“We are all sinners, after all.”
-Cheater Apologist
This lame religious excuse may be heard coming from the adulterous spouse and/or other Christian “apologists” seeking “neutral” ground in this situation.
While it sounds wise and caring, it is really an extremely poor application of Biblical truth to the situation.
It is an example of something called “sin leveling.” This is the idea that all sin are on the same level. It is an error in reasoning. Not all sin have the same impact.
Can you imagine accepting this from an embezzler or pedophile as sufficient?
We are all sinners after all. Okay, I guess you can continue hurting other people including children because you are right that we are all sinners.
Who am I to judge and try to stop you from continuing to hurt others?
And don’t worry about jail either. I am not judgmental like those other people who would demand consequences for your actions.
Ridiculous!
And that is exactly what is happening when this response is given about adultery.
This excuse makes it sound like it is okay to continue on sinning and hurting the victims like the playground excuse:
“Everyone is doing it.”
That does not mean it is right or okay to continue doing. Certainly, saying “Well, everyone sins” is far from a cry to stop.
Without repentance and full disclosure, the cover lies continue to be a problem, and the other consequences do not simply vanish even if an adulterous spouse actually repents.
-The adulterous spouse cannot take back having sex with another person who was not their spouse. That is forever done.
-The STD does not go magically away because the adulterous spouse is now repentant. That is a “gift” that continues giving.
-Damage done to the faithful spouse’s reputation while the adultery was hidden does not suddenly go away either on its own. The lasting consequences remain.
It is true that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23). However, our response to being confronted with our sin suggests to Whom we belong (God or Satan/World).
No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. – I John 3:9, NIV
Someone who really belonged to God does not respond to confrontation over their own sin by saying, “Well, we all sin.”
They empathize with the victim and realize such sin needs to stop. They see the adulterous spouses are foremost violating God by their sinful rebellion. This is not a shrug-it-off sort of situation. It calls into question the adulterous spouses’ salvation if such continuation matters not to them.
Yes, we all sin.
But how does the sinner respond to the sin? Does he or she continue sinning? Or does he or she take action to repent?
Eternity rests upon how that is answered.
It is not a shrug it off sort of thing.
*A version of this ran previously.
