[USS Alaska]

You are saying both are sins, then saying they are not the same, but you’ve established the criteria by which we are making the comparison as ‘sin’, not that the acts are identical in every other way.

this sentence is the reason I usually avoid discussions that touch on Faith.

Since the concept of sin is rooted in ones Faith, it makes it difficult, if not impossible to use logic and reason in the discussion.

I'll just pass, since we are not able to even agree on sin.

[fuzzylogic]

I tend to replace the word “sin” with “consequences”...as the word “sin” implies that the person you’re talking to already accepts God and his moral code. If you talk about consequences people can relate and don’t see it as a religious discussion. When people see the consequences of immoral behavior they’ll tend to agree with you. For non-believers, they don’t like to think of themselves as imperfect and don’t want to hear it. They’ll dismiss you for just using the word “sin”....but they can’t dismiss facts and their own experience when you point out consequences.