Introduction
The terms “Sin” and “Crime” share some relationship however, they are significantly different from each other. Sin is behavior that falls short of the spiritual expectations. It evolves from the rules set by religious beliefs. All crimes qualify as sins however; not all sins qualify as crimes. During the early days of society, there was no concept of law and order. Hence, sins determined moral obsoletes for observation within the societies. Crime points to actions that determine legal acceptance of a particular community (Toigo, 2005). This paper explores the origins of sin and crime from ancient to medieval times.
Concept of Sin in ancient times
The fledgling concept of society in ancient times required conformance. The time period was particularly violent. Nations were rising and there was a demand for a civil code to keep the inhabitants of a region in line. Ancient including the Canaanites and the Egyptians turn to their religion and Gods. The fear of the supernatural prevailed over humankind compared to the law of the land. The concept of sin surfaced during this time as a counter for unruly behavior within society.
Sin defines itself as an act or set of actions that fails to meet the standard set by a religious order. All crimes qualified as sins however; the process of punishment took different recourses. Sins were often forgivable as long as the actions did not physically or economically affect another human being. Sins include morally incorrect emotions or thoughts. Envying the possessions of another human was a sin. However, these sins remain hidden until they translate into actions. Lying about an incident or leaving out vital information while narrating an incident will remain a secret unless a different comes up with the actual account of what happened. A sinner is the term used to refer to the one who sins.
The Book of Genesis provides an insight into the concept of sin according to Christianity. According to this explanation, all of humankind is sinful by nature even from the time of birth. The corresponding actions of an individual determine whether or not the person is able to refrain from sinful behavior or is susceptible. The list of sins and crimes along with the restitution for the actions is available in the Book of Leviticus of the Bible. Sins will always have restitution such as a sacrifice to cover the behavior (Deffinbaugh, 2016).
Sin is a concept that will affect an entire community or nation. The definition of sin is clear in the New Testament while the Old Testament contains the list of criminal actions that originate from sin. The teachings of Jesus indicate that lustful thoughts are sufficient to qualify as sins. However, the specific action constitutes to a sin in the Old Testament. The evil desires do not record as sin unless they translate into action. The standard is increased for the times relating to the New Testament period. There is significant prominence to the adulterous behavior on King David’s part in the Old Testament. The Bible states that God lashed out in anger by stating that David’s sin will be the reason for the destruction of his kingdom and his family. The Bible also records that this destruction came upon the kingdom of Israel within five centuries of David’s sin.
The act committed by David is not a crime in itself according to several nations that existed during the same period. This is another peculiar feature of sin. The actions are not always criminal. In this case, if the perpetrator in a similar act was the Pharaoh instead of David, there would be no sin. The Pharaoh has entitlement for that action. Hence, the declaration of sin differs among cultures. The concept of sin kept the Pharaohs of Egypt safe from coups. In the Egyptian culture, the Pharaoh is the highest-ranking civil authority and is the equivalent of God. The standards set by Pharaoh remain as an expectation of the people in the nation. Violators will face severe punishment when the actions betray their intentions. The sinner is able to avail a choice of penance to overcome the aberration and submit to the religious standard. Yet sin provides the moral absolutes that will eventually form the civil code to combat criminal activities.
Concept of crime in ancient times
Crime is an act of defiance against the society and the laws of the land. Unlike sin, the only recourse available to this action is punishment. The ancient world rolled out quite a few terrible punishments to prevent others from committing the same act. Unlike sin, crime involves an active behavior by an individual that violated the laws of the land. The background for crimes in these times was due to the rise in population and the scarcity of resources.
At first, all criminal actions resulted only in unrealistic punishments without any choice for rehabilitation. In additions, several nations including the ancient Israelites judged the criminal actions based on the crime itself. The Book of Leviticus lists almost seventy crimes in Chapter 20. Interestingly, other countries surrounding the Israelites at the time did not consider most of these actions as criminal behavior. Homosexuality was not a crime outside the Israelite nation at the time. However, the penalty for this crime came with a death sentence among the Israelites.
The code of Hammurabi is ambiguous in its presumption of sexual assault. It only punishes an individual if there are no reasons to suffice the perpetrator’s intentions. If the defendant claims that he would marry the victim, the wedding will take place immediately. The worst-case scenario is when the victim is alone and married when the crime takes place. This code allows the perpetrator of the crime to walk without any consequences if the victim was alone and married. The logic being that the sexual predator did not know that the woman had a husband (Kelly, 2014).
The largest collection of laws against crime originates from the Roman Empire. The criminal code consists of almost a million words. The code enforced by the Roman Army was draconian and laced with discrimination. Lower class citizens faced harsher punishments while the upper class and politicians can get away with nothing more than an insignificant punishment. Throughout the days of the Roman Empire, the number of homicide cases was insignificant. The crime pattern always targeted the upper and affluent class of citizens. The Romans also had a host of unpopular laws that created crime where there was none. The most prominent of these unreasonable crimes was the birth with deficiencies. Any child born with deformation became eligible for this crime. The punishment is the death penalty (Kelly, 2014).
The Islamic codes for crime from the ancient world were perhaps the worst when compared to other cultures in its treatment of women. Crime was rampant only due to economic or social restrictions. There are fewer indications to suggest that violent crime was prevalent among the people during this time. The reason for this was that most of the laws originate from the religious code. The only deplorable violence towards people during this time came from the State itself. Certain cultures punished rape victims for crimes of carelessness especially if the assault took place within the confines of their house.
Sin in medieval times
The medieval times culturally edified by the spread of Christianity refined their concept of sin. The most common reference was to the seven deadly sins. This list originates from the letters to the Corinthian Church by Paul in the New Testament. The seven deadly sins are,
Pride – The sin relates to superior airs of a parishioner who believes that his or her virtues are greater than anyone else is. In addition, it implicates those with a holier-than-thou-art attitude. Pride is not a quality that God appreciates. He prefers the humble people.
Envy – This sin defies the provision of God for the individual and exhibits discontent. God, according to the Bible provides for a believer’s needs. However, God will not grant everything the individual asks for. Hence, the circumstance presents itself where the individual is envious about the provisions for another person.
Wrath – God’s command to every Christian is to love fellow human beings as themselves. The feeling of anger or hatred towards another person is unbecoming of a Christian. Hence, wrath towards fellow human beings is a sin according to Biblical teachings.
Sloth – This particular sin involves succumbing to a life of dejection and depression. The Biblical gift of salvation provides every Christian with an opportunity to start afresh. Hence, subjecting self to dejection and becoming inactive is not within the purview of God’s plan for human kind.
Greed – This sin is another form of discontentment towards the provisions of God in a person’s life. Greed could also reflect utter disregard for fellow human beings and develop a mentality of hoarding up riches without sharing. The New Testament emphasizes heavily on the importance of sharing with others.
Gluttony – This sin involves excessive consumption of a particular type of food or excessive intake of an intoxicating drink. The logic involved in this sin involves relying on worldly food and heavily indulging in drink that render the person unsuitable for missions.
Lust – This sin is the root cause for adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bestiality, and sexual assault. Hence, the sin of lust, if unchecked can destroy an individual with perverse thinking.
Among these seven sins, the first three; pride, envy, and wrath are spiritual sins. These three sins directly influence God’s design for His chosen people. They also constitute against the basic principalities of Christianity. Disparate from the ancient times, the New Testament offers remedies for the medieval time period. These remedies are, humility for pride, kindness for envy, patience for wrath, generosity for greed, chastity for lust, contentment for gluttony, and persistence for sloth (Education Scotland, 2016).
Crime in medieval times
The acts of crime during the medieval times center on the invention of new weapons and the spread of the Christian faith. This era makes a reputation for itself due to its torture techniques. The punishment for crimes was never this brutal. However, the punishments did not make relevance to the acts of crime. The death penalty invoked for almost every crime was overkill. This time period comprises of the wealthy noble class oppressing the farmers and peasants. Incidentally, the crime of sexual assault did not carry any significant sentence. This reflects the lack of importance to women during this time period. The case of Joan of Arc is an example of cruelty and unfair judgment. The court’s biggest dilemma was their disbelief that a young girl nearly annexed all of France from the English. Burning her at the stake is the extent of the cruel punishments given out irrespective of gender.
Subsequently, the Church incorporated many of the sins into the purview of the law for the first time. The laws used to apprehend criminals were subject to misuse since it was easy to manipulate them. This was the only time in history when some of the sins found their way into the books of the law. Adultery by wives was punishable by death in certain European countries. The most common crimes that took place during this time include burglary, thieving, and kidnapping for ransom.
Men of noble standing were able to get away with almost any crime just as in the ancient times. The criminal prosecution process was the only significant progress for this era. Despite the flaws in ascertaining the guilt of the suspects, this system of trying a perpetrator in court was significant. The jury system was the pinnacle of this process. However, the reason for its existence at the time was deplorable. In another example of sin becoming a crime, the act of not contributing one tenth of the earnings (tithes) would result in the perpetrator’s presenting before the jury (HistoryOnTheNet, 2014).
Difference between Crime and Sin through the ages
This section details the differences between crime and sin through the two time periods analyzed.
Ancient times
Sin is an emotional feeling that may or may not influence criminal action. Crime evolves from sin. All sins did not qualify as crimes however, all crimes qualified as sins. Sins originate from deviant thinking that is a violation of a religious code. Crime is physical action against an individual or a group of individuals with the intention of causing economic and physical loss. The prominence of sinful behavior was greater than the importance given to criminal behavior.
Sinful behavior adversely affects the entire community or nation. Likewise, resisting the temptation to sin will bring prosperity to the same community. The contrasting examples in the Bible are that of David and Joseph. Both individuals left their fathers’ houses and embarked on a journey that placed them as rulers of great nations. Joseph and David faced the temptation of lust and the possibility to commit adultery. While Joseph runs away from his master’s wife who attempts to seduce him, David wastes no time in grabbing Bathsheba. Joseph and his descendants became the overlords of the region while David’s authority diminished. Although David was a powerful ruler at the time, he faced several revolutions and lost most of his sons during his lifetime.
Joseph’s sons remembered for their service to Pharaoh have records in the Bible. The nation of Israel splits into two nations with the death of Solomon, David’s last surviving son. Joseph and David were very prominent characters in the Bible. However, their behavior at the face of temptation was significantly different. We see evidence in the Bible that while the lineage of Joseph lingered in the house of Pharaoh and subsequently became the nation of Israel. David, on the other hand, had his nation torn into two (Israel and Judah). None of his sons made it to God’s good graces despite Solomon having his moments for a short time. The example of Joseph denotes the presence of a temptation to indulge in a sin. The laws against adultery in Egypt were simple; death. However, Joseph never progressed to that level. David’s actions on the other hand refer to a crime. Kidnap and rape of Bathsheba along with the murder of her husband. This was a criminal act and he missed his previously promised legacy.
Sinful behavior is falling short of the expectation of God. However, criminal behavior is committing an adverse act that physically and emotionally scars another individual. A crime is a direct action against the victim and against the laws of the land. A sin is a direct action against God or a religious code. While punishment for a crime will come into effect by humans in a justice system, the adverse effects of a sin will spread across generations.
Medieval times
This era presents certain sins as part of the criminal justice system. The sins of not tithing and adultery among others slither into the realm of crime. The development is unfortunate since the medieval times present the worst type of punishments. In addition, witchcraft, some cases of disobedience, and lust made their way into the criminal network. Although the Seven Deadly sins proved sufficient grounds that the matters were spiritual, the early European Church added these sins to the list of crimes to exert additional power over the peasants and serfs.
Sins in this time period came with the remedies. They were not subject to condemnation despite the claims of the church and Pope. The time period witnesses a remarkable progress in allowing jury trials for farmers however; many of the other laws doctored to serve the cause of the affluent class of citizens. In this era, separating crime and sin is difficult. The extreme beliefs and unfair justice system made it impossible for fair trials. Moreover, several torture based punishments made their presence during this time period.
The sins that managed to remain in their ordained state are sloth, wrath, and pride. The overemphasis by the political and religious leaders during this era incorporated unfair laws against the lower class of citizenry. There was no separate police force and this enabled overlords to take advantage of the situation. This was also the time when the legend of Robin Hood surfaced. It provides a fair picture on how the political machinery functioned along with the type of corruption the common people suffered in the name of the law.
Conclusion
In a religious realm, both crime and sin share the same meaning and outcome. However, in the society, the sins are not always causing physical harm to citizens. Hence, the prominence given to criminal activity for prosecution and the spiritual realm kept apart. In recent times, the drift is more evident. Several of the known crimes in the ancient and medieval times are finding their way into the sin locket. Even some of the laws that came into effect two or three decades earlier are at the brink of repeal. Ultimately, not all ethical decisions are correct and not all correct decisions will seem ethical with the changing times.
The facts will remain the same. Without sin, there is no basis for committing crimes. If Ted Bundy did not succumb to his sinful lust, over one hundred young college girls would have lived their lives to the fullest. There is no separating the two terms from each other since they are not mutually exclusive. Crime is a subset of sin (Burton, 1908). It evolves in the mind of a perpetrator who reasons the odds of capture. When the opportunity presents itself in a dark alley all alone, he strikes without remorse. This is the evolution from sin to crime.
References
Burton, E. D. W. (1908). Sin, Guilt, Condemnation: The Argument of Rom. 1:18-3:20. The Biblical World. 31 (3). Pp. 184-193. < http://www.jstor.org/stable/3141873>
Deffinbaugh, R. L. (2016). Leviticus: sacrifice and sanctification. Retrieved from: https://bible.org/seriespage/15-capital-crimes-leviticus-20
Education Scotland (2016). The Seven Deadly Sins. Retrieved from: http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/scotlandshistory/medievallife/sevendeadlysins/index.asp
HistoryOnTheNet Staff (2014). Medieval Life - Crime and Punishment. Retrieved from: http://www.historyonthenet.com/medieval_life/crimeandpunishment.htm
Kelly, D. (2014). 10 Ancient Punishments That Didn’t Fit The Crime. Retrieved from: http://listverse.com/2014/02/03/10-ancient-punishments-that-didnt-fit-the-crime/
Toigo, M. R. (2005). The Difference between Crime and Sin. Retrieved from: http://blogcritics.org/the-difference-between-crime-and-sin/
