--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Perhaps it is a deep-seated reluctance to…" description: "\"“Perhaps it is a deep-seated reluctance to face up to the gravity of sin which has led to its omission from the vocabulary of many of our contemporarie..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/987/john-r-w-stott-15425_human-condition_perhaps-it-is-a-deep-seated-reluctance-t_881396.jpg" --- # Perhaps it is a deep-seated reluctance to face up to the… ![“Perhaps it is a deep-seated reluctance to face up to the gravity of sin which has led to its omission from the vocabulary of many of our contemporaries. One acute observer of the human condition, who has noticed the disappearance of the word, is the American psychiatrist Karl Menninger. He has…” quote by John R.W. Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/987/john-r-w-stott-15425_human-condition_perhaps-it-is-a-deep-seated-reluctance-t_881396.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/987/john-r-w-stott-15425_human-condition_perhaps-it-is-a-deep-seated-reluctance-t_881396.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/987/john-r-w-stott-15425_human-condition_perhaps-it-is-a-deep-seated-reluctance-t_881396.jpg) > ““Perhaps it is a deep-seated reluctance to face up to the gravity of sin which has led to its omission from the vocabulary of many of our contemporaries. One acute observer of the human condition, who has noticed the disappearance of the word, is the American psychiatrist Karl Menninger. He has written about it in his book, Whatever Became of Sin? Describing the malaise of western society, its general mood of gloom and doom, he adds that ‘one misses any mention of “sin”’. ‘It was a word once in everyone’s mind, but is now rarely if ever heard. Does that mean’, he asks, ‘that no sin is involved in all our troubles...? Has no-one committed any sins? Where, indeed, did sin go? What became of it?’ (p.13). Enquiring into the causes of sin’s disappearance, Dr Menninger notes first that ‘many former sins have become crimes’, so that responsibility for dealing with them has passed from church to state, from priest to policeman (p.50), while others have dissipated into sicknesses, or at least into symptoms of sickness, so that in their case punishment has been replaced by treatment (pp.74ff.). A third convenient device called ‘collective irresponsibility’ has enabled us to transfer the blame for some of our deviant behaviour from ourselves as individuals to society as a whole or to one of its many groupings (pp.94ff.).”” [John R.W. Stott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-w-stott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern society often avoids the concept of sin, reframing moral failings as crimes, illnesses, or collective issues, which can obscure personal responsibility. **In simple terms:** Sin is replaced by legal or medical terms, reducing personal accountability. Key Takeaway Recognize personal moral responsibility. Themes ethics language societal change Mood critical thought‑provoking Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - theology - psychology - social policy Key Concepts sin concept collective responsibility moral language Questions to Reflect On - How does redefining sin affect personal growth? - Can society benefit from re‑introducing moral language? 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Describing the malaise of western society, its general mood of gloom and doom, he adds that ‘one misses any mention of “sin”’. ‘It was a word once in everyone’s mind, but is now rarely if ever heard. Does that mean’, he asks, ‘that no sin is involved in all our troubles...? Has no-one committed any sins? Where, indeed, did sin go? What became of it?’ (p.13). Enquiring into the causes of sin’s disappearance, Dr Menninger notes first that ‘many former sins have become crimes’, so that responsibility for dealing with them has passed from church to state, from priest to policeman (p.50), while others have dissipated into sicknesses, or at least into symptoms of sickness, so that in their case punishment has been replaced by treatment (pp.74ff.). 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