What is Sin: Through the Perspective of Earth-Based Spirituality

In 2015 I participated in an Interfaith forum, the subject of which was, "What is Sin."  Here are the notes which I had prepared for the forum.

What is Sin – Through the Perspective of Earth-Based Spirituality

10/25/2015

Within Earth Based Spirituality there are many branches, and a broad range of beliefs.  Paganism can be a rather individualistic approach to religion, so the perceptions I share may not be the same as those of other Earth Based people.  Much of Earth Based Spirituality is subjective and it would be presumptuous to try to speak for all Pagans.

Sin is a theological concept, but not all moral or ethical concepts necessarily deal with sin.  Sin, morals, and ethics all involve” right and wrong,” while it is immoral to commit an act against humans, it’s sinful to commit a transgression against God.  Luther said, “Sin is, essentially, a departure from God.”  Personally by that definition I would interpret sin as being out of alignment with the Divine.  The opposite of being in a state of grace.

Theologically Pagans do not usually address the concept of sin.  We do have value statements, and we do have morals.   I believe we do not have a concept of sin because we are for the most part without doctrine.  In my experience the spiritual goal of many Pagans is to be one with the Divine.

One of the most well known Pagan value statements is a verse from the Wiccan Rede.  In short it says, “An it harm none, do what you wilt.”  In my experience this does not mean that anything goes, or do whatever you feel like doing.

My interpretation of this phrase hinges on the word, “will.”  The concept of will is critically important to many Pagans.  It has to do with personal responsibility.  I believe that in this context, the writer is talking about divine will.  It doesn’t mean, “Act according to whim.”  It means, in my view, to be in alignment with your higher self.  The Rede means to discover what you are here on this earth to do, and then do it without intentionally interfering with the will of others.  In order to do as you will, you must know what that is.  That isn’t always as easy as it sounds.

In addition to this, there is the law of threefold return, also called the rule of three.  It simply means that whatever a person does will come back to him or her three times as strongly.  In some traditions, the belief may be that it will come back in multiples of three, or perhaps ten times as strongly, but I do not think it matters – what matters is the idea that there are consequences for our choices.

There are other value statements within Pagan belief systems.  For example, in Norse Paganism, 9 Noble Virtues are:

Hospitality, Courage, Truth, Loyalty, Honor, Self Reliance, Hard work,  
Perseverance, Discipline

Another value statement that some UU Pagans rely upon is the seven principles of the Unitarian Universalist Association.  They are:

  The inherent worth and dignity of every person;

  Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;

  Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;

  A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;

  The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;

  The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;

  Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

These value systems may not necessarily address the concept of transgressions against God, or a state of separateness from God.  In order to extrapolate the concept of sin from a Pagan standpoint, first we need to understand the nature of Divinity through the Pagan lense.  There are many viewpoints within Paganism and it would be impossible to cover it all in this time frame.  I would say that one of the most prevalent experiences of divinity for earth based people is the All–Mother, the Goddess. 

One of the most well known written pieces about the Goddess is called The Charge of the Goddess,  Written by Doreen Valiente

Here are some excerpts:

Listen to the words of the Great Mother, who was of old also called amongst men Artemis, Astarte, Diana, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Dana, Arianrhod, Isis, Bride and by many other names.

Notice that she says that she is one who is called by many names.  In other words, in many languages, cultures, and eras, she may be viewed differently by different peoples, but she remains the same.

The charge also says:
Keep pure your highest ideal, strive ever towards it; let naught stop you or turn you aside,
Which seems to support the idea about will
I who am beauty of the green Earth and the white Moon amongst the stars. And the mystery of the waters, and the desire of the heart of man, call unto thy soul. Arise and come unto me, for I am the soul of Nature who gives life to the universe.
Now, I ask you, how does a person commit a transgression against the beauty of the green earth?  Or against the soul of nature? 
From me all things proceed, and unto me all things must return. And before my face, beloved of Gods and men, thine inmost divine self shall be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite.
Let my worship be with the heart that rejoices, for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honour and humility, mirth and reverence within you.
How does one separate oneself from a Divinity who says all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals?  I believe it’s possible to separate one’s self from the divine, but according to my faith pleasure is not a sin because it does not separate us from divinity.
And you who thinks to seek for me, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail you not, unless you know the mystery, that if that which you seek you find not within thee, you will never find it without thee. Behold I have been with you from the beginning and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.
I’ll leave it up to the individual to decide how a person would sin, or be separate from this experience of divinity.