15-05-2025
Letter: People shouldn't be afraid to address reality of sin
I have to admire John C. Morgan's courage in bringing up a topic that many consider a dirty word today: sin ('Exploring eternal truths about sin, virtue,' Reading Eagle, April 30). He admits that many find the concept old-fashioned, even judgmental, and raises the question that Karl Menninger in 'Whatever Became of Sin?'
Menninger gives an excellent definition of what sin is: 'deliberately turn(ing) away from God and/or doing what you know to be the right and good thing.' In other words, there are sins of commission and sins of omission.
Of course, the first question to ask is, if there is such a thing (and everyone, regardless of religious persuasion or philosophy thinks that certain things are right or wrong), who determines what sin is?
Those, like myself, who believe the Bible, are convinced that only the one true God who is holy and who made everything there is has a right to define what is sin and what is not.
According to the Bible, 'all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)'; not only that, but 'the wages of sin (what we deserve) is death (Romans 6:23)' and an eternal death, at that.
Which raises another question: How can we escape, or be saved, from our justly deserved sentence?Romans 6:23 tells us that eternal life (in heaven forever) is a gift from God, one that is received by faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9), who died on the cross for us (Romans 5:8).
Greg Wasser
Colebrookdale Township
