WHY DOES CHRISTIANITY EMPHASIZE NOT SINNING OVER SPREADING GOD'S LOVE

 

As a social psychologist and a recovering Roman Catholic, I am always concerned that so much Christian preaching is about not sinning, "Thou shalt not" to please God. Moreover, in emphasizing sin, the churches also emphasize judging someone because of sin.

That raises at least two flags for me. Let us look at God's greatest commandments:

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1. “36 Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said to him: THOU SHALT love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind.

38 This is the greatest and the first commandment.

39 And the second is like to this: THOU SHALT love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 ON THESE TWO COMMANDMENTS DEPENDETH THE WHOLE LAW AND THE PROPHETS .”

Matthew 22:36 – 40

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Notice that unlike the "Old Testament (the old covenant/contract between God and Man)" in the "New Testament" Jesus uses the word, "Thou Shalt." I believe that a continual focus on sin, "Thou shalt not," is, in fact, impeding Christians from following these two commandments.

I have found that discussing "focus on doing good and loving God" seems to be one successful way of changing troubled Christian minds from the Old Testament view of God as the demanding to be loved by not sinning and promising punishment, to the New Testament God who is infinitely loving and merciful. The New Testament tell us to show Him our love by helping His human children whom He created in His Own Image. Not watching pornography, not drinking, not taking or selling drugs, not being promiscuous, not stealing, not prostituting, etc. -- versus doing good acts for those we meet, and doing so for the Glory of God. I would like Christianity to focus on praising God through benevolence, caring, kindness, generosity, reciprocation, altruism, and open profession of our love for God. I believe the Holy Spirit gives us His Grace to help us follow the two greatest commandments. If we concentrate on dedicating our lives to "Loving God and Our neighbours," we will be much less involved in sinning.

Now let us look at judgement of sin;

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2. James 4:11-12

Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbour?

John 8:7

And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Isaiah 33:22 (Even under the Old Testament)

For the Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king; he will save us.

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Let me go through on example of sin and judgement. Let us start with, "Thou shalt not kill."

Right now, August 2026, Israeli soldiers are killing Palestinians in Gaza and Lebanese residents in Lebanon. They are killing innocent children, women, and men. To me, what they are doing is an abomination; however, I do not know what is in their hearts, BUT God does. If these Israeli soldiers feel they are protecting their family, friends, and country from harm, they then believe that this slaughter is necessary. For an individual, sin is subjective. If persons firmly believe that their actions are good, then they have not committed a sin. Christian Churches generally agree that such actions are not sinful. To commit a sin, one must believe the action is wrong and then do the action anyway. 

Only God knows what is in a person's heart; we do not know what is in the hearts of others, and have no right to judge anyone.

God loves us and asks only that we love him and manifest that love on Earth for all to see. I pray that everyone will welcome the Grace of the Holy Spirit and understand and follow the two greatest commandments of love.

I pray that the Christian Churches will begin to emphasize "Thou Shalt" and leaving judgement to the Omniscient God.