A Christian could explain sin in a basic way as the act of hurting someone.
Guilt is a form of sadness that helps someone who sins to share in the pain of the person who was hurt, which is also a form of compassion and commiseration.
Won’t people ask Christians what sin is as Christianity becomes a regular topic of discussion in the public again? Will they ask if Christians will use this idea only to criticize and condemn people? A Christian could explain sin in a basic way as the act of hurting someone. That is a primary form of it, and Christians should talk about sin to help people avoid hurting each other. In fact, it is in ignoring the idea of sin that people hurt, criticize, and condemn others more.
People hurt each other by ignoring, physically harming, and mocking each other. There are many other ways people mistreat each other, and these are all examples of sin. All people, including Christians, sin. To stop sin, it is first necessary to recognize it. If a problem is ignored, it can’t be fixed. In addition to recognizing sin, it is also necessary to feel a degree of guilt that matches how intentional and hurtful the sin was. Guilt is a form of sadness that helps someone who sins to share in the pain of the person who was hurt, which is also a form of compassion and commiseration.
Someone who allows themselves to feel sorry for hurting another person is also less likely to hurt the same person again in the same way. Someone who is genuinely sorry about hurting another person will also say sorry to that person and ask for her or his forgiveness, which is conducive to a peaceful solution. There is more to learn about sin and forgiveness as well, and Christians should find ways to bring those words of enlightenment back into the public square.