Encyclopedia

On Sin (In General)

Matthew J. Dugandzic

Sin is a voluntary human act that violates divine law and disrupts the proper ordering of human action toward God, ranging from venial sins that wound one's relationship with God to mortal sins that destroy it entirely. Understanding sin requires examining its origins in the Fall of Adam and Eve, the conditions that make an act gravely sinful, and the spiritual remedies available for overcoming sinful inclinations and repairing one's friendship with God.