The word ‘sin’ is derived from the Indo-European root ‘es-, ’ meaning ‘to be.’ When I discovered this etymology, I intuitively understood that for a [person] trapped in patriarchy, which is the religion of the entire planet, ‘to be’ in the fullest sense is ‘to sin'.

Mary Daly
About This Quote

This quote should be sufficient to show that the word ‘sin’ is derived from the Indo-European root ‘es-,’ meaning ‘to be.' The word ‘sin’ is not gender specific. It can be used to refer to men or women. The problem with this statement about the word ‘sin’ is that it doesn't recognize the importance of history and culture in how people understand what things are "sinful." This is because sin has been used as a tool to control people for centuries. This control comes in many forms, but it is most commonly accomplished through religion.

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  1. The word ‘sin’ is derived from the Indo-European root ‘es-, ’ meaning ‘to be.’ When I discovered this etymology, I intuitively understood that for a [person] trapped in patriarchy, which is the religion of the entire planet, ‘to be’ in the fullest sense is ‘to...

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