Sin, as it is now experienced wherever Christianity holds sway or has held sway, is a Jewish feeling and a Jewish invention... The Christian presupposes a powerful, overpowering being who enjoys revenge. His power is so great that nobody could possible harm him, except for his honor. Every sin is a slight to his honor, a crimen lasae majestatis divinae--and no more. Contrition, degradation, rolling in the dust--all this is the first and last condition of his grace: in sum, the restoration of his divine honor. Whether the sin has done any other harm, whether it has set in motion some profound calamity that will grow and seize one person after another like a disease and strangle them--this honor-craving Oriental in heaven could not care less! Sin is an offense against him, not against humanity. [1]
Sadly, Nietzsche's shocking analysis has been justified far too often by Christians who -- since the Middle Ages -- have made the controlling metaphor for the relation between God and his people as that between a judge and the accused. Sin is conceived of in primarily juridical terms, specifically that of Roman criminal law. A "crime" has been committed, and justice declares a punishment. But even this analogy does not justify an infinite punishment (hell) being given for a finite sin. This would offend even the most harsh conception of justice. If we are to conceive of sin in legal terms, let us first be cautious to use this as a metaphor among metaphors, and second use the Greek conception of civil law. In this way justice can be viewed as a restoration, not as a means of restoring offended honor. Let us be cautious not to justify Nietzsche's accusation.
1. Frederic Nietzsche, The Gay Science, trans. Walter Kaufmann, pp. 187-188.
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