# Help me make a biblical sin checklist. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 24, 2003, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-make-a-biblical-sin-checklist/163840 "2003-03-24T18:49:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-make-a-biblical-sin-checklist/163840/21 "2003-03-25T03:13:14Z")
Thou shall learn to parallel park. ---
**Author:** ![Mephisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@Mephisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mephisto)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-make-a-biblical-sin-checklist/163840/22 "2003-03-25T04:22:39Z")
**zev** , if you don’t mind, could you tell us–or just ignorant me–what would constitute an “improper sexual relation” as far as Jewish law is concerned? Thanks in advance. ---
**Author:** ![Mephisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@Mephisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mephisto)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-make-a-biblical-sin-checklist/163840/23 "2003-03-25T04:36:43Z")
Disregard my last post. :smack: I found the information I requested in the link you and **dorkus** sent to each other. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Freyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freyr/32/5763_2.png) [@Freyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freyr)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-make-a-biblical-sin-checklist/163840/24 "2003-03-25T07:51:31Z")
Oh, well, I’m doomed. I guilty of **idol worship** and **improper sexual relations.** Off to Sheol for me. \*\*zev\_steinhardt wrote: Highly doubtful. This prohibition consists of one specific utterance (which I will not repeat here) and which I doubt you’ve uttered.\*\* You keep teasing us with this one. I’m getting **mighty** curious about it! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-make-a-biblical-sin-checklist/163840/25 "2003-03-25T08:35:12Z")
I’m with **Shodan** on this one; if you take into account the bit Jesus said about whatsoever you did to them, you did to me, then you can almost condense it into a single one. ---
**Author:** ![buttonjockey308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@buttonjockey308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buttonjockey308)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-make-a-biblical-sin-checklist/163840/26 "2003-03-25T09:10:38Z")
Kind of an “If it harm none, then do what thou wilt” kinda thing huh? (sorry, couldn’t resist) At any rate, I’m personally at about 94% and with any luck, I’ll be at a hundred after the weekend. I’m trying my best 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-make-a-biblical-sin-checklist/163840/27 "2003-03-25T10:40:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by buttonjockey308 \* > \*\*Kind of an “If it harm none, then do what thou wilt” kinda thing huh? > > (sorry, couldn’t resist) \*\* Sure, or 'Be excellent…" ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-make-a-biblical-sin-checklist/163840/28 "2003-03-25T11:42:20Z")
Zev, I am not sure whether I should be obeying all 600 or so laws or not. It seems to me that as a nominal christian, the OT was written for me as well. As a jew, do you think non-beleivers are damned? If so, perhaps I should be obeying them just to be on the safe side? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-make-a-biblical-sin-checklist/163840/29 "2003-03-25T13:10:27Z")
If you want to make it easy on yourself, you could just pronounce yourself 100% sinful on the basis of James 2:10 (“whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it”). ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-make-a-biblical-sin-checklist/163840/30 "2003-03-25T13:30:04Z")
W00t! Point, set and match to Thudlow! ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-make-a-biblical-sin-checklist/163840/31 "2003-03-25T15:35:36Z")
Zev, I still have the improper sexual relations. You can’t take that from me. 😃 I have had improper sexual relations with a man and have fixed my cat. (104 and 106) I am pretty sure that pagan worship of many gods would be considered Idolotry as well, but I don’t know how that would be viewed since I am a gentile. Anyway, The proper name of G-d, which I won’t print out of respect to Zev, is probably where the blasphemy part comes in. The link above only said that I would be put to death for blaspheming it, but I don’t know enough to not blaspheme it, it appears. > [@](#): > > In other words, sorry to disappoint you dorkus, but you’re basically a good guy. ARGHHH!!! My plans for evil world domination are for nought. ☹ I will just curl up into a fetal ball here for now. OOO, Rock on Thudlow. 🙂 It looks like I have hope still. Yea! New Testament and the cycle of evil and sin. LOL This post brought with much irony, DMM ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-make-a-biblical-sin-checklist/163840/32 "2003-03-25T16:27:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by scm1001 \* > \*\*Zev, I am not sure whether I should be obeying all 600 or so laws or not. It seems to me that as a nominal christian, the OT was written for me as well. \*\* Nope. The Torah is a covenant between God and the Jews. The genitles are not required to keep the other 606 commandments. > [@](#): > > \*\* > As a jew, do you think non-beleivers are damned? If so, perhaps I should be obeying them just to be on the safe side? \*\* Nope. A non-Jew who keeps his/her seven commandments can receive the same reward as a Jew who keeps all the commandments that apply to him/her. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-make-a-biblical-sin-checklist/163840/33 "2003-03-25T16:30:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Freyr \* > \*\*Oh, well, I’m doomed. I guilty of **idol worship** and **improper sexual relations.** Off to Sheol for me. \*\* Well, if you’re in violation then you’re in violation. Keep in mind, of course, that in Judaism, the afterlife isn’t an “all or nothing” affair. Once dead, people are punished for the wrongs they do and are then rewarded for the good they did. Unless you’re among the truly, downright rotten-to-the-core, Hitleresque evil, you’ll end up OK. > [@](#): > > \*\* > You keep teasing us with this one. I’m getting **mighty** curious about it! 😃 \*\* Sorry, it’s not my intent to tease. But I will not provide it for someone to utter for any reason. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-make-a-biblical-sin-checklist/163840/34 "2003-03-25T16:31:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Thudlow Boink \* > \*\*If you want to make it easy on yourself, you could just pronounce yourself 100% sinful on the basis of James 2:10 (“whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it”). \*\* Which is a point that I never understood. That’s like saying that if you jaywalk, you’re an inveterate law-breaker and are no better than a murderer… Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![il\_Topo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eb9ed0/32.png) [@il\_Topo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/il_Topo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-make-a-biblical-sin-checklist/163840/35 "2003-03-25T16:38:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zev\_steinhardt \* > **But dorkus, the 613 commandments only apply to Jews. Assuming you’re not Jewish, you don’t have to worry about them at all.** Hey, Zev, how do I tell which sins apply to non-jews and which don’t? Is the Bible clear on this point? Or is there some extra-biblical Jewish tradition which has determined this? I’ve been engaged in a Catholic discussion about the origination of the “no contraception” thing, and an oft quoted passage is the Onan passage. Is that passage interpreted by Jews as a prohibition of contraception for Jews? I didn’t think so, but I thought I’d ask. Interesting that Christians think themselves bound by biblical rules that the Jews themselves do not think bind Christians. > [@](#): > > **In Jewish tradition, non-Jews only have to observe the seven Noahide commandments.** Do you have a biblical cite for these…with language indicating that these are for everyone? I’ll do a search later if I don’t hear from you; I was just wondering if you had them handy. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-make-a-biblical-sin-checklist/163840/36 "2003-03-25T16:45:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by il Topo \* > \*\*Hey, Zev, how do I tell which sins apply to non-jews and which don’t? Is the Bible clear on this point? Or is there some extra-biblical Jewish tradition which has determined this? \*\* The Noahide commandments are spelled out in the Talmud. There is no explicit biblical verse detailing this. > [@](#): > > \*\* > I’ve been engaged in a Catholic discussion about the origination of the “no contraception” thing, and an oft quoted passage is the Onan passage. Is that passage interpreted by Jews as a prohibition of contraception for Jews? I didn’t think so, but I thought I’d ask. \*\* I’ll have to get back to you on that. There are only three commandments that are explicitly stated in Genesis (procreation, circumcision and the prohibition against eating the sciatic nerve). Onan’s sin (wasting seed) is not one of those listed. It is certainly forbidden, but I’ll have to get back to you on the actual biblical source for that. In any event, as I mentioned above, we don’t hold that it applies to non-Jews. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-make-a-biblical-sin-checklist/163840/37 "2003-03-25T17:02:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zev\_steinhardt \* > \*\ ***Nope. A non-Jew who keeps his/her seven commandments can receive the same reward as a Jew who keeps all the commandments that apply to him/her.** What is the reward? ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-make-a-biblical-sin-checklist/163840/38 "2003-03-25T17:04:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ultrafilter \* > \*\*What is the reward? \*\* Heaven. Whatever that entails… Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Freyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freyr/32/5763_2.png) [@Freyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freyr)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2003, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-make-a-biblical-sin-checklist/163840/39 "2003-03-27T07:35:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zev\_steinhardt \* > > * * * > > Well, if you’re in violation then you’re in violation. Keep in mind, of course, that in Judaism, the afterlife isn’t an “all or nothing” affair. Once dead, people are punished for the wrongs they do and are then rewarded for the good they did. Unless you’re among the truly, downright rotten-to-the-core, Hitleresque evil, you’ll end up OK.\*\* Thank you, **Zev** for reminding me how logical Judaism is, especially when compared to many fundamentalist Christian concepts of the Afterlife. 😃 > [@](#): > > \*\*Sorry, it’s not my intent to tease. But I will not provide it for someone to utter for any reason. > > Zev Steinhardt \*\* 'Sokay. I realize you’re not meaning to tease, but you’ve certainly made this little monkey curious about it. I’ve a minor in comparative religion so something like this always raises my curiousity. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-make-a-biblical-sin-checklist/163840.md?page=1)