One of the worst sins is encouraging sin. No Christian should do this. If you do, you aren’t a Christian. As Christians we should not only avoid committing sin, we should also strive to discourage others from sinning. Jesus said to His Disciples, “Offences will certainly come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to stumble,” (Luke 17: 1-4). BETTY AMUKPO seeks the views of some children on ways people can partake in the sins of others.
‘When you advise the person to sin’
The CCC.1868 teaches us that Sin is a personal act. However, we have a responsibility for the sins committed by others when we cooperate with them. We can partake in other people’s sin by the following ways:
• By counsel: When you advise the person to sin (Prov. 16:29).
• By consent: When we give someone permission to sin (Gen 3: 17).
• By command: When you force someone to sin (Mal. 3:8).
• By provocation: By tricking someone into sin (Roms. 14:13).
• By Silence: I know you are the one that stole it, do not worry, I will not tell anyone (Heb.12: 1-3).

‘By flattery, concealment and partaking’
By praise or flattery: This can be defined as the act of praising or cheering someone who committed a sin.
Ps 5:9 By concealment: This can be defined as the act of keeping the sin that someone has committed as a secret. Heb.12: 1-3
By partaking: When you help someone to sin. (I will help you to steal it, no one will find out) Eph. 5:7.

‘When you agree to commit a sin with others’
1. By Coercion: When you are threatened by others to commit a sin.
2. By Consent: When you agree to commit a sin with others.
3. By Silence: When you do not speak out against a sin committed by others, or correct someone who is committing a sin.

‘If you encourage someone to steal, you are guilty of the sin of stealing’
To participate in the sin of another person means that one is just as guilty of the sin as the one who committed them. For example, if you encourage someone to steal, you are guilty of the sin of stealing.
1. By defense of the wrong act and argue in favour of the issue.
2. Silence: By playing dumb and remaining quiet.
3. Partaking: Participate in the act.
4. By concealment: Covering up the wrong act
5. By Praise: Cheering the person to continue.
6. By provocation: To dare.
7. By consent: To give permission, approving the issue like a thumps up.
8. By command: To demand or to give an order such as in the military.
9) By counsel: Giving wrong advice, or instruction.

‘Giving someone permission or telling them it’s okay to do something sinful’
Talking about sin is not exactly a sure-fire way to win a popularity contest. Good things, the path to holiness is not a popularity contest. In fact, He promised that it wouldn’t be both worlds, especially in the beatitude and indeed at his crucifixion. Few ways of participating in the above topic are:
1. By counsel: In other words, we should never urge someone to do something ill-advised or sinful (Proverbs12:5).
2. By command: Do not force someone to do something sinful (Malachi 2:8).
3. By consent: Giving someone permission or telling them it’s okay to do something sinful (Genesis 3:17).

‘By not correcting the person in his wrong doings’
1. Encouragement: That is, encouraging someone to continue in his or her sins making the person to go on with the wrong acts.
2. Concealing: By helping someone to hide his or her sins or wrong doing rather than exposing him or her.
3. Not giving corrections: By not correcting the person in his wrong doings.
4. Not advising: Keeping silent and not advising the person against his or her wrong doings.

‘When you collaborate with someone to do evil’
Sin is an offence against God. It is an estrangement from God. Sin means to violate a law of God or a mortal law. Ways of participating in the sins of others:
1. Counsel: When you hide the sin of someone and refuses to say it out (Susana 1: 15- 64)
2. Envy: This is when you become jealous of someone and try to cheat or kill or try to harm that person. In 2 Samuel verse 11, David told Joab to put Uriah at the hottest place in the war front and he was killed and David took his wife.
3. Conspiracy: This is when you collaborate with someone to do evil. The arrest of Jesus Christ by the Chief Priest through the kiss of Judas Iscariot. (Mark 14:43- 46). The judges testified against Susana, they conspired with the two men (Susana: 28- 4).
4. By command: Like the Army when they are given command to shoot. Note that sin is bad reproach, do not partake in it.

‘Threatening someone to participate in a bad act’
In the book of Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The following are the wrong ways of participating in the sins of others.
1. Blackmail: Threatening someone to participate in a bad act.
2. Praising: Commending someone who partakes in a sinful act.
3. Concealing: When someone did an evil act which you know about and instead of you exposing him or her, you covered up the sinner. 4. Giving a wrong judgement: When you give a wrong judgement because you and sinner share bond.
