Day 91 - A Year of Spiritual Awakening - There is No Sin...

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Lesson 91: There is No Sin...

We need to do away with thinking that people are perfect. There is a perfection we place on things, situations, others and ourselves that is unrealistic. We make mistakes as much as the next person – we just all operate on different levels and perceive mistakes to be one above the rest or not so bad based on our own opinions and morals. The idea behind the title of this lesson is that there isn’t sin but there is definitely mistakes we make and how they impact our consciousness. Today’s lesson is about writing about how you’re not perfect and to celebrate it.

I never claim to be perfect in anyway. Whenever someone describes me as perfect I actually squirm because I believe no one is perfect. I believe we’re all perfect in our flaws and even have Machine Gun Kelly lyrics tattooed on my arm saying just that “Our flaws are what make us perfect”. I think there is a beauty and uniqueness in that lyric. It’s imperfection that makes us beautiful. We tend to have way too much idealism against things such as material items, beauty standards, body shapes and sizes… the list really goes on and we’re forced into standards that are unrealistic and warps our brains into some idea about perfectionism.

I personally believe we are all great in our own way. The ways in which I state I am not perfect include:- I do not claim to have a great body and don’t strive for some slim, model body. I sometimes am lazy but I recognise that I am. I like to eat crap when I’m watching a movie and don’t feel bad for it. I don’t like everyone in this world nor should I. I can be passionate when I want to be but can also be just as demotivated. I can be annoying and do annoying things because I think it’s funny. I binge watch TV shows and take time off work just to binge watch shows sometimes. If I’m staying home all weekend, sometimes I don’t even shower. I don’t do things because you want me to. I don’t always listen to my mother. I sometimes go against my own advice. I don’t always admit I need help.

These are just a few of my imperfections. Can you admit to yours?

Day 15 - A Year of Spiritual Awakening - Sin

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Photo by Hailey Kean on Unsplash

Photo by Hailey Kean on Unsplash

Lesson 15: Sin is a cultural misbelief...

“Lesson 15: Sin is a cultural misbelief. The concept of being punished for sins is not required by you. Morality is cultural construct; it is not universal law.”
— Sara Wiseman

I don’t believe in sin. I believe we can make mistakes and learn from them but I can’t say I believe in sin like I did when I was a Catholic. I don’t necessarily think all bad decisions and acts should be punishable. I think when people are out to hurt others, then those kinds of acts should have some form of justice. I believe that in this world there is light and dark. You can’t have one without the other – that’s the reality of it. There will always be a balance between the two. But to say, I sin and you sin, is some construct that I do not believe in anymore. Who is to judge this “sin”? I don’t believe in one God, so who does this job fall to? If I am to be punished for some bad choices I made, that may be considered sinful by others, what does that make me? I think what makes us human is learning to be good and overcoming the bad aspects, characteristics, habits and choices of oneself.

Today’s exercise involves writing down my sins and to ask myself if they are sins or just part of the human condition. I can’t even think of what is a “sin” to warrant making a list. If I’m to list some mistakes and bad decisions, I can do that, and can already answer the question that I believe that they aren’t sins, and are actually part of being human. I mean I have “Our flaws are what make us perfect” tattooed on my arm which pretty much sums up how I feel about everyone – we aren’t our unique selves without flaws and that makes us beautiful at the same time.

Things I tackled in the past year which may be considered bad characteristics and choices:

·         Had an abortion against my own values. The reality of that situation was that I was going to have to raise a child on my own, but more so, go through pregnancy on my own. I woke up one day, realising I just couldn’t do 9 months of pregnancy by myself, and made a decision that I had to, but didn’t want to at the same time.

·         Sometimes I lose focus at work and don’t do as much as I should.

·         I don’t call my mother often but that’s more so that I have not much to say about my life.

·         I get lazy sometimes, don’t do anything productive with my time and regret it later.

·         My choices have an environmental impact but that’s something I’m more conscious of and trying to change.

·         I drink heavily sometimes with friends and waste my time away.

That’s really all I’ve got. A lot of my 2017 was being more aware of the person I want to be. So anything considered “sinful” is something that I am currently eradicating from my life as I’m trying to be more tolerant and open. I feel like I've already transcended this particular lesson in that I don't believe in sin. To me, sin lies with some old religious belief systems that were imposed on people but doesn't really fit with this modern world. I ask the question: who doesn’t make bad decisions and not learn from them?