That so many people live in shame and as a result feel rejected is probably rooted in the nature of society. Two or more people living in proximity pits the expectations, values, and desires of some against the expectations, values, and desires of others. Add to that the restrictions imposed by civil and religious organizations and a background theology with more “don’ts” than “dos,” and it becomes apparent that guilt is built. So, many people find themselves assessing their lives in the context of lyrics by Neil Tennant, whose “It’s a Sin” seems to have become an anthem of those living “alternative” lifestyles that do not conform to mainstream society’s “acceptable” stereotypes. *
That some live outside mainstream values has long been a problem that has engendered ridicule, blame, disdain, and even injury and death. We suffer punishment for three kinds of sins: 1) Sins against mainstream society’s temporary, mutable frivolous values, including the ideology and fashion du jour, 2) Sins against humanity, including emotional, mental, and physical injury to others, and 3) Sins against the Self, including a self-imposed failure to strive.
It is the first of those three types of sin that the words of the song address. And to that intention I would simply say “It’s a sin that such variation from the ‘norm’ is considered a sin.” In short, with regard to the first kind of “sin,” it’s a sin it’s a sin. It doesn’t have to be so regarded. As Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant says, “We set out in the world to create a world. It’s a way of not really competing and it’s why I’m not really bothered about what you’re saying about success…because we really try to exist in our world. We reflect the real world and bring it into our world, but in terms of rock music we never tried to belong to the latest thing in rock and pop music...We do things our own way….” **
The thought is a rephrase of “marching to the beat of a different drummer.” Probably in every previous age, the sins against the “norm” are those that generated gossip and condemnation. In today’s social media, trolls are eager to broadcast condemnation of anyone or group that does not conform, and that is especially true of almost everyone concerned about politics.
Maybe you are the victim of such condemnation and shaming. Many are. That’s a sin. You don't need to think that way.
Maybe you are a biased Grand Inquisitor eager to condemn or cast shame. That’s a sin. You don't need to think that way.
Victim or Inquisitor, it doesn’t take much thinking to realize that not all sins are sins. I'll surmise that we’ll never change, however; that which is considered a sin is a sin both for the Inquisitor and the “sinner,” the former imposing guilt, and the latter feeling guilty. And that is a sin--for both.
*You can read about the song online and see its many iterations on YouTube. The composer Neil Tennant says, “People took it really seriously; the song was written in about 15 minutes, and was intended as a camp joke and it wasn't something I consciously took very seriously. Sometimes I wonder if there was more to it than I thought at the time. But the local parish priest in Newcastle delivered a sermon on it, and reflected on how the Church changed from the promise of a ghastly hell to the message of love.”
**Interview of Neil Tennant in The Atlantic, The Daily Dish, June 5, 2009. “For Hard-Core Petheads: The Tennant Interview in Full”
That some live outside mainstream values has long been a problem that has engendered ridicule, blame, disdain, and even injury and death. We suffer punishment for three kinds of sins: 1) Sins against mainstream society’s temporary, mutable frivolous values, including the ideology and fashion du jour, 2) Sins against humanity, including emotional, mental, and physical injury to others, and 3) Sins against the Self, including a self-imposed failure to strive.
It is the first of those three types of sin that the words of the song address. And to that intention I would simply say “It’s a sin that such variation from the ‘norm’ is considered a sin.” In short, with regard to the first kind of “sin,” it’s a sin it’s a sin. It doesn’t have to be so regarded. As Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant says, “We set out in the world to create a world. It’s a way of not really competing and it’s why I’m not really bothered about what you’re saying about success…because we really try to exist in our world. We reflect the real world and bring it into our world, but in terms of rock music we never tried to belong to the latest thing in rock and pop music...We do things our own way….” **
The thought is a rephrase of “marching to the beat of a different drummer.” Probably in every previous age, the sins against the “norm” are those that generated gossip and condemnation. In today’s social media, trolls are eager to broadcast condemnation of anyone or group that does not conform, and that is especially true of almost everyone concerned about politics.
Maybe you are the victim of such condemnation and shaming. Many are. That’s a sin. You don't need to think that way.
Maybe you are a biased Grand Inquisitor eager to condemn or cast shame. That’s a sin. You don't need to think that way.
Victim or Inquisitor, it doesn’t take much thinking to realize that not all sins are sins. I'll surmise that we’ll never change, however; that which is considered a sin is a sin both for the Inquisitor and the “sinner,” the former imposing guilt, and the latter feeling guilty. And that is a sin--for both.
*You can read about the song online and see its many iterations on YouTube. The composer Neil Tennant says, “People took it really seriously; the song was written in about 15 minutes, and was intended as a camp joke and it wasn't something I consciously took very seriously. Sometimes I wonder if there was more to it than I thought at the time. But the local parish priest in Newcastle delivered a sermon on it, and reflected on how the Church changed from the promise of a ghastly hell to the message of love.”
**Interview of Neil Tennant in The Atlantic, The Daily Dish, June 5, 2009. “For Hard-Core Petheads: The Tennant Interview in Full”
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