believe there is a sin. For people who doesn't believes in hell, believes in Karma.
I believe that there is a hierarchy of sins. Its safe to say that everyone would agree that stealing a candy bar or something along those lines would not nearly be even close to being as bad as something like murder. Which is what i believe to be the worst sin someone could commit. Killing another human, or even pushing someone to the point of them killing themselves are the worst things that any human could do, which is why it is the worst sin. I don't personally believe in hell, but I strongly believe in karma. In the end i believe those who have done wrong will in some way be punished for their actions. The concept of karma is very similar to the idea of having a heaven and a hell, but because karma is more an idea than an actual place, it is easier to believe in. Some may believe in hell or heaven because they see it as a reward for them for resisting the temptation to sin.
Yes there is a hierarchy of sin. murder is worse than sloth. the worst sin is murder because it ends another being's life. I do not know if there is a hell because i have never been to the place and there is no solid proof presented to me. i think the place would be scary, dark, painful, and evil. some people believe in hell because they are religious or fear a higher power.
I'm not exactly sure whether or not I do believe in hell (or heaven for that matter), but I definitely believe in something. There must be something or somewhere we go after we pass but I don't know what that is. Perhaps a hell does exist but my skepticism comes from the fact that I don't buy into the idea of everyone who has ever done anything remotely "wrong" will go to hell. With that idea, everyone would go to hell because no one has ever not done something even slightly wrong. Whether we lied to our parents about eating all of our vegetables or we killed a person. This may be the very reason why not all people believe in hell. Also I think that some people are raised very religiously, forming their beliefs out of the way that they were raised and others were never involved with religion, leading to other opinions forming during their life span. If there is a hell, I doubt it looks like a burning fire pit with demons, I feel as if it would be incredibly silent and pitch black, where you would be forced to reflect on the sins you have committed that got you there.
I think hell exists but I also don't think that everyone who has ever done something wrong will end up in hell. There are many chances and opportunities throughout life for people to help others and do good deeds. Simply put, I think that as long as a person isn't blatantly cruel and has good intentions, he or she won't end up in hell.
I do believe there is a hierarchy of sins. It depends on how bad the person's sin is. Some of the worst sins are committing murder, suicide etc. It is possible for Hell to exist. I don't really know if I believe it or not because I never seen Hell in actual life. But if I were to guess what Hell looks like I would say it is a place where people's souls are tortured/punished. I think some people don't believe in Hell because they haven't seen evidence of it.
Apparently there's this rule in Christianity that if you don't believe in god or you haven't been baptised you go straight to hell when you die. I don't think this should happen because you should be able to choose your own beliefs without being punished because of it and if god is controlling who goes to hell and who goes to heaven then he shouldn't be a jealous over attached little girl about it. Does it really matter what they believe as long as they are a good person. If they have earned a place in heaven with the good stuff they've done in their life then they shouldn't be denied it simply because of their beliefs, fix it.
I agree that this Christianity BS is flawed. All that matters is being a good person. Being baptized is something the Christians invented. Before them, there were Jews who worshiped the same god. They didn't get baptized since it wasn't yet invented so they must go to hell. In my opinion, where you think you'll go when you die is the same place that you think of. I believe that we're all going to hell.
Like most of the people said before, I believe that there is a hierarchy to sin. Different actions deserve different levels of recognition; as bad as lying may be, mass murder is on a whole different level of immoral. In my opinion, the very worst sin an individual can commit is torture, whether physical or mental. I personally do not believe in Hell, simply because I was not raised believing in a religion. No real evidence of it truly exists. Whether a person believes in Hell or not tends to boil down to is what people were taught to believe based on their respective religions. If I were to imagine what Hell would look like, I would envision the generic image of flaming pits, thanks to a childhood of seeing Hell depicted as such.
I believe that there is a hierarchy of sin. There are some crimes that are worse than others. The worst sin an individual can commit is violence without reason. Hell does not exist. People have developed the concept of hell in order to make humans follow the principles of the bible, or suffer the consequences. People should not sin because of their morals, not because they fear the wrath of God. I think some people believe in hell because they feel that people who are not punished during their lives should be punished forever after they die. That is not true, in order for criminals to be held for their crimes, it is up to living individuals to set up a society where justice can be served.
I believe in some of the things you have said because I also believe there is a hierarchy of sin. Also that worst sin is when an individual commit violent without reason. But I do not agree with you saying hell does not exist. I believe that since there are no great evidence of it we do not know if it actually exist so it is possible to exist.
I believe in a hierarchy of sin because sin applies to a wide range of faults from lying to murder. I think cruel murder of anyone, whether its a family member or a stranger is the worst sin possible. I believe that there is a place called hell but depending on the amount and severity of sins it is either a temporary or permanent place. I don't believe in a hell full of fire but a dark place that is excruciatingly hot but doesn't have fire. Some people may think that there is a hell but are in denial in fear that they could end up there. On the other hand, some of the people who don't believe in hell might genuinely believe that there isn't one and that everyone will be forgiven.
I don't know if cruel murder is the very worst sin, though it's definitely horrible. I think being the cause of someone's mental torture and insanity are also very severe. Though most people imagine that Hell is a really hot place, I just imagine that everyone is isolated in their own tortures that are made specifically for them. So it could be really hot, but not necessarily.
This isn't 100% relevant to what you just said, but some time ago, I read an interesting interpretation of Hell. It said something like both Heaven and Hell are actually quite the same - at the center of each, there's a huge pot of pasta. The difference is, the sinners in Hell are very savage and they tear at each other recklessly to reach the food, creating anger, suffering, and chaos. On the other hand, individuals in Heaven wait patiently and eat together graciously and peacefully. which is what makes Heaven so much better. I didn't make this up, but I don't know where I read it from.
I believe that there is a hierarchy of sins. There are sins that are greater than that of others. The greatest sin I believe is when a group of people or an individual massacres many innocent people. Many people do not believe in Hell because of evidence. Because we can't prove that there is such thing as Hell we are not confident if it is artificial. But what evidence can we prove that Hell is real unless one goes toward the after life? Others believe in Hell maybe because people believe that there are places meant to divide the good and the bad in the after life. I believe that Hell is real and is like a jail that have multiply levels going toward the Earth's core. The greater your sin, the deeper you fall.
I agree with you Steven, it seems that everybody here on this blog believes that murder is the worst sin to commit of any sin. I would have to agree that evidence is also a factor to why some people don't believe in hell, as most people don't have a clue of what hell is imagined to be. For the others that do believe in hell, we should also consider the fact that fear is a big factor of why people believe in hell. People are afraid that hell is the place you automatically go to after committing a sever sin. Even though hell is kind of an illusion in your mind, those who strongly believe in hell know how horrifying it is. I would definitely say that yes the more severe the committed sin is, the deeper you fall.
According to Merriam Webster, hell is defined as "a place or state of misery, torment, or wickedness," and sin is defined as "an action that is or is felt to be highly reprehensible."
This leads to the suggestion that there is a hierarchy of sins. Something like wasting water, can be considered a sin greater than creating a satire. But sin is relative to the doer, and the victim. The justice system is based on "sin." It is a system that justifies as objectively as possible, by weighing the net benefits of a sin, of an action. Criminalizing certain actions and treating them differently shows that there could possible be a hierarchy of sins. Murderers can be given the death penalty, while water wasters may be given a fine, or jail time. Even in Catholicism, sin is layered, according to Neil from the video.
Sin must also be determined by "intention" according to Jane Redmont. I agree with this because sin must be intentional. An unintentional action punished as if it were an intentional action would destroy the justice system. Sin must be thoughtfully judged, even the justice system has its flaws.
I personally believe that the biggest sin is sloth. It makes no sense to me that a person who refuses to work is still given amenities equivalent to a decent standard of living. This can be intentionally dropping out of the employment figures, or purposely mooching off of someone higher.
Hell is relative. It depends on the person. A living hell is possible for people going through adverse times. I don't disagree that hell exists, but I disagree that a biblical hell does.
To me, hell is death, whether literal or figurative, of a person whom you admired and loved. Like sin, hell is layered, lower levels of hell are not as egregious as higher layers.
Some people believe in hell because it is a way to explain some sort of adversity they are facing. Hell being relative, it is dependent on the person. The death of a family cat might be hell for some, while failing a test might be for others.
I agree with your idea that the punishment given for criminal actions possibly proves that there is a hierarchy of sins in our society. Since people with difference crimes are reprimanded differently, it shows that sins are definitely layered. In addition, I agree with your point about unintentional actions. This could refer to the concept of premeditated murders vs. "accidental" murders. If the murder is accidental, there are obviously different punishments dictated by our courts as compared with those of a premeditated, or planned murder. Finally, your last point about the definition of hell is extremely intriguing since most people simply interpreted hell in terms of "heaven vs. hell". It's interesting to be thinking about how everyday actions are "hell" for some people, and how you connected that to this prompt!
I believe that there is a hierarchy of sins. Naturally, there is a ranking scale for almost everything we do. We students take tests and we get graded for our performance in school and we get evaluated to get something such as a driver's license. I believe the worse sin one can do is murdering someone. I personally don't believe in a place called Hell, but I would imagine it as a place with lots of fire. I think that many people believe in Hell is because many people imagine what the future holds for them after they die, and they want to be motivated to good things. I don't believe in Hell because there is physically no proof of it existing.
I define sin as regarding to religious punishment and crime as regarding to government punishment. I don't use the word sin as a non religious person and instead I call it crime. I do believe there is a hierarchy of crime and that some crimes are worse than others. In my opinion the worst crime is taking some ones life away either literally by killing them or by making them destitute emotionally or physically. I don't believe in Hell because I was never raised in an environment where I was told what to believe. Therefore I developed my own thoughts and beliefs about the universe that do not include God, Heaven and Hell. Churches throughout time have used religion to control people and manipulating them to do what they want. I believe Heaven, Hell and the idea of sins are just methods of using fear to control people. The varying of opinion on religion and Hell depends on how you were raised and what you were allowed to believe. I don't believe in punishing people because they are a slut or fat because those are considered sins. If you believe differently that's your option, but I guess I'll see you in Hell. I don't believe thinking and doing controversial things will send me to a made up after life.
I completely agree with you and I think that the fear of being damned to Hell can be and has been used to control people. I also agree that our beliefs are formed around what we were led to believe as children. I think being allowed to exercise free thought as a child is important in shaping our educated opinions later on.
I believe that there is no hierarchy of sin. People who commit wrongdoings is committing a crime. Sins are violating relationship with neighbors or the relationship with God. Thus, any sins committed are bad and thus, there are no hierarchy.
Since I believe there is no hierarchy of sin, I don't know if there is a worst sin an individual can commit. However, any sin that cannot be undone is the worst. For example, if you kill a person, that cannot be undone or irreversible. I would believe that these are the worst of sins but would not receive any worse punishment from God.
I don't believe that there is a place called Hell. Many religions state that those with sins go to Hell, those same religions allows one to repent for the sins through confession or prayer. But, those who don't go to church or believe in these, does that make them a bad person? Because, that would mean even those good people who are not religious would end up in Hell and I do not believe that is what happens.
Some people believe in Hell and others would not because there is no tangible proof that it exists. For me, I don't believe in Hell because the teachings around it don't sound logical to me.
While I believe that their is a hierarchy of sin, I can understand your logic of the equality of sins. I also believe with you that the irreversible sins are the most impactful, if not worst. What I find interesting is that you do not believe in Hell. If there is no hell, do you believe that all sins should be punished in the same fashion in the real world? Or should sinners still have different levels of punishment?
Just as there are different levles of punishment assigned by courts, there are different levels of crime or sin. The very worst sin one can commit is betrayal and murder combined because deception is one of the most criminal acts possible since it means abusing people's trust, and murder means the end of the gift of life. As an agnostic, I acknowledge the concept of hell; however, I do not really believe in such a place. I simply do not know where such a spiritual place would be located in our universe, nor do I know where it would be if it were not in our universe. The lack of reasoning behind hell is what leads some people such as myself to not believe in Hell; people who believe in hell choose to do so because of their faith or because they choose to have a spiritual "carrot-and-stick", with Hell serving as the stick.
I completely agree that there are different levels of sin. Murder is obviously much more severe than lying. Thus, different sins should be accounted for differently. In addition, the reason why people choose not to believe in Hell is because of lack of evidence.
There is no hard evidence on the existence of hell yes, but there also is no hard evidence of the nonexistence of hell. How do you prove that something doesn't exist? It just doesn't work.
I believe that there are varying degrees of sin. For example while stealing and killing are both terrible crimes to commit, I believe they are different in severity and therefore deserve different punishments. I think the worst kinds of sin are betrayal, especially when it's a betrayal among family and close friends, and murder. I believe there is such thing as hell because I do believe there should be the place where sinners with no regrets belong after death. I think hell would be something similar to Dante's hell, without the limbo part because I believe people who have lived their life to the fullest and have reflected on their sins deserve to go to heaven or whatever good awaits after death, regardless if they were baptized or not. I understand why some people may not believe in hell or heaven because of the lack of scientific evidence.
I agree with your opinion of "varying degrees of sin" and what are the worst kinds of sin, murder and betrayal (I forgot to include betrayal in my comment, oops). I do also wish that there is some place like Hell that punishes sinners (or criminals) that have no regret of their acts whatsoever. However in my case, I think my "wish" is not strong as "believing" it exists, but not so weak that I deny the existence of Hell.
Although I do think some sin are more heavy than others, I think sin is rather a spectrum than a hierarchy. The degree of "sin", I believe, varies with the situation the "sin" was committed. The worst sin a person can commit is murder, since it literally ends a person's life and future, and no one has the right to do that. I am not sure if a place like Hell exists, but I do think that there might be a place that sinners goes to atone for his/her sins, or some kind of process at the very least. If that place was "Hell", then I think it is going to be a very lonely and boring world. Maybe its really hot or really cold, or maybe both. I haven't thought about the existence of "Hell", so my image of "Hell" is very vague. I think some people believes in Hell and others do not because those who believe in Hell wants sinners to be punished in the "ideal" way.
I believe that there is a hierarchy of sins and it does matter which sin you commit. However, I believe the point of sins is for repentance and to learn from what you did wrong. I also believe in Hell and Purgatory, two beliefs that support repentance and punishment. I think sins can be forgiven, depending on which level it is on. The lowest types of sins are murder, betraying God, and not repenting your sins. All these sins can effect one's relationship with God as well as others around you. Hell looks like a place no one wants to be in because ultimately you are getting punished for your wrong actions. Hell exists because it confirms that your actions can determine things later. Some people do not believe in Hell because they do not believe in sins, God, or punishment.
I believe that there is a hierarchy of punishments for each sin in hell. Some sins, such as murder, are pretty severe and deserve a more harsh punishment. Minor sins such as lying or covetousness deserve a less severe punishment. However,according to the Bible, no matter how severe or how minor a sin is, all deserve to be punished for that sin. Heaven is supposed to be a holy place, and because God is perfect, sin is not allowed in a perfect place.
Sin, regardless if it is the breaking of relationship with God, or committing a crime in the eyes of society, can be scaled between minor and major. If someone cheated on a test, would they belong in the 9th circle of hell like Satan? No, because there is no way that you can equate minor to major sins. It is as simple as that, minor and major sins are difference on the pyramid of sin. I believe there is punishment based on the severity of of the sin.
I agree with you, if God is supposed to be fair and just, all sins are not going to be considered the same. A person who lusts after a piece of candy doesn't deserve to burn in the same hell as somebody who murdered an innocent person. Having all sins be the same is like giving everybody who has ever committed a crime the death penalty because they acted against the law.
I definitely do believe that there is a hierarchy of sin. There should be different levels depending on how severe the sin is. For example a small lie is not as severe as murdering someone. I think that the worst sin an individual can commit is the act of murder. Murder is a very vicious act and creates a lot of sadness and pain for people. Personally, I don’t believe there is a certain place called Hell; however, I believe that everyone has their own version of Hell. Hell would be a place of dread, fear, and misery. I think that the fact some people believe in Hell and others do not has to do with what they were taught while growing up. People’s beliefs could also be affected by their religion.
I agree with everything you said. I have never thought of people having their own versions of Hell. It's interesting to think that people can determine what their "ideal" Hell would be like.
I also think it is a very interesting point that we all have our own versions of hell and I completely agree. Just as not everyone has the same perspective of right and wrong or what is or is not logical to do, it all varies from person to person. Not only because of the way that we are raised though, of course how we are brought up has a large impact on things but I also believe it is based on a way of thinking that we have adapted on our own. There are of course the generalized and "commonly believed" views of things. For example is the color purple that I see the same color purple that someone else sees? Or even is something that I believe is a sinful thing to do what everyone believes is an act of sin? At the end of the day, it all comes down to us all being individuals who have their own, and sometimes subconscious, opinions about everything that do not always match other people's opinions. Similarly, since hell is not something anyone has ever really seen, everyone has their own imagined version of hell, like you said a place of dread, fear, and misery. But I believe that the reason for everyone's version of hell being so different or sometimes not even existing is because of our conscience and the guilt (or lack of it) that we feel about things we have done. Someone whose conscience is deeply guilty would be waiting for the other shoe to drop and that could result in imagining a place of fear and misery where they would be punished for their guilty actions. While people who may not have so much of a guilty conscience would not think too much into this idea of a hell and to them it would be nothing but a myth. Overall, I believe hell could be created in our minds by religion or by our conscience and the guilt that we may feel.
I found what we talked about today interesting especially about why did God make some people have disabilities. I'm not sure if God is perfect or not but maybe God isn't perfect and also makes mistakes like we do. Today we have science that explains why some people have illness or disabilities. I could be a possibility that God made a mistake which is why some people are disabled. I also found what Kevin said about who is the creator of the creator very interesting. If God created us then who created God?
In my perspective, a sin is simply a wrong action. Just as actions can be labeled by importance, impact, significance, etc., so can sins. Thus, I do believe that there is a hierarchy of sin. The worst of all sins are sins that wrong others. You can commit a sin, for example cheating on a test, that does not affect others. On the other hand, a sin, such as lying, does affect another individual. Thus, all sins that have some affect on others, adultery, murder, etc., are much more severe than sins that only have an effect on the sinner. In my opinion, the worst sin a person can commit is theft. Reason being, theft is a very vague term that can include multiple sins. For instance, murder can also be considered theft because it involves one person taking another person's life.
Although I don't know what it looks like, Hell is a place that I believe exists. People probably choose not to believe in Hell because there is no proof of it. It's not a tangible place that people can visit or see. However, I choose to believe in Hell because, in my opinion, it makes me a better person. The idea that I will be punished for my sins keeps me mindful of my actions. I'm sure others agree as well and choose to believe in Hell in order to be an overall better person.
II believe that there is a hierarchy of sin. Regardless of the fact that sin is associated with religion, there are different degree of sins as there are varying degrees of crime. Sin is quite difficult to quantify. Many might perceive murder as a much more horrific sin compared to stealing something. However, some might successfully argue that they are equal levels of sin because their consequences are about the same. With this, it can be challenging to compare the different degrees of sins, if they exist of course. Despite this, I do think that there is a type of sin that can be surely classified as a worse sin, a sin to carry out another sin. Let's say for instance, in a certain religion, breaking a jar and eating a cookie are both sins. Separately, one sin might be worse than the other, or they can both be equally bad, but as previously said, it can be controversial to determine that. However, if someone breaks a jar in order to get a cookie to eat, that is surely a worse sin. The action shows that the person completely neglected a sin in order to sin again.
I think that a hierarchy of sin exists. For example, it's pretty clear that murdering someone is worse than shoplifting a bottle of soda from the grocery store. I think the more important thing in determining the hierarchy of sin, however, is the intention of the sinner. Those who recognize their failings and repent are less reprehensible than those who do not. In my opinion, the first sin that an individual can commit is manipulating others. The willful use of others to one's own advantage, and the idea of toying with someone's emotions for one's own pleasure or enjoyment are both disgusting to me. No, I do not believe in Hell. Although I was raised in a Christian household, I don't consider myself a religious person. Most people that believe in Hell base that stance on their religious upbringing. Others believe in it to boost their self-esteem and imagine their enemies burning in the inferno. Dante's belief in Hell is a combination of these two factors.
I consider sin to be a religious word, the more general equivalent being crime. And I consider a crime to be anything that impedes on another's rights. Anything not considered a crime, I don't consider a sin. However, of crime, there are certainly multiple levels. For example, murder is definitely worse than lying. I don't believe in heaven or hell or in God. In regards to that, I believe that someone decided to create a cult that was based on the fear of going to hell. The reason i don't believe is because there is no current proof that shows that there exists a god, heaven or hell. Yet others believe that there is a God. I believe that this is because a person wants something to believe in, a greater cause, or a greater being. For some people, that is Heaven, Hell, God and the rest of the bible.
I believe there is a hierarchy of sin, in the sense that some sins are more hurtful than others. Sin, in my opinion, depends on the circumstance, rather than just the action. For example, a child lying about cleaning up is much less grievous than a government official telling a lie to make more money or to rise illegally to a certain position. Sins depend greatly on the situation they are in. I think the worst sin an individual can commit can to be to cause life threatening harm to another individual on the grounds that the opposing individual means no danger to the individual. I believe that Hell does exist, and is similar to sin in the sense that it depends on the situation. Hell to some people could be their present situation, or could be a state of confusion their minds could be in. Hell to some people could be living with cancer or could be living with an autistic child. The belief in Hell, I think, depends on the belief in whether there is or isn't a supreme being.
A sin to me is any action that goes against the will of God and is morally wrong. While all sins are perceived as immoral I do believe that there is a hierarchy of sins - that is some sins are worse than others. I believe on the worst end of the spectrum of sins is murder for money. To me that is the worst sin because not only does it take someone’s life but also it takes it for a selfish reason (for personal gain). Unlike murder for a revenge of a loved one, or murder in self defense, murder for money puts an earthly object above the value of a human life, and is therefore the worst sin an individual can commit. As a born catholic, I was raised to believe in a place called Hell for individuals who commit major sins. Over time however, I question Hell’s existence because I believe in a forgiving God, who forgives everyone he created. I believe that most people try to believe in Hell, because they want to be rewarded in Heaven for all the good deeds they did on earth. Its existence however, and the existence of God himself is yet to be fully proven.
Although society places a hierarchy on crimes by giving more severe punishments to more severe crimes, I do not believe that there is a great difference between different sins. Everyone makes the decision to commit a sin and do something wrong, and in that way, no sine is more "severe" or "serious" than others. It is, however, important how people feel after committing a sin. If they do not feel any remorse or guilt whatsoever, I think that they are more severe "criminals" than those that genuinely feel guilty for their sins. In other words, I believe that the way people react after sinning (if they feel guilty and if they repent) is more important than the sin itself. As a Christian, I believe that hell does exist, and that it is a place where God is not. Since sinners in life chose to not believe in God, in hell, they will be separate from God in death as well. I think that religion has a lot to do with whether or not people believe in hell and that many people choose not to believe in hell because they do not want to believe in a place that is a punishment for their actions.
I think you make an interesting point about how repentance is much more important than ranking the severity of the sin. I get how you are saying that solely the decision to commit any type of sin, however major or minor, is wrong. I also find your argument that people who do not choose to be with God in life (not believing in him) do not deserve to be with him in Heaven interesting as well. I really enjoyed reading your responses because your ideas were different from mine and helped me gain perspective from a different viewpoint!
There is a hierarchy of sin involved because in Hell there are nine circles for different sins. For example, the ninth circle is reserved for betrayers and mutineers which is one of the worst sins an individual can commit. Technically, Hell does not exist except in our imaginations, in which case if would look different to everybody. Some people may see it as eternal punishment, and some people may just simply see it as a really bad school day at Lynbrook. Some people believe in Hell and others do not because of the different religions we practice.
I do believe that there is a hierarchy of sin separating certain sins from others on the basis of severity. Some sins deserve harsher punishment than others, such as murder compared to stealing. Stealing is just the taking of one's material, but murder is the taking of life from one of "god's creations". The very worst sin that a man can commit is either murder or betrayal. Despite this, I do not believe that there is such a place as "Hell". This notion of "Hell" was created as an explanation of how the world works and what happens after death. "Hell" shows humanity's early attempts to create ordered society and control groups of people. Just like the many legends concocted by the ancient people, Hell isn't backed by any concrete evidence but it provides a logical theory of life after death. There are differing views on whether Hell exists mostly due to how each individual was raised. Individuals take in a lot when they are young, so family, church, and environment greatly affect how they will see the world in the future. It can also be due to how if this belief in Hell wasn't there, then there would be no explanation for what would happen after death. One of the biggest fears of anyone is the fear of the unknown, hence why Hell provides a sort of confidence that there is hope and life after our lives on Earth.
I agree with everything you said except your final statement, where you stated that Hell provides hope and life after our lives on Earth. Maybe you meant heaven, but Hell only provides fear, and is a church's means of control of people using fear.
I think that there is a hierarchy of sins because crimes have different severity. If god is supposed to be fair, then why would stealing an apple warrant the same punishment as murdering someone. I don't believe there is a hell because it is simply illogical to me. There is little to no evidence that there is something as hell. I think people believe in heaven and hell because it makes them feel secure in the afterlife. It will make them feel better thinking that if they are good people, then they will be rewarded, while bad people will be punished. I believe that we only have this one life, and we should be good people, not because of rewards/punishments in the afterlife, but because we have to be good to other people in our short life.
I agree with your opinion that hell doesn't exist and that there should be different levels of severity for crimes committed. You make a good point on how people like to believe in heaven and hell due to expectation of reward. Being a good person isn't something to be rewarded, it is something to be expected out of a human being in their short lives.
I feel that there is a hierarchy for sin. What I know is that all sin is bad but I believe that there are some more heinous then the other. For example, I feel that a small robbery is bad and should be punished but that small robbery is not as bad as killing a person. If the world worked like that, then one of two things would happen. Either people who have committed a small robbery will be sentenced to death or life in prison or, murders would only spend a few years in jail.Some say that all sinners go to hell. In a way I agree, but I feel that some sins can be fogiven compared to other sins.So yes, I do believe in a hell. But not the fiery pit that many people talk about. I think hell is like any other world but is filled with the worst of people. I believe hell is like our world but filled with murderers and felons but doesn't have hany people to make that world a better place. For me that would be the worst place to be stuck in. This is my opinion on hell and sin. People wonder why others don't have the same opinion on hell and sin. The reason is because everyone has a different idea of hell and sin. Some are brought up in a religion where hell is real and is a fiery pit of nothingness. Some choose to believe in hell and sin because they want to believe in something more then life, and some just don't and believe that death is the end of a life and soul. It is all a matter of a person's beliefs and opinions and not everyone has the same opinion.
I agree with tanvi that sin is a bad thing and that there are different gauges of sin with different consequences also agree that sins can be forgiven what I believe most of all is people all have different versions of what sin is what right and wrong is and even what hell looks like all quantified and interpreted differently. To me the bible is the moral base and standard of my life and I get answers from that maybe not for others the moral that should be taken is that hell is aplace to avoid, sin is inevitable but can be made up for and that hell is a place of unknown inquiry. -Caleb Britton
I agree with you, Caleb, especially that there is a hierarchy of sins because no sin is the same and that sins often get worse. The bible is like a law-- that is a moral law that generally Christians follow. No one is perfect but repentance often helps.
I feel that everyone has a different view of a sin. In my opinion a sin is determined by an individual's morals. But the idea of sin can also be sculpted by society. Society can't decide if someone goes to hell or not. Sin can be forgiven if one fixes themselves tho.
There are different stages for sin.The worst sin is to betray anyone, not just god. There is no such thing as hell. Some people believe in hell because they trust the church so much that they are overly religious. Others do not because they do not trust the church as much.
I wouldn't necessarily say there is a hierarchy of sin because a sin is a sin no matter how severe it maybe. Having an affair compared to stealing a Gatorade may seem more severe but when you ask the question "Were they both sinful actions" the answer comes to a yes. Although sin is a sin, there will be different consequences for different sins. In the Bible, it states that some sins will have more harsh consequences than the others. I do believe that hell exists. I was brought up in a Christian household and of course they all told me that heaven and hell exist. But as I grew up and heard others saying " I need proof that there is Jesus, I need to see for myself there is hell/heaven, etc" Humans always need something to see or feel in order to believe. Then how do people love each other, how do they trust each other? But that's probably for another time. Yet I want to put it out there that there is no evidence of hell/heaven NOT existing either so how do you know which one is right? I choose to believe that there is hell and that we were all put into this world for a reason. I guess you can say #noYOLO.
I am a member of the United Methodist Church. We are more relaxed Christians compared to my dad, who is Catholic. I personally believe that hell is a place filled with your worst nightmares. It is filled with your enemies, fears, villains, and criminals. However, if you pray every night, and talk to God while repenting your sins this will guarantee you a spot in heaven. Hell is a place where you are punished and do work for God. The center of hell is the worst and has a giant fire. Although you don't want to go to hell, if you pray to God you will end up in your vision of paradise, like Hawaii! Obviously, there are worse sins than others. If you cheat on a test you’re not going to die. However, if you injure someone with intent to hurt, that would be classified as a sin. The worst sin ever recorded was by Judas. He first betrayed his friend Jesus, and then committed suicide. I believe that suicide, and murder are both the highest punishable sins. There are definitely levels of hell according to the sins you commit. However, I believe that you are put in your own hell inside a portion of hell itself. On the bright side, with education and respect towards God, country, self, and others. all of us will end up in heaven.
For the most part I agree that suicide is a sin because every life is precious, and suicide is technically murder. I do believe that in certain situations, suicide can be justified and that not all suicides hold the same weight.
I believe that there is a hierarchy of sin. I know that it was, and still primarily is, believed that there are the "Seven Deadly Sins", all of which (if committed) will ensure that the individual who committed said sin will end up damning their soul to reside in the depths of hell for all of time. Now, the definition of Hell - or what happens after death - varies from religion to religion. Some believe in reincarnation. Others in heaven and hell, and others in some other means of judging one's soul. But whatever the case may be, the sins you have committed play a role in how your soul is accommodated after your passing. Those that believe in reincarnation may believe that if sins were committed in the afterlife, then one will be reincarnated into a harder, rougher life both as punishment and as a chance to prove oneself. Others believe in hell, and separation from God. But, at least for me, any way that you choose to define what happens after death, the sins do not guarantee the same punishment or damnation. For me, pride is a sin that is not as malicious or horrible as stealing (one's things, life, or right to the truth as Baba from The Kite Runner explained). So I do not believe that pride will ensure that one receives the same punishment as those who steal. I do not believe that the categorization of the penalties for sin are this inclusive and broad. I believe that a higher power will be able to differentiate between malicious and non-malicious sins, and then set a protocol for atoning and redeeming oneself that is specific to the sin that was committed.
Well, this is definitely different from my views. Even though we didn't have the same ideas I understand and find it interesting that your views are this way.
Well done sir Greenberg (why did you write Vahabi?)
to Say that there is a hierarchy of sin is to use a misleading term where some sins are better than others. No sin is good moreover no sin will get you closer to god. This doesn't mean that some sins cant be worse than others for example murder is much worse than lying but if that lying led to the death of 1000's of people with the full knowledge understood by the liar I think we can safely say that person is definitely worse than the person who just murdered one person. The worst sin is that of absolute and unforgiving hatred and malice where the person is actively trying to make the world a worse place. I do believe in hell because I believe that god exists and that the bible is the word of god. In the bible it talks about hell being a real place but it doesn't have all the details that Dante had in his novel. I believe hell is a place of complete darkness and complete separation from god where forgiveness and mercy do not exist. The reason why people in general believe in hell is fear of god and its judgement These are good things as to keep people responsible and reprehensible for their actions. Some people who don't believe in hell want proof of its existence other than the bible or they may see hell as something different.. The focus that is needed on sin is the motive and heart behind it. Ileave you with this : Instead of foucsing on who deserves judgement we should focus on how to make up for it and that is with love -Caleb Britton
There is a definitely a hierarchy of sin. Some sins are much worse than others. Lying to your parents that you went to your friend's house playing video games for an hour instead of studying is unquestionably better than murdering people, doing dangerous drugs, or joining a gang. The very worse sin that a man can make is disrespecting your parents. Your parents have raised you since you were a baby and they want you to grow up to be wonderful great man or woman. Disregarding you parents' hard work in raising you can be as one of the worse possible sins possible.
I truly believe there is such thing as no hell because I am more of an atheist. I believe that hell was first intentionally designed as a factor for scaring people to do only good deeds.
Brian, I agree with you about how the idea of Hell came to be. I think the idea of a place where sinners are punished was attractive to early religious leaders, because it scares people into following the norms that are put forth. When faced with the possibility of eternal torture, people tend to behave better. I have to respectfully disagree, however, with your statement that disobeying one's parents is the worst possible sin. Murder involves the taking of another person's life, an act which I think is heinous and far worse than disrespecting parents.
In my opinion there is a hierarchy of sin. However there are not many levels to this hierarchy, there are only two. The first level consists of sins that are general though of as minor, an example of a minor sin would be lying. The other level of sin would be the more serious level, a typical example would be murder. Although I did give these examples, I think that each sin could be worse depending on what it alters and how many other people are hurt by this sin. There is no certain picture to hell but the general idea of it is a place that you don't like. This place could be a blank world in which nothing happens and you are forced to live with what you have done until you are forgiven or it could be the typical fire like cavern where the devil and his minions lie. To those that don't agree with the statement "there is a hell" it is because everyone has different views on the after life of certain people. It may be because of religion or just because you find the idea to be strange and not justified. Truth is there is no way to know for sure what happens when a person that has committed sin dies.
There is definitely a hierarchy of sin because they can obviously vary in severity. Stealing a cookie from the kitchen is nothing when compared to murder. I don't think there is an absolute worst sin because the consequence of a sin can differ depending on the situation and individuals involved. I don't know if there is a Hell just as I am not sure if there is a Heaven. But if there is a Hell, I believe that the punishments would be specifically tailored to fit an individual’s worst fears and sins. A customized torture. The extent in which a person believes in Hell depends on their spiritual beliefs. For example, a Christian would probably believe in Hell more strongly than an Atheist or Buddhist would (that is, if the latter two even believe in it at all).
I agree with your idea that "the consequence of a sin can differ depending on the situation and individuals involved." If murder is defined as killing a living organism of any kind, then wouldn't eating vegetables be a form of murder? But usually the non animal murder that's emphasized most is killing trees. Murdering a relative or a someone you have a relationship with is more sinful than murdering a stranger. So even within the same sin there is a hierarchy of how bad it really is.
I agree with your idea that different religions leads to different concepts of heaven and hell but I also think that even within the same religion there will be different ideas of the afterlife. In addition, different cultures in different time periods would also lead to a different range of beliefs.
I believe there is a hierarchy of sins. Somethings we do are worse than others. For example, cheating on tests and murdering someone both count as sin but murder is obviously worse than the other. I believe that sins that affect yourself (ie. lying, cheating, etc.) aren't as bad as the ones that affect the lives of others. I believe the worst sin a person can commit is one where they take away the life of someone else and the way they commit this crime doesn't matter (ie. murder, torture, etc.) I believe there is more than just the physical world and I believe that after we die, we do move on to another place, but I would not label it as Hell (or Heaven). I believe that the spirits of those who died are still with us on Earth but they do not show themselves. I think people believe/ don't believe in Hell because of what they are taught. Some people are taught that there is an afterlife and some people are taught there is nothing. People can only know what they are taught with this topic.
Yes, I believe there is a hierarchy of sin. Stealing something is not on the same degree of wrongdoing as and is totally different from a sin like betraying your spouse. These different types of sins should not be treated and punished the same way. Of all sins, I think that the worst sin an individual can commit is murder because you are taking the life of another. However, it depends on the circumstances. A premeditated murder is obviously not on the same level as murder out of self defense. I do also believe there is a place called Hell in afterlife. I don’t really imagine the stereotypical image of a red devil with a pitchfork with flames in the background, but rather a place that seems and looks like prison, where people are punished for the wrongdoings during their life. In our society, there are people of many different beliefs, opinions, and religions as we all come from different backgrounds or principles. Some people like a certain type of food. Others do not. Some people are pro-life while others are not. Naturally, some people will believe that there is afterlife and places like Heaven and Hell while others do not.
I like how you differentiated between premeditated murder and killing out of self defense to establish that the circumstances surrounding a sin are vital when it comes to judging how harsh the punishment should be.
There is a hierarchy of sins, because some sins are definitely worse than others. For example, adultery and stealing food may both be considered sins. However, adultery is clearly a worse sin because of how our culture has defined moral standards. I believe that the more people a sin impacts, the "worse" it is in terms of hierarchy, because a person is negatively impacting the lives of others. If the sin is more personal and doesn't have an effect on anyone else, it wouldn't be as bad. I don't have a strong opinion on whether hell exists or not. I personally like having concrete evidence/proof that something is true before I really start to believe in it, and since there is no proof of hell, I'm indifferent. Some people probably believe in hell because of their religion and how they were taught when they were younger. For example, many children are told to be respectful and make morally sound decisions, otherwise they'll "go to hell" instead of heaven. Influences like family and culture certainly play a huge role in why some people believe in hell, and why people have varying ideas of the concept.
I completely agree that our culture defines moral standards, but such a definition does not necessarily depend on the number of people affected. For example, adultery would hurt both the adulterer and one's partner whereas murdering an estranged, homeless man hurts only the victim. By the aforementioned definition, the former would be more sinful, but I personally believe the latter is far more horrific. Like you said, by no means is sin independent from the number of people affected, but I think a more general definition to capture the order of sin hierarchy is the magnitude of the sin.
I do believe there is a hierarchy of "sins" (or wrongdoings that people commit). I consider a more minor crime like theft less reprehensible than an offense like sexual assault or murder, which are in my opinion among the worst possible sins. I don't think people who have committed minor crimes deserve to be grouped in with serial killers. Personally I do not believe in Hell because I don't believe that my free will and my natural thoughts and behaviors are punishable by damnation to eternal misery. I think people believe in Hell because that is what they were taught to believe from a very young age and the idea has stuck with them. Those who do not believe in Hell most likely did not grow up with the idea.
There is definitely a hierarchy of sin, depending on how negative of an effect it has had. It is still impossible to define what is considered a sin and what is not, though. Everyone has different definitions of whether a certain action was considered a sin or not, so I personally can’t even determine what sin could be the worst. I don’t believe there is a Hell. I believe that every person in their life has sinned at some point, and everyone has lived through life with sufferings that sending people to Hell just doesn’t seem right. I believe other people believe that there is a Hell, because people always say that “people get what they deserve.” To them, Hell is a place where their price will be paid.
I do not think there is a hierarchy for different sins because circumstances make one sin worse than another. Cold-blooded murder and manslaughter are two very distinct crimes. Although they both result in the loss of human life, I do not believe the people responsible for these two crimes deserve the same punishment. I don't think there is one sin that is worse than all the others. What makes a sin horrible is the magnitude of negative effect it has on the people affected by the sin. Some might say that murder is the worst sin of all. However, sometimes, killing someone is not the worst thing you can do to them. You can make them live in their personal hell everyday which, in my opinion, is worse than killing them. I would like to believe that sinners and terrible people do go to hell to repent their sins. There was a recent study done on near-death experiences. Most people said that they felt absolute bliss and joy in their last moments while a small group said that they felt panic and agony. I really hope hell is where sinners get to experience the receiving end of their sin. The sinners should feel what other people have felt because of their actions. I think most people who have committed heinous crimes don’t like to believe in hell. They do not like the idea of being eternally punished.
I completely agree with your viewpoint on the hierarchy of sin, since one is obviously more sinful than the other. I love your idea on how people create their own hell.
Hell, Sin, Heaven, and the afterlife are some of the most speculated issues of our world. Most cultures have their own beliefs on Heaven and Hell (or their specific counterparts per religion). People have a natural tendency towards the protection of their being, thus have concern for what comes after life--it is only human. In a way, the concept of Heaven and Hell instills a fear of retribution, in an effort to encourage people to have good principles.
The world, however, has been set up to punish those who have sinned. There is no way for men on earth to be sure, but I believe that a Hell-like place exists, and that there is a hierarchy of sin exists to scale and determine one’s level of retribution. A sin is defined as “any act regarded such as a transgression, especially a deliberate violation of some moral principle.” As such, it seems unlikely, and even unfair that a person who committed a relatively “simple” crime, such as telling a lie or copying homework is punished as severely as someone who committed the worst possible crime--murder.
The way I see it, murder is the most heinous crime because it takes away an equal’s life. There is nothing to live for without life. As the video from this morning said, “why would we actually sin against the purpose of our own existence?” The point is valid in its entirety--taking life is exactly sinning against our own existence.
Even if a physical location like Hell exists, people are also severely punished for their own crimes. For example, those who tell a lie will likely get caught and feel guilty, those who copy homework will be handed an academic infraction notice. Those who commit murder are confined to a life sentence in prison, and sometimes even given the death sentence.
The concept of Hell is so esoteric, that many people find it intangible. Hell is, I believe just a location for people to fully understand and feel the severity of their crimes after death. It’s possible that some people believe in Hell because they believe in the purpose of punishment for crimes, and others don’t believe in it because it is not something that can be proven.
I like how you brought up that people have an innate instinct for self preservation that led to beliefs about the afterlife. It is a perfectly logical reason why such words like "Heaven" and "Hell" and their respective meanings came into existence. I have to disagree, though, with how you stated that the world has a system of punishment for sinners in place. Some criminals escape justice and never receive due punishment. Those that believe in Hell are probably comforted by the thought that Hell is a fail-safe system to dole out retribution.
There should be a hierarchy of sin- killing a mosquito should not be held to be as severe a sin as murder. The worst sin that someone can commit is torturing or hurting someone to the point where committing suicide could be justified. This kind of sin is worse than murder, because murder simply takes away another's life while this sin makes another feel as though life is not worth living. I understand that there are instances in which torture has justification, but that is a grey area that has no right or wrong answer If there is a Hell, it is probably more horrible than anything we can imagine. Hell should not just be a fire pit or something akin to that. I imagine Hell to have no physical manifestation, but to simply be a place of eternal suffering. Souls most likely do not have physical properties, so why should Hell? If Hell does not exist, I believe that "Hell" and its meanings came about because of people's desire for justice and retribution. Even with today's justice system and police system, some criminals are not caught and received no punishment. In the past, criminals must have has a much easier time escaping justice. Those that they wronged probably believed in Hell to comfort themselves that, eventually, all sinners will get their due. Hell may or may not exist, and that uncertainty means that some people passionately believe in Hell and some, equally as passionately, do not believe in Hell. The division comes from people's personal beliefs and religions.
In the bible, it is said that there are no greater or lesser sin. All sins that people commit are equal in God's eyes. Although in our world, punishments for murder may be worse than stealing, God still views the wrong doings as the same. But one thing that the bible hints is that the worst sin of all is not believing in God. Basically betraying and not trusting in God. I believe that there is a place called sin mainly because I'm a Christian. Although there are no actual description or picture, everyone understands that it's a place where evil, demons, and satan exist and live. It can also be pictured as a place where everything is burning with fire. I think others believe in it because they might be Christian like me or believe in other religions that accept hell as a real place. But others might not because they're atheist who don't believe in a God or Hell.
I cannot say for certain if I believe that there is a hierarchy of sin. Sin by definition is “an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law,” and the definition of divine law is “any law that comes directly from the will of God, in contrast to man-made law.” Sins are acts against “God’s” will. I do not believe in “God”, therefore, the word “sin” does not register any value with me. So I cannot judge whether there is any hierarchy of sin or not. We also have to question exactly what sin is. Is a sin a wrongdoing? What is a wrongdoing? What we believe to be right or wrong does not depend on us, but our society. When we grow up, we are taught what is right, and what is wrong. As young infants, all we really can do is absorb the information given to us and believe it, because we have no other foundation to base upon. Society defines us and our thought patterns. Were we to live in a different society where killing was alright, and showing kindness a bad thing, the meaning of sin would be quite different. Yes, it may be a chaotic society, but as humans, we are able to adapt, and if we could not adapt, then humans just were not meant to exist. Survival of the fittest, right?
I do not believe in hell. As with heaven, hell is a place created along with the belief. Religions, in my opinion, are just grasps at straws. When religious beliefs started forming, I believe that humans just made up all the practices, morals, punishments in the belief for the sake of having something to rely upon when there is nothing left. Religion is like the imaginary friend you had when you were a child because you had no one else; a last hope. If hell were to exist though, I imagine it to be just one big black hole where your mind or soul just exists for eternity. A place where you will be forever alone.
It's interesting for me to compare those with belief and those without, because for those who don't believe that there is some sort of god or deity who is perfectly righteous and perfectly just, how do they determine what a wrongdoing is? I agree that for those without belief or religion, they gage the rightness or the wrongness of their actions based on their surroundings and history. Then again, we have to remember that morals change over time. There was a moment in time where showing ankles and wrists was scandalous and wrong. I love your representation of hell. I think that when we imagine a hell, we take the image of what we fear personally the most and wrap it with the emotion we detest the most. Hell is supposedly the darkest, most evil place in the world, and a result we take what we know is dark and evil to represent hell. But it makes me wonder if Hell contains a far worse evil that does not exist on this earth that we couldn't have possibly imagined.
I believe that there is a hierarchy of sin, because there are different levels of sin. I can't really say what is the worst sin one can commit, because people have different views and perception. For example, cussing at someone can be the worst sin an individual can commit; however, murder can be the worst sin one can commit. I think that committing suicide is the worst sin one can commit, because committing suicide is also disrespecting god. God gave one a life as a human, and committing suicide would be the same as denying God's mean. When one commits sin, one must go to hell, and I do believe that there is hell. Hell is where people get punished for their sins. I imagine that hell is dark and has devils. Some people believe that there is hell, and others do not, because people believe in different religions; some people aren't even religious.
I believe that there is a hierachy of sin. The severity of a sin is dependent upon the crime. The severity of sin is present in our current judicial system as murderers get longer jail sentences than thieves. The worst sin someone can commit is dependent upon your views. Whether you think Hell exists or not is dependent on your religious beliefs. I think Hell is used a tactic to spread fear and the notion that it exists is used to make a more lawful society.
I'm not sure if my comment got published the first time so I'll do it again. There is only one type of sin, which is theft. All sins are variations of theft. If you kill a man, you take away his right to live. If you steal, you take away the right to own property. Ignorance is the worst sin. You deny yourself the right to knowledge which I believe will lead to increased involvement in sinful activities. Ignorance is the gateway to evil and world suffering. Hell is a place and everybody will go there. It doesn't have any specific look however, it is filled with terrible emotions and suffering. People believe in hell since they want answers to life. They want to know why they are here. From out of curiosity, people make up their own answers to life but that doesn't necessarily mean they are stupid.
I do believe there is a hierarchy of sin. Because humans aren’t perfect, we are technically sinning all the time. Some sins, however, are not as serious as others and in the grand scheme of life they are usually insignificant. I think the worst sin a person can commit is murder. Taking someone’s right to life is far worse than most all of the other sins that one can commit. If there is a place called Hell, then those who have intentionally committed major sins (such as murder) would go there after death. Like most others, my image of Hell is fiery, isolated, and miserable. Some people believe in Hell because of their religion or their personal opinions on afterlife. Believing in some sort of afterlife can act as a sort of motivation or incentive for a person to be the best they can be. Others may choose to not believe in Hell because there is no scientific evidence. Personally, I support the fact that one should believe in anything that helps them strive to be a better person, whether that means believing in an afterlife or not.
In a sense yes, there is a hierarchy of sins, but at the same time no. Because god demands moral perfection, stealing or murdering would both deliver you punishment. However, we must accept that people make mistakes such as stealing something or a cheating on a test. One must not be sent to hell for such a small sin. Mistakes help you grow as a person and earn public morality. Murder, for example, has the ability to grant one to hell, because it is not a mistake. It is a choice, because one can not learn from it and use it to morally develop. I do not believe there is a place called hell. It is your conscience. When you commit a sin, your conscience becomes your hell where you are forced to suffer from regret, a punishment on its own.
I believe there is a hierarchy of sin, since not all sins are equal. For example, murder is much more destructive than minor crimes such as theft. In my opinion, the very worst sin an individual can commit is murder. Murder takes away the victim's life and future, and is unjustified in most situations. I don't think Hell exists, because there is no real evidence. Some people might believe in Hell because they were taught that way from a young age. It might also be useful to prevent crime from happening.
I think Hell is a cold place. So I disagree with you on that. In addition, if sin were to be like math, a sin would be an action with a negative sign and good deeds would be ones with positive signs. So in a number line, there are some that are more negative than others, despite both being negative, so I believe there is a hierarchy to sin imo.
I believe that there is a hierarchy of sin, since some crimes have greater magnitude than others. Although the severity of a sin depends upon the beholder, there exists a general consensus that death is the worst kind of crime that a person could commit, since you deprive someone of the right to live. However, I believe that there are certain crimes that are worse than murder since they could give rise to long-term trauma in the life of the victim and others involved. The individual may consider living under such a strain to be worse than death. In fact, some consider living unhappily to be worse than living at all. I don’t think that hell exists since I believe that all humans are born good and deserve a second chance. According to the Hindu religion, people are reborn differently until they reach enlightenment. This belief appeals to me since people should be allowed to try again so that they have room to improve. Therefore, I don’t think that hell exists, but there is a form of heaven that can only be achieved. I think that some people believe in concepts like karma and hell to reassure themselves that wrongdoers get punished.
I see your point that people believe in what makes them feel reassured; I think that observation hints at the underlying human nature to lie to ourselves when there is no proof. I'm not saying that people shouldn't believe in hell, rebirth, or nonexistence after death, all I'm saying is that we believe in those concepts because it is in our nature to do so. As humans, we fear the unknown, and would rather come up with our own explanations than accept the fact that "we don't know."
No I believe that there is no hierarchy of sin if referring to how sin is punished. Since the punishment of sin is eternal separation from God or death, there really is no equality in that sense. Sin is any action that separates man from God, either an action that is against man, against God, or his will. And all of mankind is already in a separation from God due to the sinful nature of man. Which is why it is written, "for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God". It is required that one be pure and holy, but since Sin is corruption and imperfection, the only result is the separation of pure and impure.
That aside, the hierarchy of sin is from mankind's definition of sin since everything has to be defined by our understanding of the world. So we think some sins are worst than others, so within our society there is a hierarchy. Even I judge sins unequally, because I'm only human and I'm biased towards certain things.
In my opinion, the worst sin to commit is not a single act but many sins. Sins against humanity to be exact, such as; violence, rape, murder, genocide, hatred, slander, etc...
Man is God's greatest creation (written and believed) hence one of the greatest commandments mentioned in the Bible, is to love thy neighbor as thyself. To break that commandment is to break the greatest which is "Love the Lord your God with all your, heart, mind, soul, and strength"
If I must explain how it is that I believe humanity to be so treasured by a God ready to damn us to hell, then I will. It sounds strange if you take it exactly like that. (It'll take time and a lot of commenting space....)
There is a hell in existence despite God treasuring humanity as his greatest work. It's inevitable though that such a place exists, because hell is merely the absence of God or separation from him. I can't give any specific details to what it looks like, mostly because I've never been there... I do believe though that separation from God is a miserable life to live for eternity, if one does believe that everything that is pure, and good comes from God. As for the fiery lake and the great weeping and gnashing of teeth, I'll take the scriptures word for it.
Some would believe that there is no hell mostly because they believe that there is no God in the first place. This has usually been the scientific debate on God's existence. Others take the stance that a just God wouldn't throw a bread thief in hell with the serial killer.
Then those who believe in a hell, will naturally believe in a god that judges everyone according to their actions in life or their sins.
From my belief, I believe that there is a hell and that God is entirely justified for having people in hell. I'm not thrilled at the knowledge that people do go to hell, and I'm definitely not comfortable with it either. When thinking of it logically, if God is pure and holy, anything that is impure needs to be separated. After all we can't have pure water when there's dust inside.
But how does the 'God treasures us' statement go? That is where the Christian gospel kicks in.
Gospel in a nutshell is offering mankind a way out of sin. It says give up your old life where you lived only for yourself. Live for your fellow man, and for the one who redeemed your life.
I believe that there is a hierarchy of sin; some sins are worse than others. The U.S. government's system of punishment illustrates this idea. While convicted bank robbers are given jail time, murderers are given the death penalty. In my opinion, the worst sin an individual can commit is to deprive another individual of his or her right to live. If hell is defined as a fiery place located underground in which souls are damned for all eternity, I find such a concept difficult to believe. No evidence of such a place's existence has ever arisen, and because I've been taught throughout my life to only accept scientific conclusions as fact, I believe that death is equal and that human "souls" neither ascend to heaven nor descend to hell. Just as some people argue that hell exists, citing evidence from their life's experiences and teachings, I argue that the human brain and not the soul is responsible for consciousness. I, like them however, can only offer theories to support my argument, because neither science nor religion can prove that souls exist.
I do not believe that there is a hierarchy of sins. According to the catholic bible all sins are equivalent in that they put a separation between an individual and God. However there are to different types of sins, mortal and venial sins. Mortal sins prevent entrance to heaven while venial sins do not. In my opinion the worst sin that anyone can commit is murder since it is a destruction of Gods creations. I do believe in hell although i do not believe it is divided into levels such as Dante suggests in his "Inferno". Hell is one continuous place where souls are punished for there sins the severity of which depends on the amount of sin. Some people believe in Hell because they are religious and were taught about its existence from a young age, others believe in Hell because it gives life meaning or a purpose. Some people don't believe in hell because they is no proof of it's existence and without evidence they can not believe something is true.
There are definitely different levels of sins. For example, stealing a pencil certainly does not equate to murder. An argument that is commonly used to support capital punishment is that the punishment must fit the crime. Thus, it justifies the execution of murderers. If all sins were equal, however, then even the lowliest shoplifted would be at the mercy of the death penalty. Likewise, if the punishment for stealing was a fine or $2000, then one could get away with murder for the small cost of two grand. I do believe in a Heaven and Hell. The thing that separates a living being from an artificial creation is that we have a soul. With the advanced technology that we have at hand nowadays, scientists could probably create a perfectly cloned human body. The difference would be that it wouldn't really be alive because it doesn't contain a soul. I believe that after death, a soul doesn't simply disappear, and must either ascend or descend to another place.
I do believe there is a Hell because I am christian and there are multiple instances where it is mentioned in the bible. There is a hierarchy of sin because the worse the crime, the more you have to pay in the afterlife. The worst sin you can commit is the sin that Satan committed, betrayal and treachery. The weakest sin would be lust. Hell looks like how everyone has first thought of it. Flames everywhere which makes you have eternal thirst. It is the worst place you can live in. I think the reason why some other people don't believe in Hell is because they are afraid of it. Some people really don't want Hell to exist because of their previous sins and their inability to atone for it.
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ReplyDeleteYes, there is a hierarchy of sin, a measure of how serious a committed sin is compared to other sins. The very worst sin an individual can commit is murder, because it is an act of heinously taking away another individual's life. I'm not sure if there is a place called Hell, but if there is a Hell, it would be a fiery pit where the worst sinners are condemned to. Hell would be where Satan resides, far away from the presence of God. Some people believe in Hell, and some people do not. They are taught what they believe at a young age through family, religion, or their own experiences. I have yet to fully understand if I believe in Hell or not.
ReplyDeleteThere's definitely a hierarchy of sin because all sins are not equally bad. The worst sin is probably murder because when someone takes another person's life, they're playing God and using power that wasn't given to them. I'm not sure if Hell actually exists since there is no real evidence of it. The only way to know is to die and see where you go; if you go anywhere at all. Different people believe in different things based upon what they are taught (or not taught) in their specific religion.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on how there's a hiearchy of sin and that murder is probably the most henious of sins. Though I believe in hell, I understand the reasoning behind why you personally don't because there is no physical evidence to prove its existence. Because I was raised with religion, the concept of hell has been in my mind since I was a child, however it is still justifyed for one to not believe in it because there's no proof.
DeleteI believe that a hierarchy of sin does exist, for some wrong doings are less severe than others. For example, lying to your parents about where you've been does not equate to the sin produced by somebody who murdered a child. In my opinion, the worst sin a person can commit is intentional murder. I believe that it is heinous for one to do harm to another person with the intent of hurting them, while it isn't as horrid if somebody accidentally commits murder, such as through a car accident. With this being said, I admit that I do believe in hell with different levels as outlined in Dante's Inferno. Different people that committed different kinds of sin are placed in their proper "level" based on how severe their actions were, and as the levels go down the punishment increases. Hell exists in my eyes because I believe that retribution should exist after somebody passes. Though I personally believe in hell, I do understand why others would not, for there is no physical evidence to prove its existence.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your response; I believe hell exists for the people who have committed sins because there should be retribution for a wrongdoing and that there are different levels of severity for each sin.
DeleteI believe there are different level of sin. A child telling a white lie to their parents isn't as deceiving as a dictator of a country, killing innocent people everyday. I don't think there's a sin that is "the worst." There are a lot of sins that are unforgivable, and giving just one the title of "the worst" makes all the others seem better, which they shouldn't be. For example, murder is extremely punishable, but so is standing by, watching murder, and not doing anything by it. I don't believe in hell. I think people like to think that in the end everyone gets what they deserve. Yet, I just think we no longer exist the way we think we do in life. I don't think all the good people go one place, and all the bad people go another. People seem to want to think that out of hope for justice in the end.
ReplyDeleteYou make an excellent point about calling one or another sin "the worst" which inadvertently makes the other sin better.
DeleteI like what you're saying about how defining the worst sin makes all the others not as bad to us. Without meaning to we let people get away with crimes because they are 'not that bad'
Deletei believe that hell does exist and it is used. the hiearchy to sin is what the sin is and how badly it was commited. i think lieing is a really bad sin because then your not telling the truth to yourself and to god. hell does exist in the catholic church and i am a comfirmed catholic so yes i do believe in hell but just because some do dosnt mean all people believe and that is their right and opinion. it could have something to do with religion like me or from tv movies that other people believe.
ReplyDeleteMany people regard sins in different levels, those that are more or less serious. In this case, there are sins that could be more forgiving than others. The worst sin that I think someone can commit is when an individual cannot recognize/admit that what they have done is a sin.
ReplyDeleteAs of today we do not know if there is a Hell. Books, the internet, and many other sources have depicted Hell as dark and horrendous, a place where the more terrifying sin you commit, the closer you are to Satan. Many people believe that this place exists because they are taught to believe that exists. When you are taught about both Heaven and Hell, it is your choice to believe that it exists or not, which is why some people also choose not to believe in Hell.
Very thought-provoking, Brandon! I like your ideas.
DeleteI personally think that there is a hierarchy of sin and the worst sin an individual can commit is taking away other's life either directly and indirectly. Taking away others' lives also takes away all of their opportunities to do something. However, although humans can commit sin, I do not think think there is such thing as a place called Hell. As Stephen Hawking quotes "there is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark," I also think that the story of Hell is made up. I think people who are afraid of the end of their mortal lives made up the concept of heaven and hell in order to assure themselves by the concept of immortal lives that they can have after their current lives.
ReplyDeleteYou have an interesting point-- I initially stated in my post that people probably believe a heaven or hell as an incentive to do good in life, but I completely agree with the last portion of your statement. I think religion in general is a form of reassurance for a lot of people.
DeleteThe hierarchy of sin is self-evident in our society. Once people act on their feelings of wrath or envy via murder, society punishes them to the highest allowance of the law. However, hardly ever are people punished for feeling lazy or being a glutton (all-you-can-eat buffets, anybody?). As one of the theologists said, sin is a violation of one's relationship with a neighbor or God. Although each of these relationships are equal in importance, there are varying levels of trespass.
ReplyDeleteAs for Hell, sinners may feel guilty and be in a mental hell. The idea of Hell after death is up for discussion for religious people v. atheists.
I do suppose there is a hierarchy of sin. If sin is, by definition, "a separation from 'God'" the worst sin an individual can commit is difficult to say because I do not believe in 'God'. However, I do believe there are social/ethical sins one can commit, and the worst sin someone can commit is probably genocide, or torture/murder of a large group of people.I do not believe there is such thing as a place called Hell because there is no hard evidence of a Heaven or Hell. I look at things from a scientific standpoint so I believe that when an individual dies, the body and the mind or "soul" die together, and there is no such "afterlife". I think some people believe in Hell because it could be an incentive to do good things in life.
ReplyDeleteI believe that there is a hierarchy of sins. Some sins definitely are more extreme than others. For example, simply being disrespectful to someone is miles better than stealing from someone. Then, having a hierarchy of sins implies that there is one absolute worst sin. In my opinion, the worst possible sin is murder. Unlike the other sins, which can be undone or alleviated in some way, murder is irreversible.
ReplyDeleteThe existence of hell depends on one's beliefs. Though a Christian may be quick to point out the existence of hell, an atheist may maintain the nonexistence of hell, possible out of lack of evidence or general unbelief in an afterlife. In any case, the existence of hell largely depends on one's beliefs and faith.
I agree with the last statement entirely. Hell is not something that is common in all religions - though I do believe that every religion and or belief system has a way to ensure that those that have sinned and wronged others pay for what they have done - whether it is being through going to hell, being reincarnated in a lower form, or going to jail - those that have sinned will, in one way or another, pay for their sins (that is, unless they repent, which, for atheists, may mean admitting one's wrongdoing and asking for forgiveness and accepting one's punishment, or for religions meaning speaking to a rabbi or priests and attempting to atone your sins to be able to reconnect with God).
DeleteI completely agree with you Tony. There are sins worse than other sins like the one you mentioned about being disrespectful and murder. In addition to what you said about hell, I agree that the existence of hell depends on one's beliefs.
DeleteA hierarchy of sin most definitely exists; most of the world's judicial systems operate on the basis of multiple levels of punishment. The worst of these are usually those that make the victim desire death instead of continued life, for some argue that life is God's greatest gift. This is probably why crimes like sexual assault or physical torture are especially heinous. But as for the notion of Hell, I don't know if it exists or not. There are different opinions on Hell probably because of the different levels of importance people give it - some hold it as their primary motivation to do good, while others believe that fear of such a place is not necessary in order to lead a moral life.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with Oliver that there are multiple levels of sin. For example murder is a heinous crime but there are different levels such as first-degree and second-degree murder. Therefore there is a hierarchy of sin whether we want to believe or not.
DeleteI think that their is a hierarchy for sins because it depends on the sin that the person has committed and how much it has affected. I am not sure on what is the worst sin that one can commit but I think it just depends on the person and how far he/she has gone with that sin. I do believe in hell and I think it is a dark place where people go to get rid of their guilt and sins. I think that religious people believe in hell a lot more than non religious. The reason being because religious people probably believe that it ruins the person's relationship with God.
ReplyDeleteI don't think there is a hierarchy for sins because I think no matter what you do and how bad it is, in the end it is still bad. You can't excuse doing something bad because it isn't "as bad"; however, I do think that some things are worse than others, but it still all sin in the end. Since I don't think there is a hierarchy for sins, I don't think there is a "worst sin", but I think how bad the act is, is based on the thought process and actions of the person who commits it. I do believe there is a Hell and I think that there is only one level of Hell. I think that it is a deep pit of fire where people have no energy to do anything. I think that people will be burning and desperately trying to get water, but they will never be freed from the torture. I think some people believe in Hell because they also believe in the higher power, God. Because the bible states that there is both Heaven and Hell, people who believe in the bible, will believe there is a Hell. I think that some people don't believe there is a Hell because they are afraid that if there really is a Hell, it would be too horrible for them to handle.
ReplyDeleteYou have a very fantastic point Ms.Fan but I beg to differ. Some crimes are definitely worse than others because murder and pickpocketing are not the same.Very awesome representation of hell and it sounds pretty accurate to me! I also agree that people will be scared to believe that there is hell because of the possible torture and atrocities happen there.
DeleteI agree that there is no hierarchy for sins because either way you are violating the relationship with the neighbor and with God. Even if it is not "as bad" it is still bad and in the end, still a sin. But, I don't quite agree with Hell because, who ends up in hell? Nobody is perfect and everybody has sinned. Thus, I don't know what I believe where people would go after death but I don't quite believe that everybody is separated. I believe in more of a limbo state that people can't get out of.
DeleteSo does someone who cheated on a test belong in the 9th circle of hell with Satan?
DeleteI do not believe that there is are levels of sin. All sins in God's eyes are seen as equal, the sin of cheating is the same sin as lust. Jesus's died for all sins regardless of what they were, thus all sins in my opinion are equal. Thus no sin can be worse than the other. I believe that there is a place called hell. However it is not quite the lakes of fire, as many believe it is, however it is a place where God is not. And because God is not there, suffering occurs there. Many people will not believe in God and thus not believe in hell because they do not believe that there is evidence to support the existence of God. If they do not believe that a God exists, then logically they would not believe that hell exists then.
ReplyDeleteI didn't include some of the things you said, but I completely agree with what you said about Hell being a place where God is not and thus suffering occurs.
DeleteI'm not going to be insulting religion, i'm going to be questioning logic. Rather not start a religion flame war.
DeleteI find it interesting how there are no levels of "sin." Winston, what would you define as "sin?"
I also find it interesting as to how you say that one sin cannot be worse than another. Would you explain this further? As an athiest i'm not sure about how God would look and judge each person's sin, but logically i would want to punish the person who murders an innocent, helpless family, far more than the person who cheated on his wife.
But adding on to your side I hold a belief that no matter the person, people do actions based on what is most logical to them respectively. If God objectifies, and makes laws equal, then he must take into account the logic of the person, which may explain why he punishes every "sin."
In your very left-brained (logical, and soundly argued) statement about hell, i concur. But do you believe there is a personal hell for people? Something outside of religion?
Doesn't that stance devalue the concept of sin itself? I mean, why should anyone care that they're a sinner if all that means is that they're in the same category as gluttons and procrastinators?
DeleteSin is what separates us from God. Because every person is born into this world with sin, we all are sinners. So if sin is what separates from God, then whether you are cheating on a test or murdering, both separate us from God because we have fallen short of the standard that God has set for us.
DeleteI dont really understand your actions part, not exactly sure what you are asking Sujeeth. Simply put Hell is a place where God isn't eternal seperation from God, and I dont believe that there is a personal hell for people. It's hell or heaven that's it.
There is a hierarchy of sin because there are different levels of crime. For example, stealing an apple isn't regarded as the same as killing a person. Though both are considered a "sin", they are at different degrees.The worst sin an individual can commit is harming others. I don't believe that there is a place called Hell, but I'm not a hundred percent sure of that. One's perspective of Hell depends on how you were raised and with what mindset. I think Hell is a tool that people use to justify why they shouldn't do certain things, and over time gained a religious connotation. Some people believe in Hell for religious purposes, while others simply don't. In a way, many don't want to believe in Hell because it is often associated with Christianity or other viewpoints.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your views on the hierarchy of sin and existence of Hell. I am particularly interested by the idea that Hell being a "tool that people use to justify why they shouldn't do certain things" and whether or not it came before religion or was created by religion.
DeleteI agree with Nandita's point about having different levels of crime. Stealing is certainly not the same as taking a life, so the punishments that follow should not be of the same severity. I also feel that motive also plays an important role in determining how terrible the crime is. If a person takes a life without feeling an ounce of remorse, the offense is undoubtedly even more serious.
DeleteI also agree with the idea of hierarchy of sins, though Winston's idea that all sins carry the same weight is certainly and interesting one. Petty sins are easier to deflect or recover from than severe sins, but both types are wrong nonetheless.
DeleteI also agree that one's intention behind a sin is crucial to determining the seriousness, though the severity of a sin is not quantitative and therefore hard to measure anyway.
I believe that sin also has an hierarchy depending on how severe the sin is and how the person feels about committing the sin. There are many factors to how a sin is committed and motive certainly plays an important role in determining severity. Murder is definitely one of the worsts sins a person can commit, as it takes another's life with force. Traditionally, hell is described as a burning pit filled with flames where its inhabitants are tortured for the sins they have committed in life. Having a hell prevents people from committing crimes and keeps a close relationship with God. Some people may not believe in hell simply because of preference or lack or religious beliefs. I can definitely understand why someone would deny the existence of an afterlife at all since we do not know what comes after death.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tiffany. There are different ways to judge the severity of a crime. Our judicial system is an example of that. Murder gets others involved, so it is probably one of the most severe crimes. I also believe that Hell has gained a strong religious implication. It is technically impossible to determine whether Hell exists or not until you die. Overall, I agree with most of Tiffany's opinions. She has an interesting perspective.
DeleteI believe that there is a hierarchy of sin, as some actions are certainly “worse” than others. For example, lying is less serious stealing, which itself is less serious than committing murder. I believe that the worst sins violate others - murder, rape, torture, oppression, and others. I personally do not believe in the existence of Hell. Both Heaven and Hell are kinds of afterlife, and as I don’t believe in an afterlife I therefore do not believe in Hell. Of course, there’s no concrete way to prove the lack of an afterlife. Some people believe in Hell because they have either have a religion that has such a concept, while others do not believe in it for the lack of it in their religion. Other reasons may be personal, such if not believing in an afterlife is better for one’s mental health.
ReplyDeleteI agree that there is no way to prove there is or is not an afterlife, but that is why it is called a belief. I think people want to believe that there is a heaven and a hell so that they can strive to do good and be rewarded in the end.
DeleteI agree that there is obviously no way to prove the existence of an afterlife, so the belief in hell is up to the individual. I think some people like the idea of hell because it punishes all the people who have wronged them or that they just don't like. Other people prefer not to believe in a hell because it is easier not to have to worry about eternal damnation for mistakes or lapses in judgment.
DeleteIs there a hierarchy of sin? Sure. I mean, obviously, littering or cheating at cards doesn't reach the level of, for example, murder.
ReplyDeleteAs for Hell... well, I can't technically know for sure, but I'm inclined to say it doesn't exist. As there's no particular reason for me to think it does. It's a comforting notion for some, that the universe punishes bad behavior and rewards good behavior. But it seems somewhat too convenient to me.
I agree that some people believe in hell because it's convenient to believe that bad behavior is punished and good behavior is rewarded. I think that part of religion is to encourage people to do good things.
DeleteYou say its comforting that good behavior is smiled upon and rewarded, would you also be inclined to say that bad behavior is not so comforting? Since you may end up in either one of the good and evil spectrum.
DeleteThere is a hierarchy of sins. Every sin is different, and has a different impact on its victims, and therefore no two sins can be punished in the same way. For example, theft is generally regarded as less harmful of a sin than murder, simply because it still leaves the victim with a chance in life. Every situation is different however, and must be analyzed separately from the rest, and dealt with accordingly. As for the concept of hell, I do not know whether it exists yet because I haven't seen any concrete proof. Obviously religious people tend to believe in the existence of hell more so than the non-religious, because they trust and have faith in their deity.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you completely. We have very similar posts. It is hard to believe in Hell when there is scientific proof. But that is why its called a belief not a fact. The concept of Hell in my opinion is a bit confusing as how severe should be your sin in order to go to Hell.
DeleteI believe that there is a hierarchy of sin because some actions are worse than others. For example, I think murder is a worse sin than adultery. Betrayal is the worst sin because backstabbing anyone who trusted you in any way, whether you hurt them or not, is more evil than harming someone who you did not know. I don't believe in hell, but if I had to imagine it, it would be a deep chasm with fire blowing out everywhere, with the sinners tied to chains and being forced to walk through the fire. I don't believe in hell because I am not religious. Even though there isn't a physical hell, there may be hell that is symbolic to different people. Some people use the belief in hell to avoid doing bad things. Others don't believe in hell because they have committed many sins, and they don't want to believe that they have to suffer for them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Raphael! Some sins definitely are more egregious than others. For example, I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone who'd equate being rude to betrayal.
DeleteAlthough I also agree that some people may believe in hell simply to prevent themselves from sinning, and that some may not believe in hell out of denial, I think many also do not believe in hell because they just are not religious.
Also, very vivid description of Hell!
Yes, there is a hierarchy of sin, as the different sins affect people on vastly different levels, such as petty theft, depriving someone of a couple bucks, to murder, depriving someone of their life. The worst sin by far is murder, as nothing is worse than depriving someone of their life. I personally believe that there is no Hell, as I am not a religious person, but I understand why others would believe in one, whether it be because of religious culture or to have a motivation to do good. I don't believe in a Hell purely because just scientifically, it doesn't seem possible to me, but if there were a Hell though, I imagine a cavern with fire all around it, covered in stalagmites, lava, demons, and with all the sinners shackled down, forced to do slave labor for the devil. Anyways, I understand why people would believe in Hell, as a motivation to avoid sin.
ReplyDelete21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister[b][c] will be subject to judgment. Matthew 5: 21- 22
DeleteNo matter what "crime" you committed or offense, all sin is the same before God. And everyone is judged in such a way equally.
Nice text support Winston!
DeleteI believe that there is a hierarchy of sin because there are some sins that are worse than others. A sin like cheating on your wife would be a lot worse than stealing a loaf of bread so you don't starve to death. Both are sins, but one is still considered worse than the other. The worst sin would be to commit murder or multiple murders. This is the worst because you are taking away someone's life and opportunities. You are also taking away their ability to enjoy life. I do not believe there is a Hell. There is no evidence that Hell actually exists. Therefore I do not believe it exists. I believe some people believe in it because it is used as a fear tactic to get people into behaving well and having morals. Hell is described as a scary place that no one would want to go to, so people believe in it because it can keep people in good behavior.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you, Mason! Our posts say pretty much the exact thing in every regard, especially with the concept of Hell mostly as a motivation to behave well.
DeleteI agree with you Mason, there are some sins that are worse than others and they have different consequences. Murder is in fact the worse sin that can be committed as you said. I disagree with you that there is no Hell but I understand why you don't believe in it since there is no evidence of there being a Hell. I agree that it is a scary place and that people say there is a Hell so that they have a reason to behave and prevent themselves from doing the wrong thing.
DeleteYes, I think there is a hierarchy of sin because some sins are more serious than others. For example, killing someone is worse than stealing a pencil. Like Hillary Clinton said, there are sins of weakness and sins of malice. In general, sins of malice are worse than sins of weakness because there is the intention to commit the sin and hurt someone. The very worst sin an individual can commit is to kill, hurt, or betray a loved one. However, in Christianity before God, all sins are separations from God and therefore count equally. I do think there is a hell as described in the Christian Bible, a place of suffering due to the absence of God. Some people believe in Hell because their religion tells them so, and others are not religious and so do not believe in Hell. Some people do not believe in Hell because it is easier to not have to worry about eternal damnation.
ReplyDeleteI believe there is a Hell and that it looks dark and gloomy to punish those who are there for committing sins during their life. There is definitely a hierarchy of sin because certain sins are ranked higher than others and they determine how much you will have to pay for in the afterlife. Those who commit serious sins, murder being the most serious, are breaking and violating their relationship with God and ultimately drive themselves to Hell. I believe some people do not believe in Hell because there is no real proof of Hell and that they are afraid of ending up there because of sins they have committed.
ReplyDeleteSamantha Meier
I definitely believe that a hierarchy of sins exists. Individuals should receive a much harsher punishment for murder than they should for a crime such as thievery. In my opinion, murder is the worst possible sin one can commit because a person's life is being taken away unfairly. I'm not sure if there really is a place called hell, but I do believe that people who commit heinous crimes will eventually be punished for their actions. I think most people who believe in hell feel that if they don't live a moral life then they will be put in hell.
ReplyDeleteYes I believe that there is hierarchy in the classification of sin. Just logically speaking, there is magnitude of sin. Stealing lunch money from a classmate's backpack is much less severe from a bank robbery or a large scale fraud. In addition to the magnitude of sin, I believe there are different categories of sin. Take for example, robbery would ruin a victim until he/she could earn enough to get back on stable economic footing. However, murder takes away the life of the victim. The victim has no chance of recovering from this sin unlike robbery. For me, it is hard to specify which sin is the most severe. I think the severity of sin depends on the magnitude of the sin. I believe murder is a lesser sin in comparison to a major fraud that could ruin the livelihoods and lives of thousands.No I do not believe there is a place called Hell. Being an atheist, I think death is simply death, there is no more there is no less. I think some people believe in Hell to motivate them to do good things throughout their life.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your point about the sin's severity based on the victim's chance of recovery. It makes sense that a single-act murder is less sinful (but hopefully not by much) than a genocide.
DeleteA sin such as a robbery can temporarily impair, but a sin like murder will permanently end life. I also think that a sin that would deem a person incapable of fully returning to life in society is also comparable to the sin of murder. Often times, Hell on Earth can be worse than Hell (the Inferno), because Earth, in this context, signifies the opportunity of second chances and a goal to achieve in society.
I believe that there is a hell, but I wouldn't know what it would look like unless I checked it out myself (which I'm not planning to do anytime soon). Whether or not a person believes in Hell or not, we all fear it. Because people tend to believe what they want to believe, they'd prefer that life ends in black or that everyone gets to heaven eventually. Although we adhere to some sense of justice and we want to sort out the bad eggs, but we also want there to be a happy ending to every story, which is not the case in the real world.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point that people will believe what they want to believe. Even if they say that they do not believe in hell, subconsciously, they absorb the information that other people do believe in hell and they understand that hell to others is a scary place and they fear it unconsciously.
DeleteI believe there is an hierarchy of sin but I believe that it depends on what the sin is. Everyone will have a different opinion on what the worst sin one can commit because everyone will have a different mindset but I believe the worst sin one can commit is committing a murder. I do believe that hell exists and I believe it would look like a place filled with flames. I believe hell is a place where you will get tortured for eternity and you will never escape. Many people believe that hell exists because they learned when they were young from their parents or from their religion. Some people don't believe in hell simply because they don't believe in God.
ReplyDeleteI believe that there is a hierarchy of sin, yet at the same time there is not. In Christian faith, sin is commonly described as "separation from God," and you can't really be more or less separate from God, or anything else. In this aspect, every sin is equal in weight. But at the same time, there are different punishments for different sins described in the Old Testament, some more or less severe, which gives them a hierarchy. But, in the end, especially after Christ, all sin is equally a betrayal against God. People most likely differ in opinion on the existence of Hell because of their different cultural and/or religious backgrounds. Being Christian, I definitely do believe in Hell.
ReplyDeleteAs a born and raised Catholic, I do believe that a hell exists and that sins are ranked. The worst sin somebody can commit is a premeditated one, such as murder, where the person's malice is explicitly shown. On the other hand, people that commit sins but are not aware of their actions would be the least punishable. Other people think that hell is a burning cave in the underworld with seas of lava and the sort, but I believe that it is an eternal nightmare. The poor souls that dwell in hell have to live through the fears they had during their life and be haunted forever. That's is just my interpretation of what hell is. Some people might not believe in hell due to not believing in a God in the first place. They believe that there is no possible explanation for there being alternate universes that we can enter in the afterlife.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Chris that hell is kind of like an eternal nightmare. However, I believe that that you can eventually get out if you repent your sins. I kind of feel that the non believers are missing out even though they choose not too or there is not enough scientific evidence.
DeleteWhat about drunk driving? Usually people who kill people who are under the influence are not trying to kill people, but what you say is that they should be less punishable. I think that they should be treated as bad as a premeditated murder.
DeleteI believe that there is a hierarchy in hell. However, which sins are worse than the other might depend on the person. For example, someone who is religious might think that the worst sin that can be committed can be to betray God, but if they are not religious they might consider murder as the worst sin. I think that the worst sin that can be committed is murder. Taking away someone's life and ruining the loved ones around them is something that should be punished for. I think people believe in hell because they are curious to what happens after humans die and there are many references in different religions. People want to know what will happen in the future so I think hell is one of their predictions.
ReplyDeleteI do think that there is a hierarchy of sins. I do not think that every sin is equally bad, but that some sins are worse than others. I think the worst sin an individual can commit varies by circumstances. I think that one of the most extreme sins is to hurt another individual to the point of their death or extremely close- whether it be mental depression or physical death. There is a place called Hell. I do not know what it looks like. I think people have different beliefs on if their is Hell or not depending on their religion. I also think that some people want to believe that there is nothing after death because they do not want to repent for the mistakes they made in this life. They set tangible goals and put aside moralistic values to gain short term success. However, I believe in karma, and I believe that everything we do will one day come back to us, whether that be good or bad. I believe that it does not stop at death, that our souls still exist afterward.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point that some individuals who don't believe in Hell feel that they will never have to pay for their crimes whereas believers in the existence of Hell are scared into living virtuously. As for Karma, I don't believe in the concept multiple existences, but I do feel that at some point everyone will have to face the aftermath of their right and wrong doings.
Delete(I didn't copy+paste my entire post unfortunately)
ReplyDeleteAs a Christian, I believe that any sin would make a person impure, therefore a hierarchy shouldn't matter. However, I do believe that cheating on a test and murdering an entire nation based on race are on different levels.
A sin is a sin, and I don't think that there is a better sin or a worse sin. It holds equal definition of doing something wrong and illegal. I do, however, believe that there can be different magnitudes of consequences depending on the "sin" or criminal activity. I don't think you can define the "worst sin an individual can commit" because it varies from person to person. For example, someone can say that killing someone is the greatest sin, but someone else can argue by saying that torturing someone to the brink of death, but not finishing them off is worse. Who is more correct? I don't necessarily believe in Hell because in order for me to believe something, I like to see evidence and statistics. Just because the bible and other religions say that it is real, hell doesn't just materialize out of no where. Some people believe in Hell because it is in their religion and some people fear it. Others may be like me and want to take the more scientific approach and want solid proof.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the intensity of sin depends on each individual; however, I disagree that there's no better or worse sin. If people didn't believe in better and worse sins, there would be no such thing as the concept of law, crime, and punishment. Criminals in jail would not have different amounts of times they must serve in prison if every sin was at the same level. Also, I agree that Hell is not real. Technically, people pay for their sins with death or some other misfortune in their life.
DeleteAt first I believed that the worst sin would be murder, but after reading yours I have come to realize that maybe there isn't a distinction of a worse or better sin. Your argument of someone can be tortured to the brink of death really had me realize that I would personally rather have someone kill me then brutally torture me to the brink of death. I personally think that torture is now the worst form of a sin.
DeleteHell. Some topic to discuses. Each person has there own unique version of hell that they have created in their minds. Each person puts their belief of right and wrong for the levels of their hell. I personally believe that hell is something that is made to keep people accountable. I believe that there is sin that is worse than others. I believe the worst sin is the one that take takes you away from all that is holy. In this case being God. I do believe that sin is very real, and for my case I really hope hell is not real. I have sinned, alot, and would rather not burn for all of eternity. I dont want hell to be real, but sometimes I want God to be real, so I am pretty confused with what I believe in. I am hoping to figure all this out before college, but life is not something that people can figure out in a short amount of time.
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty deep and I completely agree with you when you say that Hell is made to keep people accountable. I believe that if Hell isn't real, or no one has ever heard of it, the amount of crime will be much higher than what it is now. No one will have anything to fear because even if they sin, when they die, they will believe that they won't go anywhere. Also, when you say that the worst sin is one that takes you away from all that is holy, what do you mean? Doesn't every sin make you "unholy"?
DeleteI agree with you, that each person has their own version of hell. I believe that even if you don't believe hell actually exists, that there are still versions of it during your life. Like writing a 30 page paper might be considered hell for some. I really like your idea that the ultimate sin is that which takes you away from all things holy. That could be any number of things, and completely depends on the person. Do you think that the sin that is worse than the others that takes you away from being "holy" is just one act or could it be an accumulation of multiple sins?
DeleteI think the idea that each person has their own unique version of what Hell is true. People carry different perspectives on how they are held accountable for their actions. For some, believing in Hell encourages them to make better decisions and avoid what they would define as major sins. I think your idea on what sin is also really interesting. What would you personally classify as unholy?
DeleteI think there is a hierarchy of sin. With Wrath and lust being the worst and sloth being the least serious. I do not believe in a place called hell, however if it exists, it should look like the tartarus or abyss. I do not believe in hell because i believe in a different place after death, i made up my own explanations for things in the world to explain things that i though was weird or didnt make sense. I think some people believe in hell and others do not because the idea of hell is a punishment, its for those with morals and to explain why they have them, for more than just its the right thing to do, but also because if you do bad, bad things will happen to you.
ReplyDeleteI think that there are different degrees of sin because if there weren't any different heirarchies of sin, murder would be just as good as telling a lie. In my mind, the highest level is telling simple lies; the levels leading up to the worst is intentionally hurting others, murder, and other heinous crimes. The worst, lowest level of sin is betraying someone and challenging loyalty. By not being loyal, the other person will not only lose their trust in you, but also you have just shown that you are a two-sided person. I don't think there's a Hell because people just die and there's nowhere a person can go after death. I think others believe in Hell because they just want to believe that there's a place to go after death and think that the mind lives forever when, in fact, a person's brain, mind, and soul dies with the body at death.
ReplyDeleteAlthough i agree with your point what about self sins such as greed, sloth, pride, envy, and gluttony. These do not harm others directly hut they still hurt yourself. Also "soul" in not part of your physical body, so if you have a soul, it lives after death. So~ yea~ that~ I also agree that betrayal is one the o=the worst sins.
DeleteI completely agree that there are different hierarchies of sin, however, I believe that murder is the worst and lowest level of sin. Not only does murder take away the life of someone, but it breaks the hearts of families, friends, and taints the conscience. Why do you believe that betrayal is worse than murder? I also agree with you that there is no such thing as Hell and that it is something that people made up to give an answer for the mystery of what happens after someone dies.
DeleteI'm inclined to think that there is a hierarchy of sin, categorized based on the severity of the sin. I think that the worst sin an individual can commit is murder. I do not personally believe in a place called hell, because I do not identify as a Christian. I do not believe that one can accurately possess knowledge on whether we move onto another life after we die or not. Some people believe in a hell because they were taught that it is a real place from parents, church, etc. Some people do not believe in a hell because they do not believe in the Christian faith or they regard it as untrue.
ReplyDeleteOne line from your response that caught my attention is, " I do not believe that one can accurately possess knowledge on whether we move onto another life after we die or not." I agree with you that no one can truthfully know what comes next. Life is more about faith than true knowlage of what is to come. We can guess, but we do not know for sure. I think the best we can do is do our best to prove our existence one day at a time and be the best we can be.
DeleteIn my opinion there is a hierarchy of sin because murder is not the same as robbery. Murder would probably be the worst sin that one person can committ because not only are you putting yourself in jail and almost 100% in jail, you are also harming someone else's life in the process. Hell is a place that does not physically exist but one that every body believes exists in their minds. The phrase "you're going to hell" is a commonly used phrase in the world and when said is meant in more of a belief matter rather than in a case of actually believing that a place called hell exists. Almost all people have a different image of hell in their mind but in my mind hell is a place where everything is just burning and the people who have committed the worst crimes rule over the people that are in hell for crimes that don't mean as much. People are killed over and over again without actually dying in hell. Some people believe in hell because it serves as a incentive to behave in a proper manner while they are alive. Others don't believe in hell because they simply don't believe in an after life.
ReplyDeleteI believe that there is a hierarchy of sin because lying to a person, for example, does not equate to murdering a person. I think the worse kind of sin a person can commit is one that harms other people or any form of life. Although there is a hierarchy, I think that committing sins will harm not only those around the person committing the sin, but also the person him or herself. Therefore people should just strive to do the right things in life. I do believe that Hell exists for sinners. I'm not sure what it looks like but I think that it's a place people can leave after recognizing and repenting for their sins. I think the reason that some people don't believe in Hell is because they don't believe in after life and the reincarnation of human souls.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that there is a hierarchy of sin. By definition sin is "an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law." The phrase "immoral act" is very broad and general in that it is up to one's opinion to judge what is immoral and what is not. Because I do not believe in god, it is very hard to determine what is the worst sin. I do believe that you can commit unethical and immoral sins. I consider murder and torture as the worst form of a sin. It is obvious that cheating on a test versus committing murder would be on a totally different level.
ReplyDeleteI also don't believe in a hell because there is no hard evidence of it. I do believe in something but not necessarily a hell. It is very difficult to determine between what is right and wrong. It is all up to one's opinion. So who determines whether you go to heaven or hell?
DeleteI believe that there is a hierarchy of sin even though I'm an athiest. There are different levels of sins as they are committed. Some of these sins could range from examples such as killing to lying. Depending on the action that one commits, every kind of sin lies on its own level. I think that murder would be the most severe of them all because taking a life away from someone innocent is worse than just telling a simple lie, or cheating in life. I think that hell actually does exist as a sign for being punished in the afterlife. Although I don't actually know what it looks like (like I really want to know) I imagine the place to be a large pit of fires burning as you go further down into hell. I think some people believe in hell because they fear that it's the place they will go to in the afterlife if they commit many sins in life, as in what Catholics believe. Fear is a factor to why some people believe the existence of hell is real. I think others don't believe in hell because they don't really fear what will happen to them in the afterlife.
ReplyDeleteI am also an atheist, but I believe that there is such a hierarchy of sin. I also agree that "every kind of sin lies on its own level". Although there is no evidence to what Hell looks like or if it is real, who do think determines what level your sin is? You or someone else?
DeleteHell does exist, and it is occupied, but you don't have to wait for it to become vacant, if you've just died and you have done a bunch of bad stuff in your life then you will slip right in no problem. Hell is hot, really hot, there are endless cliffs that go up and down and are surrounded by flames and lava and you just sorta chill out on those for the rest of time. Sin definitely has a hierarchy because some sins are a lot worse than others. Murder has to be the worst as you are taking somebody else's life prematurely.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you and think the cliffs and flames and lava and stuff is an accurate representation of hell, i also agree that murder is the worst sin one can commit.
DeleteI do believe there is a hierarchy of sin. Just take our judicial system for example. A person who steals from a store might be put on probation because the crime they committed is a misdemeanor. On the other hand, if the same person were to instead plan and commit a murder, they can be charged for life in the prison system for first degree murder. Evidently the punishment is proportional to the crime. I also think this would be how hell would be set up. I do think there is a hell and that, although no one can accurately predict what it will be like, each punishment is custom fit to each person and their sin. For example, I do not believe that a good person who does not believe in God will recieve the same punishment as a serial killer. Lastly, I think the reason that people believe in hell and heaven because it is a huge part of religion. Even if a person is not religious, they have their own idea of hell, being something they do not wish to do. People believe in life after death, be it in heaven or hell, because it religion is part of human nature and each individual has their own version
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of "good" people in this world who commit crimes and sin. Do they deserve to go to hell as well? What do you think defines a "good" person?How do you think non-religious people form their beliefs about heaven and hell? I agree that different sins should be repented differently.
DeleteI believe there is a hierarchy of sin. Just like how there are different degrees of crimes, such as theft or murder, there are also different degrees of sins. Not all sins carry the same weight, or else all of mankind would be sentenced to hell. Many people have good hearts but sometimes make the mistake of committing a sin due to outside influences. Regardless, this doesn't change their character and who they are and who they want to be. I believe the very worst sin a individual can commit is to lose sight of their morality and humanity, such as when somebody commits a murder. Although I believe in God, I find the idea of an afterlife in heaven or hell difficult to grasp. I mostly come to a conclusion on things based on scientific evidence, and since I cannot find reason about souls going to heaven or hell, I don't believe there is a hell. Those who are Christian believe in Hell, and those who follow a different religion may not. I think the idea of Hell and Heaven were made initially as a punishment/reward system to inspire people to do good deeds in life.
ReplyDeleteI think there is a hierarchy of sin because obviously stealing a pencil is a sin, but compared to murdering someone its not as bad. So through this example we can see that there are sins that are worse that others, and I believe that the worst sin that you can do is to waste your life or someone else's life. People should treasure their lives and make the most out of it, since they only have one. Time is limited for everyone and no one knows when their life will end, through natural causes or an accident. So I believe that wasting your or others lives is the worst thing you can do as a sin. I do not believe that hell exists, because i believe in a God that is loving and caring, like a Father. A caring and loving father would never put their children through such torment, and so I dont believe that God would put his creation into a hell to torment them for punishment.
ReplyDeleteI agree that there is a hierarchy of sin. However, what constitutes a "waste of life"? Is it defined as not doing any good, or can one waste their life by not reaching their potential? Furthermore, if you believe God is like a father, wouldn't he feel the need to discipline his children?
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ReplyDeleteI do believe that there is a hierarchy of sin. The punishment should fit the crime, otherwise you might as well have drug users serve prison time with murderers (hold up...). I believe that the worst sin an individual can commit is murder, because you do not have the right to rob another individual of their life. I do not believe that Hell exists, because I am not particularly religious. I think that people who believe in Hell use the fear of Hell to motivate themselves to live life according to the teachings of their religion. Religion has been used throughout history to guide and control people, and the threat of Hell is just another motivation tactic.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Varun!
DeleteI am not religious either, and although I respect other peoples religion, I do think that it has become too much of an issue in the world, and that it shouldn't be so forcefully incorporated into everyone's daily lives
I also agree Varun. However, I think relating sins to crimes is false because while some sins might be crimes not all are. Such as pride and gluttony. I also think that you can ruin some one's life without physically killing them but emotionally killing them and that is just as bad as taking their life. I agree that Hell is an imaginary place used by religions to control people.
DeleteI do believe there is a hierarchy of sins. Yet we are not the one to judge which sin is worst than another. And for sins to exist, is not for God to punish people, is for people to be able to wash off the sin and brings people closer to God. I also believe there is hell. I think its just going to be a large fire pit, where sinner who didn't repent are going to be burn in hell, and eventually burning off their sins in order for them to be given a second chance to be close to God. Some people believe in hell because they believe there is a sin. For people who doesn't believes in hell, believes in Karma.
ReplyDeleteI believe that there is a hierarchy of sins. Its safe to say that everyone would agree that stealing a candy bar or something along those lines would not nearly be even close to being as bad as something like murder. Which is what i believe to be the worst sin someone could commit. Killing another human, or even pushing someone to the point of them killing themselves are the worst things that any human could do, which is why it is the worst sin. I don't personally believe in hell, but I strongly believe in karma. In the end i believe those who have done wrong will in some way be punished for their actions. The concept of karma is very similar to the idea of having a heaven and a hell, but because karma is more an idea than an actual place, it is easier to believe in. Some may believe in hell or heaven because they see it as a reward for them for resisting the temptation to sin.
ReplyDeleteYes there is a hierarchy of sin. murder is worse than sloth. the worst sin is murder because it ends another being's life. I do not know if there is a hell because i have never been to the place and there is no solid proof presented to me. i think the place would be scary, dark, painful, and evil. some people believe in hell because they are religious or fear a higher power.
ReplyDeleteI'm not exactly sure whether or not I do believe in hell (or heaven for that matter), but I definitely believe in something. There must be something or somewhere we go after we pass but I don't know what that is. Perhaps a hell does exist but my skepticism comes from the fact that I don't buy into the idea of everyone who has ever done anything remotely "wrong" will go to hell. With that idea, everyone would go to hell because no one has ever not done something even slightly wrong. Whether we lied to our parents about eating all of our vegetables or we killed a person. This may be the very reason why not all people believe in hell. Also I think that some people are raised very religiously, forming their beliefs out of the way that they were raised and others were never involved with religion, leading to other opinions forming during their life span. If there is a hell, I doubt it looks like a burning fire pit with demons, I feel as if it would be incredibly silent and pitch black, where you would be forced to reflect on the sins you have committed that got you there.
ReplyDeleteI think hell exists but I also don't think that everyone who has ever done something wrong will end up in hell. There are many chances and opportunities throughout life for people to help others and do good deeds. Simply put, I think that as long as a person isn't blatantly cruel and has good intentions, he or she won't end up in hell.
DeleteI do believe there is a hierarchy of sins. It depends on how bad the person's sin is. Some of the worst sins are committing murder, suicide etc. It is possible for Hell to exist. I don't really know if I believe it or not because I never seen Hell in actual life. But if I were to guess what Hell looks like I would say it is a place where people's souls are tortured/punished. I think some people don't believe in Hell because they haven't seen evidence of it.
ReplyDeleteApparently there's this rule in Christianity that if you don't believe in god or you haven't been baptised you go straight to hell when you die. I don't think this should happen because you should be able to choose your own beliefs without being punished because of it and if god is controlling who goes to hell and who goes to heaven then he shouldn't be a jealous over attached little girl about it. Does it really matter what they believe as long as they are a good person. If they have earned a place in heaven with the good stuff they've done in their life then they shouldn't be denied it simply because of their beliefs, fix it.
ReplyDeleteIf god exists, I question whether he/she often feels like a jealous, overly attached little girl.
DeleteI agree that this Christianity BS is flawed. All that matters is being a good person. Being baptized is something the Christians invented. Before them, there were Jews who worshiped the same god. They didn't get baptized since it wasn't yet invented so they must go to hell. In my opinion, where you think you'll go when you die is the same place that you think of. I believe that we're all going to hell.
DeleteLike most of the people said before, I believe that there is a hierarchy to sin. Different actions deserve different levels of recognition; as bad as lying may be, mass murder is on a whole different level of immoral. In my opinion, the very worst sin an individual can commit is torture, whether physical or mental. I personally do not believe in Hell, simply because I was not raised believing in a religion. No real evidence of it truly exists. Whether a person believes in Hell or not tends to boil down to is what people were taught to believe based on their respective religions. If I were to imagine what Hell would look like, I would envision the generic image of flaming pits, thanks to a childhood of seeing Hell depicted as such.
ReplyDeleteI believe that there is a hierarchy of sin. There are some crimes that are worse than others. The worst sin an individual can commit is violence without reason. Hell does not exist. People have developed the concept of hell in order to make humans follow the principles of the bible, or suffer the consequences. People should not sin because of their morals, not because they fear the wrath of God. I think some people believe in hell because they feel that people who are not punished during their lives should be punished forever after they die. That is not true, in order for criminals to be held for their crimes, it is up to living individuals to set up a society where justice can be served.
ReplyDeleteI believe in some of the things you have said because I also believe there is a hierarchy of sin. Also that worst sin is when an individual commit violent without reason. But I do not agree with you saying hell does not exist. I believe that since there are no great evidence of it we do not know if it actually exist so it is possible to exist.
DeleteI believe in a hierarchy of sin because sin applies to a wide range of faults from lying to murder. I think cruel murder of anyone, whether its a family member or a stranger is the worst sin possible. I believe that there is a place called hell but depending on the amount and severity of sins it is either a temporary or permanent place. I don't believe in a hell full of fire but a dark place that is excruciatingly hot but doesn't have fire. Some people may think that there is a hell but are in denial in fear that they could end up there. On the other hand, some of the people who don't believe in hell might genuinely believe that there isn't one and that everyone will be forgiven.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if cruel murder is the very worst sin, though it's definitely horrible. I think being the cause of someone's mental torture and insanity are also very severe. Though most people imagine that Hell is a really hot place, I just imagine that everyone is isolated in their own tortures that are made specifically for them. So it could be really hot, but not necessarily.
DeleteThis isn't 100% relevant to what you just said, but some time ago, I read an interesting interpretation of Hell. It said something like both Heaven and Hell are actually quite the same - at the center of each, there's a huge pot of pasta. The difference is, the sinners in Hell are very savage and they tear at each other recklessly to reach the food, creating anger, suffering, and chaos. On the other hand, individuals in Heaven wait patiently and eat together graciously and peacefully. which is what makes Heaven so much better. I didn't make this up, but I don't know where I read it from.
I believe that there is a hierarchy of sins. There are sins that are greater than that of others. The greatest sin I believe is when a group of people or an individual massacres many innocent people. Many people do not believe in Hell because of evidence. Because we can't prove that there is such thing as Hell we are not confident if it is artificial. But what evidence can we prove that Hell is real unless one goes toward the after life? Others believe in Hell maybe because people believe that there are places meant to divide the good and the bad in the after life. I believe that Hell is real and is like a jail that have multiply levels going toward the Earth's core. The greater your sin, the deeper you fall.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Steven, it seems that everybody here on this blog believes that murder is the worst sin to commit of any sin. I would have to agree that evidence is also a factor to why some people don't believe in hell, as most people don't have a clue of what hell is imagined to be. For the others that do believe in hell, we should also consider the fact that fear is a big factor of why people believe in hell. People are afraid that hell is the place you automatically go to after committing a sever sin. Even though hell is kind of an illusion in your mind, those who strongly believe in hell know how horrifying it is. I would definitely say that yes the more severe the committed sin is, the deeper you fall.
DeleteAccording to Merriam Webster, hell is defined as "a place or state of misery, torment, or wickedness," and sin is defined as "an action that is or is felt to be highly reprehensible."
ReplyDeleteThis leads to the suggestion that there is a hierarchy of sins. Something like wasting water, can be considered a sin greater than creating a satire. But sin is relative to the doer, and the victim. The justice system is based on "sin." It is a system that justifies as objectively as possible, by weighing the net benefits of a sin, of an action. Criminalizing certain actions and treating them differently shows that there could possible be a hierarchy of sins. Murderers can be given the death penalty, while water wasters may be given a fine, or jail time. Even in Catholicism, sin is layered, according to Neil from the video.
Sin must also be determined by "intention" according to Jane Redmont. I agree with this because sin must be intentional. An unintentional action punished as if it were an intentional action would destroy the justice system. Sin must be thoughtfully judged, even the justice system has its flaws.
I personally believe that the biggest sin is sloth. It makes no sense to me that a person who refuses to work is still given amenities equivalent to a decent standard of living. This can be intentionally dropping out of the employment figures, or purposely mooching off of someone higher.
Hell is relative. It depends on the person. A living hell is possible for people going through adverse times. I don't disagree that hell exists, but I disagree that a biblical hell does.
To me, hell is death, whether literal or figurative, of a person whom you admired and loved. Like sin, hell is layered, lower levels of hell are not as egregious as higher layers.
Some people believe in hell because it is a way to explain some sort of adversity they are facing. Hell being relative, it is dependent on the person. The death of a family cat might be hell for some, while failing a test might be for others.
I agree with your idea that the punishment given for criminal actions possibly proves that there is a hierarchy of sins in our society. Since people with difference crimes are reprimanded differently, it shows that sins are definitely layered. In addition, I agree with your point about unintentional actions. This could refer to the concept of premeditated murders vs. "accidental" murders. If the murder is accidental, there are obviously different punishments dictated by our courts as compared with those of a premeditated, or planned murder. Finally, your last point about the definition of hell is extremely intriguing since most people simply interpreted hell in terms of "heaven vs. hell". It's interesting to be thinking about how everyday actions are "hell" for some people, and how you connected that to this prompt!
DeleteI believe that there is a hierarchy of sins. Naturally, there is a ranking scale for almost everything we do. We students take tests and we get graded for our performance in school and we get evaluated to get something such as a driver's license. I believe the worse sin one can do is murdering someone. I personally don't believe in a place called Hell, but I would imagine it as a place with lots of fire. I think that many people believe in Hell is because many people imagine what the future holds for them after they die, and they want to be motivated to good things. I don't believe in Hell because there is physically no proof of it existing.
ReplyDeleteI define sin as regarding to religious punishment and crime as regarding to government punishment. I don't use the word sin as a non religious person and instead I call it crime. I do believe there is a hierarchy of crime and that some crimes are worse than others. In my opinion the worst crime is taking some ones life away either literally by killing them or by making them destitute emotionally or physically. I don't believe in Hell because I was never raised in an environment where I was told what to believe. Therefore I developed my own thoughts and beliefs about the universe that do not include God, Heaven and Hell. Churches throughout time have used religion to control people and manipulating them to do what they want. I believe Heaven, Hell and the idea of sins are just methods of using fear to control people. The varying of opinion on religion and Hell depends on how you were raised and what you were allowed to believe. I don't believe in punishing people because they are a slut or fat because those are considered sins. If you believe differently that's your option, but I guess I'll see you in Hell. I don't believe thinking and doing controversial things will send me to a made up after life.
ReplyDeleteWasn't* told what to believe
DeleteI completely agree with you and I think that the fear of being damned to Hell can be and has been used to control people. I also agree that our beliefs are formed around what we were led to believe as children. I think being allowed to exercise free thought as a child is important in shaping our educated opinions later on.
DeleteI believe that there is no hierarchy of sin. People who commit wrongdoings is committing a crime. Sins are violating relationship with neighbors or the relationship with God. Thus, any sins committed are bad and thus, there are no hierarchy.
ReplyDeleteSince I believe there is no hierarchy of sin, I don't know if there is a worst sin an individual can commit. However, any sin that cannot be undone is the worst. For example, if you kill a person, that cannot be undone or irreversible. I would believe that these are the worst of sins but would not receive any worse punishment from God.
I don't believe that there is a place called Hell. Many religions state that those with sins go to Hell, those same religions allows one to repent for the sins through confession or prayer. But, those who don't go to church or believe in these, does that make them a bad person? Because, that would mean even those good people who are not religious would end up in Hell and I do not believe that is what happens.
Some people believe in Hell and others would not because there is no tangible proof that it exists. For me, I don't believe in Hell because the teachings around it don't sound logical to me.
While I believe that their is a hierarchy of sin, I can understand your logic of the equality of sins. I also believe with you that the irreversible sins are the most impactful, if not worst. What I find interesting is that you do not believe in Hell. If there is no hell, do you believe that all sins should be punished in the same fashion in the real world? Or should sinners still have different levels of punishment?
DeleteJust as there are different levles of punishment assigned by courts, there are different levels of crime or sin. The very worst sin one can commit is betrayal and murder combined because deception is one of the most criminal acts possible since it means abusing people's trust, and murder means the end of the gift of life. As an agnostic, I acknowledge the concept of hell; however, I do not really believe in such a place. I simply do not know where such a spiritual place would be located in our universe, nor do I know where it would be if it were not in our universe. The lack of reasoning behind hell is what leads some people such as myself to not believe in Hell; people who believe in hell choose to do so because of their faith or because they choose to have a spiritual "carrot-and-stick", with Hell serving as the stick.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that there are different levels of sin. Murder is obviously much more severe than lying. Thus, different sins should be accounted for differently. In addition, the reason why people choose not to believe in Hell is because of lack of evidence.
DeleteThere is no hard evidence on the existence of hell yes, but there also is no hard evidence of the nonexistence of hell. How do you prove that something doesn't exist? It just doesn't work.
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ReplyDeleteI believe that there are varying degrees of sin. For example while stealing and killing are both terrible crimes to commit, I believe they are different in severity and therefore deserve different punishments. I think the worst kinds of sin are betrayal, especially when it's a betrayal among family and close friends, and murder. I believe there is such thing as hell because I do believe there should be the place where sinners with no regrets belong after death. I think hell would be something similar to Dante's hell, without the limbo part because I believe people who have lived their life to the fullest and have reflected on their sins deserve to go to heaven or whatever good awaits after death, regardless if they were baptized or not. I understand why some people may not believe in hell or heaven because of the lack of scientific evidence.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your opinion of "varying degrees of sin" and what are the worst kinds of sin, murder and betrayal (I forgot to include betrayal in my comment, oops). I do also wish that there is some place like Hell that punishes sinners (or criminals) that have no regret of their acts whatsoever. However in my case, I think my "wish" is not strong as "believing" it exists, but not so weak that I deny the existence of Hell.
DeleteAlthough I do think some sin are more heavy than others, I think sin is rather a spectrum than a hierarchy. The degree of "sin", I believe, varies with the situation the "sin" was committed. The worst sin a person can commit is murder, since it literally ends a person's life and future, and no one has the right to do that.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if a place like Hell exists, but I do think that there might be a place that sinners goes to atone for his/her sins, or some kind of process at the very least. If that place was "Hell", then I think it is going to be a very lonely and boring world. Maybe its really hot or really cold, or maybe both. I haven't thought about the existence of "Hell", so my image of "Hell" is very vague.
I think some people believes in Hell and others do not because those who believe in Hell wants sinners to be punished in the "ideal" way.
I believe that there is a hierarchy of sins and it does matter which sin you commit. However, I believe the point of sins is for repentance and to learn from what you did wrong. I also believe in Hell and Purgatory, two beliefs that support repentance and punishment. I think sins can be forgiven, depending on which level it is on. The lowest types of sins are murder, betraying God, and not repenting your sins. All these sins can effect one's relationship with God as well as others around you. Hell looks like a place no one wants to be in because ultimately you are getting punished for your wrong actions. Hell exists because it confirms that your actions can determine things later. Some people do not believe in Hell because they do not believe in sins, God, or punishment.
ReplyDeleteI believe that there is a hierarchy of punishments for each sin in hell. Some sins, such as murder, are pretty severe and deserve a more harsh punishment. Minor sins such as lying or covetousness deserve a less severe punishment. However,according to the Bible, no matter how severe or how minor a sin is, all deserve to be punished for that sin. Heaven is supposed to be a holy place, and because God is perfect, sin is not allowed in a perfect place.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Sharon, if hell exists it would be jam-packed.
DeleteSin, regardless if it is the breaking of relationship with God, or committing a crime in the eyes of society, can be scaled between minor and major. If someone cheated on a test, would they belong in the 9th circle of hell like Satan? No, because there is no way that you can equate minor to major sins. It is as simple as that, minor and major sins are difference on the pyramid of sin. I believe there is punishment based on the severity of of the sin.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, if God is supposed to be fair and just, all sins are not going to be considered the same. A person who lusts after a piece of candy doesn't deserve to burn in the same hell as somebody who murdered an innocent person. Having all sins be the same is like giving everybody who has ever committed a crime the death penalty because they acted against the law.
DeleteI definitely do believe that there is a hierarchy of sin. There should be different levels depending on how severe the sin is. For example a small lie is not as severe as murdering someone. I think that the worst sin an individual can commit is the act of murder. Murder is a very vicious act and creates a lot of sadness and pain for people. Personally, I don’t believe there is a certain place called Hell; however, I believe that everyone has their own version of Hell. Hell would be a place of dread, fear, and misery. I think that the fact some people believe in Hell and others do not has to do with what they were taught while growing up. People’s beliefs could also be affected by their religion.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you said. I have never thought of people having their own versions of Hell. It's interesting to think that people can determine what their "ideal" Hell would be like.
DeleteI also think it is a very interesting point that we all have our own versions of hell and I completely agree. Just as not everyone has the same perspective of right and wrong or what is or is not logical to do, it all varies from person to person. Not only because of the way that we are raised though, of course how we are brought up has a large impact on things but I also believe it is based on a way of thinking that we have adapted on our own. There are of course the generalized and "commonly believed" views of things. For example is the color purple that I see the same color purple that someone else sees? Or even is something that I believe is a sinful thing to do what everyone believes is an act of sin? At the end of the day, it all comes down to us all being individuals who have their own, and sometimes subconscious, opinions about everything that do not always match other people's opinions. Similarly, since hell is not something anyone has ever really seen, everyone has their own imagined version of hell, like you said a place of dread, fear, and misery. But I believe that the reason for everyone's version of hell being so different or sometimes not even existing is because of our conscience and the guilt (or lack of it) that we feel about things we have done. Someone whose conscience is deeply guilty would be waiting for the other shoe to drop and that could result in imagining a place of fear and misery where they would be punished for their guilty actions. While people who may not have so much of a guilty conscience would not think too much into this idea of a hell and to them it would be nothing but a myth. Overall, I believe hell could be created in our minds by religion or by our conscience and the guilt that we may feel.
DeleteI found what we talked about today interesting especially about why did God make some people have disabilities. I'm not sure if God is perfect or not but maybe God isn't perfect and also makes mistakes like we do. Today we have science that explains why some people have illness or disabilities. I could be a possibility that God made a mistake which is why some people are disabled. I also found what Kevin said about who is the creator of the creator very interesting. If God created us then who created God?
DeleteIn my perspective, a sin is simply a wrong action. Just as actions can be labeled by importance, impact, significance, etc., so can sins. Thus, I do believe that there is a hierarchy of sin. The worst of all sins are sins that wrong others. You can commit a sin, for example cheating on a test, that does not affect others. On the other hand, a sin, such as lying, does affect another individual. Thus, all sins that have some affect on others, adultery, murder, etc., are much more severe than sins that only have an effect on the sinner. In my opinion, the worst sin a person can commit is theft. Reason being, theft is a very vague term that can include multiple sins. For instance, murder can also be considered theft because it involves one person taking another person's life.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I don't know what it looks like, Hell is a place that I believe exists. People probably choose not to believe in Hell because there is no proof of it. It's not a tangible place that people can visit or see. However, I choose to believe in Hell because, in my opinion, it makes me a better person. The idea that I will be punished for my sins keeps me mindful of my actions. I'm sure others agree as well and choose to believe in Hell in order to be an overall better person.
II believe that there is a hierarchy of sin. Regardless of the fact that sin is associated with religion, there are different degree of sins as there are varying degrees of crime. Sin is quite difficult to quantify. Many might perceive murder as a much more horrific sin compared to stealing something. However, some might successfully argue that they are equal levels of sin because their consequences are about the same. With this, it can be challenging to compare the different degrees of sins, if they exist of course. Despite this, I do think that there is a type of sin that can be surely classified as a worse sin, a sin to carry out another sin. Let's say for instance, in a certain religion, breaking a jar and eating a cookie are both sins. Separately, one sin might be worse than the other, or they can both be equally bad, but as previously said, it can be controversial to determine that. However, if someone breaks a jar in order to get a cookie to eat, that is surely a worse sin. The action shows that the person completely neglected a sin in order to sin again.
ReplyDeleteI think that a hierarchy of sin exists. For example, it's pretty clear that murdering someone is worse than shoplifting a bottle of soda from the grocery store. I think the more important thing in determining the hierarchy of sin, however, is the intention of the sinner. Those who recognize their failings and repent are less reprehensible than those who do not. In my opinion, the first sin that an individual can commit is manipulating others. The willful use of others to one's own advantage, and the idea of toying with someone's emotions for one's own pleasure or enjoyment are both disgusting to me. No, I do not believe in Hell. Although I was raised in a Christian household, I don't consider myself a religious person. Most people that believe in Hell base that stance on their religious upbringing. Others believe in it to boost their self-esteem and imagine their enemies burning in the inferno. Dante's belief in Hell is a combination of these two factors.
ReplyDeleteI consider sin to be a religious word, the more general equivalent being crime. And I consider a crime to be anything that impedes on another's rights. Anything not considered a crime, I don't consider a sin. However, of crime, there are certainly multiple levels. For example, murder is definitely worse than lying. I don't believe in heaven or hell or in God. In regards to that, I believe that someone decided to create a cult that was based on the fear of going to hell. The reason i don't believe is because there is no current proof that shows that there exists a god, heaven or hell. Yet others believe that there is a God. I believe that this is because a person wants something to believe in, a greater cause, or a greater being. For some people, that is Heaven, Hell, God and the rest of the bible.
ReplyDeleteI believe there is a hierarchy of sin, in the sense that some sins are more hurtful than others. Sin, in my opinion, depends on the circumstance, rather than just the action. For example, a child lying about cleaning up is much less grievous than a government official telling a lie to make more money or to rise illegally to a certain position. Sins depend greatly on the situation they are in. I think the worst sin an individual can commit can to be to cause life threatening harm to another individual on the grounds that the opposing individual means no danger to the individual. I believe that Hell does exist, and is similar to sin in the sense that it depends on the situation. Hell to some people could be their present situation, or could be a state of confusion their minds could be in. Hell to some people could be living with cancer or could be living with an autistic child. The belief in Hell, I think, depends on the belief in whether there is or isn't a supreme being.
ReplyDeleteA sin to me is any action that goes against the will of God and is morally wrong. While all sins are perceived as immoral I do believe that there is a hierarchy of sins - that is some sins are worse than others. I believe on the worst end of the spectrum of sins is murder for money. To me that is the worst sin because not only does it take someone’s life but also it takes it for a selfish reason (for personal gain). Unlike murder for a revenge of a loved one, or murder in self defense, murder for money puts an earthly object above the value of a human life, and is therefore the worst sin an individual can commit. As a born catholic, I was raised to believe in a place called Hell for individuals who commit major sins. Over time however, I question Hell’s existence because I believe in a forgiving God, who forgives everyone he created. I believe that most people try to believe in Hell, because they want to be rewarded in Heaven for all the good deeds they did on earth. Its existence however, and the existence of God himself is yet to be fully proven.
ReplyDeleteAlthough society places a hierarchy on crimes by giving more severe punishments to more severe crimes, I do not believe that there is a great difference between different sins. Everyone makes the decision to commit a sin and do something wrong, and in that way, no sine is more "severe" or "serious" than others. It is, however, important how people feel after committing a sin. If they do not feel any remorse or guilt whatsoever, I think that they are more severe "criminals" than those that genuinely feel guilty for their sins. In other words, I believe that the way people react after sinning (if they feel guilty and if they repent) is more important than the sin itself. As a Christian, I believe that hell does exist, and that it is a place where God is not. Since sinners in life chose to not believe in God, in hell, they will be separate from God in death as well. I think that religion has a lot to do with whether or not people believe in hell and that many people choose not to believe in hell because they do not want to believe in a place that is a punishment for their actions.
ReplyDeleteI think you make an interesting point about how repentance is much more important than ranking the severity of the sin. I get how you are saying that solely the decision to commit any type of sin, however major or minor, is wrong. I also find your argument that people who do not choose to be with God in life (not believing in him) do not deserve to be with him in Heaven interesting as well. I really enjoyed reading your responses because your ideas were different from mine and helped me gain perspective from a different viewpoint!
DeleteThere is a hierarchy of sin involved because in Hell there are nine circles for different sins. For example, the ninth circle is reserved for betrayers and mutineers which is one of the worst sins an individual can commit. Technically, Hell does not exist except in our imaginations, in which case if would look different to everybody. Some people may see it as eternal punishment, and some people may just simply see it as a really bad school day at Lynbrook. Some people believe in Hell and others do not because of the different religions we practice.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that there is a hierarchy of sin separating certain sins from others on the basis of severity. Some sins deserve harsher punishment than others, such as murder compared to stealing. Stealing is just the taking of one's material, but murder is the taking of life from one of "god's creations". The very worst sin that a man can commit is either murder or betrayal. Despite this, I do not believe that there is such a place as "Hell". This notion of "Hell" was created as an explanation of how the world works and what happens after death. "Hell" shows humanity's early attempts to create ordered society and control groups of people. Just like the many legends concocted by the ancient people, Hell isn't backed by any concrete evidence but it provides a logical theory of life after death. There are differing views on whether Hell exists mostly due to how each individual was raised. Individuals take in a lot when they are young, so family, church, and environment greatly affect how they will see the world in the future. It can also be due to how if this belief in Hell wasn't there, then there would be no explanation for what would happen after death. One of the biggest fears of anyone is the fear of the unknown, hence why Hell provides a sort of confidence that there is hope and life after our lives on Earth.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you said except your final statement, where you stated that Hell provides hope and life after our lives on Earth. Maybe you meant heaven, but Hell only provides fear, and is a church's means of control of people using fear.
DeleteI think that there is a hierarchy of sins because crimes have different severity. If god is supposed to be fair, then why would stealing an apple warrant the same punishment as murdering someone.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe there is a hell because it is simply illogical to me. There is little to no evidence that there is something as hell. I think people believe in heaven and hell because it makes them feel secure in the afterlife. It will make them feel better thinking that if they are good people, then they will be rewarded, while bad people will be punished. I believe that we only have this one life, and we should be good people, not because of rewards/punishments in the afterlife, but because we have to be good to other people in our short life.
I agree with your opinion that hell doesn't exist and that there should be different levels of severity for crimes committed. You make a good point on how people like to believe in heaven and hell due to expectation of reward. Being a good person isn't something to be rewarded, it is something to be expected out of a human being in their short lives.
DeleteI feel that there is a hierarchy for sin. What I know is that all sin is bad but I believe that there are some more heinous then the other. For example, I feel that a small robbery is bad and should be punished but that small robbery is not as bad as killing a person. If the world worked like that, then one of two things would happen. Either people who have committed a small robbery will be sentenced to death or life in prison or, murders would only spend a few years in jail.Some say that all sinners go to hell. In a way I agree, but I feel that some sins can be fogiven compared to other sins.So yes, I do believe in a hell. But not the fiery pit that many people talk about. I think hell is like any other world but is filled with the worst of people. I believe hell is like our world but filled with murderers and felons but doesn't have hany people to make that world a better place. For me that would be the worst place to be stuck in. This is my opinion on hell and sin. People wonder why others don't have the same opinion on hell and sin. The reason is because everyone has a different idea of hell and sin. Some are brought up in a religion where hell is real and is a fiery pit of nothingness. Some choose to believe in hell and sin because they want to believe in something more then life, and some just don't and believe that death is the end of a life and soul. It is all a matter of a person's beliefs and opinions and not everyone has the same opinion.
ReplyDeleteI agree with tanvi that sin is a bad thing and that there are different gauges of sin with different consequences also agree that sins can be forgiven what I believe most of all is people all have different versions of what sin is what right and wrong is and even what hell looks like all quantified and interpreted differently. To me the bible is the moral base and standard of my life and I get answers from that maybe not for others the moral that should be taken is that hell is aplace to avoid, sin is inevitable but can be made up for and that hell is a place of unknown inquiry.
Delete-Caleb Britton
I agree with you, Caleb, especially that there is a hierarchy of sins because no sin is the same and that sins often get worse. The bible is like a law-- that is a moral law that generally Christians follow. No one is perfect but repentance often helps.
DeleteI feel that everyone has a different view of a sin. In my opinion a sin is determined by an individual's morals. But the idea of sin can also be sculpted by society. Society can't decide if someone goes to hell or not. Sin can be forgiven if one fixes themselves tho.
DeleteThere are different stages for sin.The worst sin is to betray anyone, not just god. There is no such thing as hell. Some people believe in hell because they trust the church so much that they are overly religious. Others do not because they do not trust the church as much.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't necessarily say there is a hierarchy of sin because a sin is a sin no matter how severe it maybe. Having an affair compared to stealing a Gatorade may seem more severe but when you ask the question "Were they both sinful actions" the answer comes to a yes. Although sin is a sin, there will be different consequences for different sins. In the Bible, it states that some sins will have more harsh consequences than the others.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that hell exists. I was brought up in a Christian household and of course they all told me that heaven and hell exist. But as I grew up and heard others saying " I need proof that there is Jesus, I need to see for myself there is hell/heaven, etc" Humans always need something to see or feel in order to believe. Then how do people love each other, how do they trust each other? But that's probably for another time. Yet I want to put it out there that there is no evidence of hell/heaven NOT existing either so how do you know which one is right? I choose to believe that there is hell and that we were all put into this world for a reason. I guess you can say #noYOLO.
I am a member of the United Methodist Church. We are more relaxed Christians compared to my dad, who is Catholic. I personally believe that hell is a place filled with your worst nightmares. It is filled with your enemies, fears, villains, and criminals. However, if you pray every night, and talk to God while repenting your sins this will guarantee you a spot in heaven. Hell is a place where you are punished and do work for God. The center of hell is the worst and has a giant fire. Although you don't want to go to hell, if you pray to God you will end up in your vision of paradise, like Hawaii! Obviously, there are worse sins than others. If you cheat on a test you’re not going to die. However, if you injure someone with intent to hurt, that would be classified as a sin. The worst sin ever recorded was by Judas. He first betrayed his friend Jesus, and then committed suicide. I believe that suicide, and murder are both the highest punishable sins. There are definitely levels of hell according to the sins you commit. However, I believe that you are put in your own hell inside a portion of hell itself. On the bright side, with education and respect towards God, country, self, and others. all of us will end up in heaven.
ReplyDeleteOut of curiosity, why do you consider suicide to be a sin?
DeleteFor the most part I agree that suicide is a sin because every life is precious, and suicide is technically murder. I do believe that in certain situations, suicide can be justified and that not all suicides hold the same weight.
DeleteI believe that there is a hierarchy of sin. I know that it was, and still primarily is, believed that there are the "Seven Deadly Sins", all of which (if committed) will ensure that the individual who committed said sin will end up damning their soul to reside in the depths of hell for all of time. Now, the definition of Hell - or what happens after death - varies from religion to religion. Some believe in reincarnation. Others in heaven and hell, and others in some other means of judging one's soul. But whatever the case may be, the sins you have committed play a role in how your soul is accommodated after your passing. Those that believe in reincarnation may believe that if sins were committed in the afterlife, then one will be reincarnated into a harder, rougher life both as punishment and as a chance to prove oneself. Others believe in hell, and separation from God. But, at least for me, any way that you choose to define what happens after death, the sins do not guarantee the same punishment or damnation. For me, pride is a sin that is not as malicious or horrible as stealing (one's things, life, or right to the truth as Baba from The Kite Runner explained). So I do not believe that pride will ensure that one receives the same punishment as those who steal. I do not believe that the categorization of the penalties for sin are this inclusive and broad. I believe that a higher power will be able to differentiate between malicious and non-malicious sins, and then set a protocol for atoning and redeeming oneself that is specific to the sin that was committed.
ReplyDeleteWell, this is definitely different from my views. Even though we didn't have the same ideas I understand and find it interesting that your views are this way.
DeleteWell done sir Greenberg (why did you write Vahabi?)
to Say that there is a hierarchy of sin is to use a misleading term where some sins are better than others. No sin is good moreover no sin will get you closer to god. This doesn't mean that some sins cant be worse than others for example murder is much worse than lying but if that lying led to the death of 1000's of people with the full knowledge understood by the liar I think we can safely say that person is definitely worse than the person who just murdered one person. The worst sin is that of absolute and unforgiving hatred and malice where the person is actively trying to make the world a worse place. I do believe in hell because I believe that god exists and that the bible is the word of god. In the bible it talks about hell being a real place but it doesn't have all the details that Dante had in his novel. I believe hell is a place of complete darkness and complete separation from god where forgiveness and mercy do not exist. The reason why people in general believe in hell is fear of god and its judgement These are good things as to keep people responsible and reprehensible for their actions. Some people who don't believe in hell want proof of its existence other than the bible or they may see hell as something different.. The focus that is needed on sin is the motive and heart behind it. Ileave you with this : Instead of foucsing on who deserves judgement we should focus on how to make up for it and that is with love -Caleb Britton
ReplyDeleteThere is a definitely a hierarchy of sin. Some sins are much worse than others. Lying to your parents that you went to your friend's house playing video games for an hour instead of studying is unquestionably better than murdering people, doing dangerous drugs, or joining a gang. The very worse sin that a man can make is disrespecting your parents. Your parents have raised you since you were a baby and they want you to grow up to be wonderful great man or woman. Disregarding you parents' hard work in raising you can be as one of the worse possible sins possible.
ReplyDeleteI truly believe there is such thing as no hell because I am more of an atheist. I believe that hell was first intentionally designed as a factor for scaring people to do only good deeds.
Brian, I agree with you about how the idea of Hell came to be. I think the idea of a place where sinners are punished was attractive to early religious leaders, because it scares people into following the norms that are put forth. When faced with the possibility of eternal torture, people tend to behave better. I have to respectfully disagree, however, with your statement that disobeying one's parents is the worst possible sin. Murder involves the taking of another person's life, an act which I think is heinous and far worse than disrespecting parents.
DeleteIn my opinion there is a hierarchy of sin. However there are not many levels to this hierarchy, there are only two. The first level consists of sins that are general though of as minor, an example of a minor sin would be lying. The other level of sin would be the more serious level, a typical example would be murder. Although I did give these examples, I think that each sin could be worse depending on what it alters and how many other people are hurt by this sin. There is no certain picture to hell but the general idea of it is a place that you don't like. This place could be a blank world in which nothing happens and you are forced to live with what you have done until you are forgiven or it could be the typical fire like cavern where the devil and his minions lie. To those that don't agree with the statement "there is a hell" it is because everyone has different views on the after life of certain people. It may be because of religion or just because you find the idea to be strange and not justified. Truth is there is no way to know for sure what happens when a person that has committed sin dies.
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely a hierarchy of sin because they can obviously vary in severity. Stealing a cookie from the kitchen is nothing when compared to murder. I don't think there is an absolute worst sin because the consequence of a sin can differ depending on the situation and individuals involved. I don't know if there is a Hell just as I am not sure if there is a Heaven. But if there is a Hell, I believe that the punishments would be specifically tailored to fit an individual’s worst fears and sins. A customized torture. The extent in which a person believes in Hell depends on their spiritual beliefs. For example, a Christian would probably believe in Hell more strongly than an Atheist or Buddhist would (that is, if the latter two even believe in it at all).
ReplyDeleteI agree with your idea that "the consequence of a sin can differ depending on the situation and individuals involved." If murder is defined as killing a living organism of any kind, then wouldn't eating vegetables be a form of murder? But usually the non animal murder that's emphasized most is killing trees. Murdering a relative or a someone you have a relationship with is more sinful than murdering a stranger. So even within the same sin there is a hierarchy of how bad it really is.
DeleteI agree with your idea that different religions leads to different concepts of heaven and hell but I also think that even within the same religion there will be different ideas of the afterlife. In addition, different cultures in different time periods would also lead to a different range of beliefs.
I believe there is a hierarchy of sins. Somethings we do are worse than others. For example, cheating on tests and murdering someone both count as sin but murder is obviously worse than the other. I believe that sins that affect yourself (ie. lying, cheating, etc.) aren't as bad as the ones that affect the lives of others. I believe the worst sin a person can commit is one where they take away the life of someone else and the way they commit this crime doesn't matter (ie. murder, torture, etc.) I believe there is more than just the physical world and I believe that after we die, we do move on to another place, but I would not label it as Hell (or Heaven). I believe that the spirits of those who died are still with us on Earth but they do not show themselves. I think people believe/ don't believe in Hell because of what they are taught. Some people are taught that there is an afterlife and some people are taught there is nothing. People can only know what they are taught with this topic.
ReplyDeleteYes, I believe there is a hierarchy of sin. Stealing something is not on the same degree of wrongdoing as and is totally different from a sin like betraying your spouse. These different types of sins should not be treated and punished the same way. Of all sins, I think that the worst sin an individual can commit is murder because you are taking the life of another. However, it depends on the circumstances. A premeditated murder is obviously not on the same level as murder out of self defense. I do also believe there is a place called Hell in afterlife. I don’t really imagine the stereotypical image of a red devil with a pitchfork with flames in the background, but rather a place that seems and looks like prison, where people are punished for the wrongdoings during their life. In our society, there are people of many different beliefs, opinions, and religions as we all come from different backgrounds or principles. Some people like a certain type of food. Others do not. Some people are pro-life while others are not. Naturally, some people will believe that there is afterlife and places like Heaven and Hell while others do not.
ReplyDeleteI like how you differentiated between premeditated murder and killing out of self defense to establish that the circumstances surrounding a sin are vital when it comes to judging how harsh the punishment should be.
DeleteThere is a hierarchy of sins, because some sins are definitely worse than others. For example, adultery and stealing food may both be considered sins. However, adultery is clearly a worse sin because of how our culture has defined moral standards. I believe that the more people a sin impacts, the "worse" it is in terms of hierarchy, because a person is negatively impacting the lives of others. If the sin is more personal and doesn't have an effect on anyone else, it wouldn't be as bad. I don't have a strong opinion on whether hell exists or not. I personally like having concrete evidence/proof that something is true before I really start to believe in it, and since there is no proof of hell, I'm indifferent. Some people probably believe in hell because of their religion and how they were taught when they were younger. For example, many children are told to be respectful and make morally sound decisions, otherwise they'll "go to hell" instead of heaven. Influences like family and culture certainly play a huge role in why some people believe in hell, and why people have varying ideas of the concept.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that our culture defines moral standards, but such a definition does not necessarily depend on the number of people affected. For example, adultery would hurt both the adulterer and one's partner whereas murdering an estranged, homeless man hurts only the victim. By the aforementioned definition, the former would be more sinful, but I personally believe the latter is far more horrific. Like you said, by no means is sin independent from the number of people affected, but I think a more general definition to capture the order of sin hierarchy is the magnitude of the sin.
DeleteI do believe there is a hierarchy of "sins" (or wrongdoings that people commit). I consider a more minor crime like theft less reprehensible than an offense like sexual assault or murder, which are in my opinion among the worst possible sins. I don't think people who have committed minor crimes deserve to be grouped in with serial killers. Personally I do not believe in Hell because I don't believe that my free will and my natural thoughts and behaviors are punishable by damnation to eternal misery. I think people believe in Hell because that is what they were taught to believe from a very young age and the idea has stuck with them. Those who do not believe in Hell most likely did not grow up with the idea.
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely a hierarchy of sin, depending on how negative of an effect it has had. It is still impossible to define what is considered a sin and what is not, though. Everyone has different definitions of whether a certain action was considered a sin or not, so I personally can’t even determine what sin could be the worst. I don’t believe there is a Hell. I believe that every person in their life has sinned at some point, and everyone has lived through life with sufferings that sending people to Hell just doesn’t seem right. I believe other people believe that there is a Hell, because people always say that “people get what they deserve.” To them, Hell is a place where their price will be paid.
ReplyDeleteI do not think there is a hierarchy for different sins because circumstances make one sin worse than another. Cold-blooded murder and manslaughter are two very distinct crimes. Although they both result in the loss of human life, I do not believe the people responsible for these two crimes deserve the same punishment. I don't think there is one sin that is worse than all the others. What makes a sin horrible is the magnitude of negative effect it has on the people affected by the sin. Some might say that murder is the worst sin of all. However, sometimes, killing someone is not the worst thing you can do to them. You can make them live in their personal hell everyday which, in my opinion, is worse than killing them. I would like to believe that sinners and terrible people do go to hell to repent their sins. There was a recent study done on near-death experiences. Most people said that they felt absolute bliss and joy in their last moments while a small group said that they felt panic and agony. I really hope hell is where sinners get to experience the receiving end of their sin. The sinners should feel what other people have felt because of their actions. I think most people who have committed heinous crimes don’t like to believe in hell. They do not like the idea of being eternally punished.
ReplyDeletei agree, that murder may not be the worst kind of punishment. It is better to not live at all than to suffer.
DeleteI completely agree with your viewpoint on the hierarchy of sin, since one is obviously more sinful than the other. I love your idea on how people create their own hell.
ReplyDeleteHell, Sin, Heaven, and the afterlife are some of the most speculated issues of our world. Most cultures have their own beliefs on Heaven and Hell (or their specific counterparts per religion). People have a natural tendency towards the protection of their being, thus have concern for what comes after life--it is only human. In a way, the concept of Heaven and Hell instills a fear of retribution, in an effort to encourage people to have good principles.
ReplyDeleteThe world, however, has been set up to punish those who have sinned. There is no way for men on earth to be sure, but I believe that a Hell-like place exists, and that there is a hierarchy of sin exists to scale and determine one’s level of retribution. A sin is defined as “any act regarded such as a transgression, especially a deliberate violation of some moral principle.” As such, it seems unlikely, and even unfair that a person who committed a relatively “simple” crime, such as telling a lie or copying homework is punished as severely as someone who committed the worst possible crime--murder.
The way I see it, murder is the most heinous crime because it takes away an equal’s life. There is nothing to live for without life. As the video from this morning said, “why would we actually sin against the purpose of our own existence?” The point is valid in its entirety--taking life is exactly sinning against our own existence.
Even if a physical location like Hell exists, people are also severely punished for their own crimes. For example, those who tell a lie will likely get caught and feel guilty, those who copy homework will be handed an academic infraction notice. Those who commit murder are confined to a life sentence in prison, and sometimes even given the death sentence.
The concept of Hell is so esoteric, that many people find it intangible. Hell is, I believe just a location for people to fully understand and feel the severity of their crimes after death. It’s possible that some people believe in Hell because they believe in the purpose of punishment for crimes, and others don’t believe in it because it is not something that can be proven.
I like how you brought up that people have an innate instinct for self preservation that led to beliefs about the afterlife. It is a perfectly logical reason why such words like "Heaven" and "Hell" and their respective meanings came into existence. I have to disagree, though, with how you stated that the world has a system of punishment for sinners in place. Some criminals escape justice and never receive due punishment. Those that believe in Hell are probably comforted by the thought that Hell is a fail-safe system to dole out retribution.
DeleteThere should be a hierarchy of sin- killing a mosquito should not be held to be as severe a sin as murder. The worst sin that someone can commit is torturing or hurting someone to the point where committing suicide could be justified. This kind of sin is worse than murder, because murder simply takes away another's life while this sin makes another feel as though life is not worth living. I understand that there are instances in which torture has justification, but that is a grey area that has no right or wrong answer
ReplyDeleteIf there is a Hell, it is probably more horrible than anything we can imagine. Hell should not just be a fire pit or something akin to that. I imagine Hell to have no physical manifestation, but to simply be a place of eternal suffering. Souls most likely do not have physical properties, so why should Hell? If Hell does not exist, I believe that "Hell" and its meanings came about because of people's desire for justice and retribution. Even with today's justice system and police system, some criminals are not caught and received no punishment. In the past, criminals must have has a much easier time escaping justice. Those that they wronged probably believed in Hell to comfort themselves that, eventually, all sinners will get their due.
Hell may or may not exist, and that uncertainty means that some people passionately believe in Hell and some, equally as passionately, do not believe in Hell. The division comes from people's personal beliefs and religions.
In the bible, it is said that there are no greater or lesser sin. All sins that people commit are equal in God's eyes. Although in our world, punishments for murder may be worse than stealing, God still views the wrong doings as the same. But one thing that the bible hints is that the worst sin of all is not believing in God. Basically betraying and not trusting in God. I believe that there is a place called sin mainly because I'm a Christian. Although there are no actual description or picture, everyone understands that it's a place where evil, demons, and satan exist and live. It can also be pictured as a place where everything is burning with fire. I think others believe in it because they might be Christian like me or believe in other religions that accept hell as a real place. But others might not because they're atheist who don't believe in a God or Hell.
ReplyDeleteI cannot say for certain if I believe that there is a hierarchy of sin. Sin by definition is “an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law,” and the definition of divine law is “any law that comes directly from the will of God, in contrast to man-made law.” Sins are acts against “God’s” will. I do not believe in “God”, therefore, the word “sin” does not register any value with me. So I cannot judge whether there is any hierarchy of sin or not. We also have to question exactly what sin is. Is a sin a wrongdoing? What is a wrongdoing? What we believe to be right or wrong does not depend on us, but our society. When we grow up, we are taught what is right, and what is wrong. As young infants, all we really can do is absorb the information given to us and believe it, because we have no other foundation to base upon. Society defines us and our thought patterns. Were we to live in a different society where killing was alright, and showing kindness a bad thing, the meaning of sin would be quite different. Yes, it may be a chaotic society, but as humans, we are able to adapt, and if we could not adapt, then humans just were not meant to exist. Survival of the fittest, right?
ReplyDeleteI do not believe in hell. As with heaven, hell is a place created along with the belief. Religions, in my opinion, are just grasps at straws. When religious beliefs started forming, I believe that humans just made up all the practices, morals, punishments in the belief for the sake of having something to rely upon when there is nothing left. Religion is like the imaginary friend you had when you were a child because you had no one else; a last hope. If hell were to exist though, I imagine it to be just one big black hole where your mind or soul just exists for eternity. A place where you will be forever alone.
It's interesting for me to compare those with belief and those without, because for those who don't believe that there is some sort of god or deity who is perfectly righteous and perfectly just, how do they determine what a wrongdoing is? I agree that for those without belief or religion, they gage the rightness or the wrongness of their actions based on their surroundings and history. Then again, we have to remember that morals change over time. There was a moment in time where showing ankles and wrists was scandalous and wrong.
DeleteI love your representation of hell. I think that when we imagine a hell, we take the image of what we fear personally the most and wrap it with the emotion we detest the most. Hell is supposedly the darkest, most evil place in the world, and a result we take what we know is dark and evil to represent hell. But it makes me wonder if Hell contains a far worse evil that does not exist on this earth that we couldn't have possibly imagined.
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ReplyDeleteI believe that there is a hierarchy of sin, because there are different levels of sin. I can't really say what is the worst sin one can commit, because people have different views and perception. For example, cussing at someone can be the worst sin an individual can commit; however, murder can be the worst sin one can commit. I think that committing suicide is the worst sin one can commit, because committing suicide is also disrespecting god. God gave one a life as a human, and committing suicide would be the same as denying God's mean. When one commits sin, one must go to hell, and I do believe that there is hell. Hell is where people get punished for their sins. I imagine that hell is dark and has devils. Some people believe that there is hell, and others do not, because people believe in different religions; some people aren't even religious.
ReplyDeleteI believe that there is a hierachy of sin. The severity of a sin is dependent upon the crime. The severity of sin is present in our current judicial system as murderers get longer jail sentences than thieves. The worst sin someone can commit is dependent upon your views. Whether you think Hell exists or not is dependent on your religious beliefs. I think Hell is used a tactic to spread fear and the notion that it exists is used to make a more lawful society.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if my comment got published the first time so I'll do it again.
ReplyDeleteThere is only one type of sin, which is theft. All sins are variations of theft. If you kill a man, you take away his right to live. If you steal, you take away the right to own property. Ignorance is the worst sin. You deny yourself the right to knowledge which I believe will lead to increased involvement in sinful activities. Ignorance is the gateway to evil and world suffering. Hell is a place and everybody will go there. It doesn't have any specific look however, it is filled with terrible emotions and suffering. People believe in hell since they want answers to life. They want to know why they are here. From out of curiosity, people make up their own answers to life but that doesn't necessarily mean they are stupid.
I do believe there is a hierarchy of sin. Because humans aren’t perfect, we are technically sinning all the time. Some sins, however, are not as serious as others and in the grand scheme of life they are usually insignificant. I think the worst sin a person can commit is murder. Taking someone’s right to life is far worse than most all of the other sins that one can commit. If there is a place called Hell, then those who have intentionally committed major sins (such as murder) would go there after death. Like most others, my image of Hell is fiery, isolated, and miserable. Some people believe in Hell because of their religion or their personal opinions on afterlife. Believing in some sort of afterlife can act as a sort of motivation or incentive for a person to be the best they can be. Others may choose to not believe in Hell because there is no scientific evidence. Personally, I support the fact that one should believe in anything that helps them strive to be a better person, whether that means believing in an afterlife or not.
ReplyDeleteIn a sense yes, there is a hierarchy of sins, but at the same time no. Because god demands moral perfection, stealing or murdering would both deliver you punishment. However, we must accept that people make mistakes such as stealing something or a cheating on a test. One must not be sent to hell for such a small sin. Mistakes help you grow as a person and earn public morality. Murder, for example, has the ability to grant one to hell, because it is not a mistake. It is a choice, because one can not learn from it and use it to morally develop. I do not believe there is a place called hell. It is your conscience. When you commit a sin, your conscience becomes your hell where you are forced to suffer from regret, a punishment on its own.
ReplyDeleteI believe there is a hierarchy of sin, since not all sins are equal. For example, murder is much more destructive than minor crimes such as theft. In my opinion, the very worst sin an individual can commit is murder. Murder takes away the victim's life and future, and is unjustified in most situations. I don't think Hell exists, because there is no real evidence. Some people might believe in Hell because they were taught that way from a young age. It might also be useful to prevent crime from happening.
ReplyDeleteI think Hell is a cold place. So I disagree with you on that. In addition, if sin were to be like math, a sin would be an action with a negative sign and good deeds would be ones with positive signs. So in a number line, there are some that are more negative than others, despite both being negative, so I believe there is a hierarchy to sin imo.
ReplyDeleteI believe that there is a hierarchy of sin, since some crimes have greater magnitude than others. Although the severity of a sin depends upon the beholder, there exists a general consensus that death is the worst kind of crime that a person could commit, since you deprive someone of the right to live. However, I believe that there are certain crimes that are worse than murder since they could give rise to long-term trauma in the life of the victim and others involved. The individual may consider living under such a strain to be worse than death. In fact, some consider living unhappily to be worse than living at all. I don’t think that hell exists since I believe that all humans are born good and deserve a second chance. According to the Hindu religion, people are reborn differently until they reach enlightenment. This belief appeals to me since people should be allowed to try again so that they have room to improve. Therefore, I don’t think that hell exists, but there is a form of heaven that can only be achieved. I think that some people believe in concepts like karma and hell to reassure themselves that wrongdoers get punished.
ReplyDeleteI see your point that people believe in what makes them feel reassured; I think that observation hints at the underlying human nature to lie to ourselves when there is no proof. I'm not saying that people shouldn't believe in hell, rebirth, or nonexistence after death, all I'm saying is that we believe in those concepts because it is in our nature to do so. As humans, we fear the unknown, and would rather come up with our own explanations than accept the fact that "we don't know."
DeleteNo I believe that there is no hierarchy of sin if referring to how sin is punished. Since the punishment of sin is eternal separation from God or death, there really is no equality in that sense. Sin is any action that separates man from God, either an action that is against man, against God, or his will.
ReplyDeleteAnd all of mankind is already in a separation from God due to the sinful nature of man. Which is why it is written, "for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God". It is required that one be pure and holy, but since Sin is corruption and imperfection, the only result is the separation of pure and impure.
That aside, the hierarchy of sin is from mankind's definition of sin since everything has to be defined by our understanding of the world. So we think some sins are worst than others, so within our society there is a hierarchy. Even I judge sins unequally, because I'm only human and I'm biased towards certain things.
In my opinion, the worst sin to commit is not a single act but many sins. Sins against humanity to be exact, such as; violence, rape, murder, genocide, hatred, slander, etc...
Man is God's greatest creation (written and believed) hence one of the greatest commandments mentioned in the Bible, is to love thy neighbor as thyself.
To break that commandment is to break the greatest which is "Love the Lord your God with all your, heart, mind, soul, and strength"
If I must explain how it is that I believe humanity to be so treasured by a God ready to damn us to hell, then I will. It sounds strange if you take it exactly like that.
(It'll take time and a lot of commenting space....)
There is a hell in existence despite God treasuring humanity as his greatest work. It's inevitable though that such a place exists, because hell is merely the absence of God or separation from him. I can't give any specific details to what it looks like, mostly because I've never been there...
I do believe though that separation from God is a miserable life to live for eternity, if one does believe that everything that is pure, and good comes from God.
As for the fiery lake and the great weeping and gnashing of teeth, I'll take the scriptures word for it.
Some would believe that there is no hell mostly because they believe that there is no God in the first place. This has usually been the scientific debate on God's existence. Others take the stance that a just God wouldn't throw a bread thief in hell with the serial killer.
Then those who believe in a hell, will naturally believe in a god that judges everyone according to their actions in life or their sins.
From my belief, I believe that there is a hell and that God is entirely justified for having people in hell. I'm not thrilled at the knowledge that people do go to hell, and I'm definitely not comfortable with it either.
When thinking of it logically, if God is pure and holy, anything that is impure needs to be separated. After all we can't have pure water when there's dust inside.
But how does the 'God treasures us' statement go? That is where the Christian gospel kicks in.
Gospel in a nutshell is offering mankind a way out of sin. It says give up your old life where you lived only for yourself. Live for your fellow man, and for the one who redeemed your life.
I believe that there is a hierarchy of sin; some sins are worse than others. The U.S. government's system of punishment illustrates this idea. While convicted bank robbers are given jail time, murderers are given the death penalty. In my opinion, the worst sin an individual can commit is to deprive another individual of his or her right to live. If hell is defined as a fiery place located underground in which souls are damned for all eternity, I find such a concept difficult to believe. No evidence of such a place's existence has ever arisen, and because I've been taught throughout my life to only accept scientific conclusions as fact, I believe that death is equal and that human "souls" neither ascend to heaven nor descend to hell. Just as some people argue that hell exists, citing evidence from their life's experiences and teachings, I argue that the human brain and not the soul is responsible for consciousness. I, like them however, can only offer theories to support my argument, because neither science nor religion can prove that souls exist.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that there is a hierarchy of sins. According to the catholic bible all sins are equivalent in that they put a separation between an individual and God. However there are to different types of sins, mortal and venial sins. Mortal sins prevent entrance to heaven while venial sins do not. In my opinion the worst sin that anyone can commit is murder since it is a destruction of Gods creations. I do believe in hell although i do not believe it is divided into levels such as Dante suggests in his "Inferno". Hell is one continuous place where souls are punished for there sins the severity of which depends on the amount of sin. Some people believe in Hell because they are religious and were taught about its existence from a young age, others believe in Hell because it gives life meaning or a purpose. Some people don't believe in hell because they is no proof of it's existence and without evidence they can not believe something is true.
ReplyDeleteThere are definitely different levels of sins. For example, stealing a pencil certainly does not equate to murder. An argument that is commonly used to support capital punishment is that the punishment must fit the crime. Thus, it justifies the execution of murderers. If all sins were equal, however, then even the lowliest shoplifted would be at the mercy of the death penalty. Likewise, if the punishment for stealing was a fine or $2000, then one could get away with murder for the small cost of two grand. I do believe in a Heaven and Hell. The thing that separates a living being from an artificial creation is that we have a soul. With the advanced technology that we have at hand nowadays, scientists could probably create a perfectly cloned human body. The difference would be that it wouldn't really be alive because it doesn't contain a soul. I believe that after death, a soul doesn't simply disappear, and must either ascend or descend to another place.
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