1. CHAPTER 7: Struggling with
Moral Evil: SIN
Everyday we are challenged by occasions
of sin;
Sin is the greatest obstacle to authentic
freedom; it rejects the good to which we
are directed by our conscience;
It is a refusal of God’s love in the moral
law.
Sin is breaking our fundamental loving
relationship with God, others and even
ourselves.

2. Awareness of our sinfulness can also
be a moment of grace, for we have
realized our failure to act in love.
But the most important thing to
remember is not suffering brought
about by sin and sin itself:
It is God’s love, mercy, healing and
forgiveness.

3. But what is really the reality of sin all about?
When do we commit sin?
At its core is human selfishness or
self-centeredness; this is an event
or moment in our life when we fail
to love and hurt others.

4. But what is really the reality of sin all about?
At the middle of sin is letter “I”
We can say that it is also basically PRIDE.
As followers of Christ we have to be aware of our
sinfulness in order to be able to sense our need for
God’s love and forgiveness, our need for Christ.
In sin we forget that we are persons-in-a-community,
especially when we hurt or offend them. .
The irony of it is this: “by being selfish we deceive
and destroy our very selves.”

5. Sometimes we downgrade the reality of sin in our life
and mistook them as petty mistakes. What are the
effects of this notion regarding sin?
•it is merely a stage in our personal growth, a part of
self-becoming. It is the loss the sense of sin. (ex.
Freedom to do what they want to do . . . anyway
everybody is doing it . . . )
•We tend to rationalize our sinful acts.
•It is simply a state of the mind or acts of the thoughts
that create feelings of sin or guilt.
•Some people over stress the power of sin to the point
of that they lose God’s power to save them. Evil will
triumph. Tao lang tayo, mahina, walang magagawa.

6. Jesus and Sin
To understand the extent and depth of human
sinfulness, we need to experience and behold the
depth and greatness of God’s love to humanity – in
particular at the crucified Savior.
The cross is a symbol of shame – of the power and
ugliness of sin, its power that created so much
human suffering.
But the crucified Savior transformed the cross into a
symbol of God’s great love, of forgiveness of
redemption. Through he cross Christ destroys sin
and death! Through the cross, Jesus restores our
friendship with God - a relationship broken by sin.

7. Jesus and Sin
Jesus shows us that sin hinders us from truly
loving God and others.
The Parable of the Prodigal Son describes
clearly God’s love for humanity. But
forgiveness comes about after repentance
and conversion - it is a process of
transformation.
Jesus is giving us a new chance!

8. Sin Stories
SIN STORIES ROOT OF OFFSHOOT EFFECT HOPE
SIN
ADAM and Pride Disobedience Separation God made
EVE (between God garments for
and Man) Adam and Eve
CAIN and Pride Jealousy Separation The mark on
ABEL Murder (between Man Cain’s
and his forehead
fellowman
NOAH and Pride Wickedness Separation The Rainbow
the FLOOD Evil (between Man &
His fellowmen,
even nature)
TOWER OF Pride Disunity Separation The Story of
BABEL Disharmony (between Nations) Abraham
Chaos

9. What is Original Sin?
In the story of Adam and Eve, we learned that
because of pride and disobedience, sin started to
enter into the world, with its consequences.
In baptism, we learned that through the symbol of
water and through the power of the Holy Spirit, we
are cleansed from all sins, given a new life and
incorporated into the Church
Through these two notions or concepts, we will try
to understand what original is all about.

10. What is Original Sin?
ORIGINAL SIN – can refer to two concepts
• The sinful act committed by our first parents
When Adam and Eve abused their freedom and
disobeyed God and did evil before Him, they
REJECTED God (th4e Cause of their existence).
By sinning, they lost the true meaning of their
TRUE selves as the image and likeness of God.
By sinning they acted against their own very
nature as human beings.
By sinning they lost original holiness and justice.

11. What is Original Sin?
2. The sinful state or condition resulting
from their sinful act.
Original sin as “kasalanang mana” (that we
already have a sin when we were born),
does not mean that we carry within
ourselves that sinful act of our first
parents.
Instead what we inherited the sinful
condition which was the consequence of
the first sinful act, which we experience

12. What is Original Sin?
Sin is not biological that can be
inherited.
The water used in baptism does
not physically wash away original
sin. Rather it symbolizes a new
life, through the Holy Spirit. It
empowers us to reject sin.

13. What is Original Sin?
Baptism incorporates us into the
Church, into the family of God. It
cleanses us. It reconciles us with
God.
However, we remain in this sinful
world and continue to experience the
lure of sin and its effects. We need to
continue to resist and fight sin.

14. Therefore, our experience of original sin
includes two points:
1. Our Concupiscence - it refers to the disorder of
our natural desires that attracts us to sin; it is
our weakened state within; though our
conscience obliges us to do good, nonetheless
deep inside us there is an inclination to sin.
This is the tension within us: the effects of
grace and effects of sin.
It creates an obstacle to the authentic
exercise of our freedom. Thus we have to be
strong and never forget to pray for God’s
assistance, especially when deciding or making
decisions.

15. What is Original Sin?
2. The sin of the world – this is what we
experience in this sinful world,
temptations, sufferings, pains, death –
all because of sin.
It refers to the effects of the first sinful
act; it does not only disturb our inner
disposition, it equally affected also all
levels of human relationships (refer to
the sin stories)

16. Kinds of Sin
3.Mortal Sin – destroys our relationship with God
and with one another; needs to be
confessed
5.Venial Sin – weakens our relationship with God
and with one another; sincere act
of contrition is enough to obtain
forgiveness
Note: though believed to be relatively small, venial
sins are very dangerous; repeatedly
committed, it can also LEAD us to commit mortal
sin.

17. Classification of Sin
3.Sin of Commission:
- performance of a forbidden act.
- doing what we are not supposed to do
2. Sin of Omission:
- failure to perform an obligatory act
- not doing what we are supposed to do

18. Other forms of sins
Personal Sin and Social Sin:
Personal sins results when we freely choose to
give in to our self centered tendencies; however
since we are all persons-in-community, all
personal sins (no matter how secret or private they
seem to be) have social effects;
All our evil inclinations can be summed up into
seven. We call them seven capital sins, not
because they are sins per se but because they are
the easiest sources of our sins.

19. Other forms of sins
2. Social Sins:
These sins refer to negative
moral attitudes and acts or failure
to act which run counter to the
common good.
Ex. discrimination, or
prejudices

20. The Seven “Capital” (deadly) Sins
1. Pride: an inordinate love of one’s own excellence; an excessive love
of self or self esteem
The virtue of humility (which disposes us to acknowledge
our limitations) is opposed to pride
2. Covetousness: the excessive love for, and seeking after, wealth
and other worldly possessions
Liberality (disposes us to rightly use worldly goods) is
opposed to covetousness.
3. Lust: the inordinate seeking of the pleasures of the flesh
Chastity is the virtue opposed to lust.
4. Anger: a strong feeling of displeasure, combined with a desire to
inflict punishment on the offender
The virtues of meekness and patience are opposed to anger.

21. The Seven “Capital” (deadly) Sins
5. Gluttony: an excessive desire for or indulgence in food and
drink
The virtue of temperance is opposed to
gluttony.
6. Envy: a bitter feeling at the excellence or good fortune of
those who are better or happier, with a
desire to rob them of what they have.
The virtue opposed to envy is charity.
7. Sloth: the neglect of one’s duties, spiritual or temporal,
through laziness. (also called tepidity –
spiritual
sloth)
The virtues of diligence and zeal (fervor for
salvation) are opposed to sloth.

22. The Sacrament of Reconciliation
Important points to remember:
1. We are all sinners and we need God’s mercy and
forgiveness.
2. We need to confess at least once a year; it is
recommended to go to confession once we have
committed sins.
3. In confession, there is a need for sincerity and
humility.
4. In confession, the most important thing is not
our sins; it the experience of God’s loving
mercy and forgiveness – which in return we
must do to others
5. Inasmuch as we have been forgiven, we too must
also forgive others.