<font color="lightgreen"> Whos is the greater sin- the one who does it, or the one who stands aside and lets it happen ??</font>

I'd say that they are equally great, I'd feel that I was every bit as bad as someone who hurt my friends if I just stepped aside and let him do it instead of defending my friends.

I would, however, say that there is no sin in standing aside and avoiding injury to let someone take money or jewelry for example, but standing aside to let someone hurt someone else is something different.

Except of course in "hopeless" situations(One man against 20 gang members armed with guns who are out to hurt his friend.) in such cases standing aside would probably be best since it will then result in one less person being injured, and not standing aside would result in one more person getting injured and the situation not being improved one bit.

Depends.

In general, The one who commits the sin is worse than the one that allows it. The perpetator has gone out of his way to harm someone, the person who does not prevent it has simply not acted to prevent it, he has not acted to cause it. This is not to say the the spectator is innocent either.

At least if you define sin as "harming another person in any way". If you take one of the religious definitions and start going on about what god wants, it gets more complicated.

A Philisophical Answer..

Sins of Omission and Sins of Commission are both equal in the eyes of God..
:D

It is our duty to do what is right, therefore, standing aside and letting it happen is equally as bad as committing it.

Of course that only implies if you could do something to prevent it. If not, no point in trying.

But you dont know until you try....but as my biology teacher says, you dont try, you do.

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by LennonCook:
<font color="lightgreen"> Whos is the greater sin- the one who does it, or the one who stands aside and lets it happen ??</font><hr></blockquote>

"Lets it happen" implies power to prevent, which if withheld is the same as commiting the deed.

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Yorick:


"Lets it happen" implies power to prevent, which if withheld is the same as commiting the deed.<hr></blockquote>

Well, has the same effect if not the same intent....

it depends onwho is it and wat is it

One who commits a sin has made a conscious decision to do so... one who lets it happen has a weakness of character, even indecision.

There is the example of a boy who sees a murder, and wonders who to tell... even if the repercussions could hurt him. It is better to expose the person than to let them commit murder again.

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Charean:
There is the example of a boy who sees a murder, and wonders who to tell... even if the repercussions could hurt him. It is better to expose the person than to let them commit murder again.<hr></blockquote>

Can the boy really prevent it though? That is the issue. Power to prevent yet witholding that and allowing the evil to happen.