Granny Weatherwax, Augustine, and Paul

From Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett via The Anchoress:

“There is a very interesting debate raging at the moment about the nature of sin, for example,” said Oats.

“And what do they think? Against it, are they?” said Granny Weatherwax.

“It’s not as simple as that. It’s not a black and white issue. There are so many shades of gray.”

“Nope.”

“Pardon?”

“There’s no grays, only white that’s got grubby.* I’m surprised you don’t know that. And sin, young man, is when you treat people as things. Including yourself. That’s what sin is.**

“It’s a lot more complicated than that –”

“No. It ain’t. When people say things are a lot more complicated than that, they means they’re getting worried that they won’t like the truth. People as things, that’s where it starts.”

“Oh, I’m sure there are worse crimes –”

“But they starts with thinking about people as things …”

*Augustine (Enchiridion 10-12):

For what is that which we call evil but the absence of good? In the bodies of animals, disease and wounds mean nothing but the absence of health; for when a cure is effected, that does not mean that the evils which were present--namely, the diseases and wounds--go away from the body and dwell elsewhere: they altogether cease to exist; for the wound or disease is not a substance, but a defect in the fleshly substance--the flesh itself being a substance, and therefore something good, of which those evils--that is, privations of the good which we call health--are accidents. Just in the same way, what are called vices in the soul are nothing but privations of natural good. And when they are not transferred elsewhere: when they cease to exist in the healthy soul, they cannot exist anywhere else.

**I Corinthians 3:16

Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?

Comments

[Rob B.]

While I'm not sure that I can opine on all the subject coveredI kind of agree and disagree at the same time. I agree that treating people as thing, including yourself, is a sin. However, I think that the lynch pin is before that. I think that the key to sin is the same thing that caused the original sin of Adam and Eve or that called for the expulsion of Satan from heaven. I think pride, although hubris might ir better, is the starting point of all the other sins.

I say that because the opposition of God's will is sin. That oposition is tied to you wanting something and then putting that above God's will. So if I was angry and put that over God's call to forgive that sin has a inherent tie to me deciding that my way was better than Gods which is hubris.

Of course, that may be a personal bias considering that I'm a person who is arrogant.

[Jake]

I cant say as I know God's will, but I sure wish he'd fix up his temple a little..you know, haul the trash to the dump.. a new coat of paint.. maybe mow the yard.. a few shingles replaced.. it'd sure increase the property value and maybe attract some buyers..Then maybe I'd get a chance to sin..I mean, not that I would or anything.. I'm just sayin'...