Still thinking about Sin...
I learned long ago, in a time and place that no longer exists, that there are Mortal Sins (a gravely sinful act, which can lead to damnation if a person does not repent of the sin before death.) And Venial Sins (a lesser sin that does not result in a complete separation from God and eternal damnation in Hell).
Heavy shit, indeed. There are so many ways to go bad, right? Moral, Ethical, Legal...
Infractions, transgressions, indiscretions...
The Catholics believed that you can confess, you can be forgiven, you can wash your sins away. Not sure about that. I think if you do believe in Sin, those Sins never go away. You carry them, always.
I do remember going to Confession a few times, "Bless Me Father for I have sinned, my last confession was..." It always seemed like a hollow ritual, one that usually just compounded the sins, and never really felt like a cleansing.
A life of Sin? We call that a life, well-lived.
Most of us want to do Good. To be Good. But there are a million ways to stray. In our world, straying is where the action is, it's where the fun begins. It's hard to be a Saint in the City (hat tip to B. Springsteen)...