Sin

Sin, or transgression, in Judeo-Christian tradition, unethical act considered as disobedience to the revealed will of God. Sin may be viewed legally as crime—breaking God's commandments—and so deserving punishment, or as an offense that grieves God the loving Father. According to the Bible, sin entered the world in Adam's fall and all humankind became innately sinful. Both for this and for actual sins committed, people become guilty and in need of salvation. Since sin is rooted in character and will, each sinner bears personal responsibility; hence the need for repentance, confession, and absolution. Views as to what constitutes sin vary, being partly determined by church authority, social standards, and one's own conscience. The traditional “7 deadly sins” are pride, covetousness, lust, envy, gluttony, anger, and sloth. The Roman Catholic church defines a mortal sin as a serious sin committed willingly and with clear knowledge of its wrongness; a venial sin is less grave, does not wholly deprive the perpetrator of grace, and need not be individually confessed.