…in today’s world

Mr. Stegeman’s
6th Grade Religion
February 25th, 2009
 Menninger’s Theory

 Doctor Karl Menninger believes that society

has developed a tendency to avoid speaking
about sin

 He thinks that ignoring sin has two effects

 1. We will ignore the morality of our actions,
blaming our sins on others and accepting no
responsibility.
 2. Our decisions will be made worthless if we
cannot tell right from wrong or simply don’t care.
Original Sin
A sinful action committed by a
single person without the
influence of those around them

Sinful social conditions that are

caused by widespread personal
sin in a society which then lead
to institutions that are contrary
to God’s law of love.
 Sinful Social
Social Sin Structures
 Responsibility for social  -Ways that societies are
sin may not lie on one structured resulting in
person or even a small unfair distribution of
group of people. power, benefits, and
 It includes the privileges
acceptance of some
 Includes corrupt
groups’ suffering in a
society. governments, racially
discriminating laws, etc
 Example: The Chinese
government recently  Examples: The Jim Crow
launched violent attacks laws in the South,
on Tibetan Buddhists, apartheid enforced in
which was generally South Africa by the British
accepted by the Chinese
 Mortal vs. Venial

Type of Definition Example Absolution

Sin

Mortal A complete Planning and Only comes

rejection of God executing an from the
through a grave armed bank sacrament of
act performed robbery reconciliation
freely and with
full knowledge
that it was wrong
Venial An action that Taking a Can be
weakens our quarter that obtained
relationship with the person through
God but does not before you certain parts
cut it off left in a of the mass
vending
machine
 Commission vs. Omission
Sin of Commission
 Purposely doing an act
that is harmful to oneself
or another
 If we are the ones doing
evil, it is normally a sin of
commission
 Example: A boy makes
fun of a classmate for not
being athletic.
Sin of Omission
 A failure to do an action
that is called for
 Sins of omission often
occur when we decline to
resist evil
 Example: Another boy
watches the first boy
bully the kid, but doesn’t
try to stop him.
 The only thing nec
essary for
the triumph of evil
Apathy people to do nothin
is for good
g.
–Edmund Burke
-An attitude, of not
getting involved, not
caring, and not acting
when action is called
for.
-Apathy plays a large
role in sins of
omission because it Jewish women and
children
involves ignoring the being held at gunp
oint
injustices of others.
 Culpability

 The moral responsibility that one has for an

action.
 Responsibility can be lower depending upon
circumstances such as feelings of fear or intense
pressure.

 If someone lies to avoid being hurt or hurts

someone else out of self-defense, their
culpability is lower.
-A state of self-
exclusion from
God reserved
for those that
refuse to
believe in Him
and renounce
sin

HELL
Christ…
…Conquers Sin
 Christ’s Death and
Resurrection
Good Friday Easter Sunday
 In his passion and death  …conquered it through
on Good Friday, Jesus his rising on Easter
took on all sin and… Sunday because He
wants to forgive our sins
rather than punish us for
them.
 Key Points

 Sin has both a personal  Social sin can be aided by

and social aspect the apathy of the people.
 Sins can be committed  Hell is not a punishment
both by acting and by from God, but rather a
failing to act result of our choice to
exclude ourselves from
 Sins are either mortal or him
venial depending upon
their seriousness and the  Jesus doesn’t want punish
circumstances us for our sins. Instead he
wants to forgive us and
 Some circumstances can help us to improve our
reduce ones culpability judgment and habits
 Bibliography
 http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q222/jayke1/BOY20AT2

 Stoutzenberger, Joseph. Morality. Orlando,

Florida. Harcourt Religion Publishers. 2005.

 http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/images/crucifix.jpg

 http://kazuya-akimoto.com/acquisitionlite/images/2003pas08

 http://www.biblia.com/jesus

 http://www.codart.nl/images/ESMadridPRADOJuandelFlandes