Is smoking a sin? Is drinking alcohol a sin? Is it a sin for a woman not to change her last name when she marries? Is sex before marriage a sin? Is cutting, or gambling a sin? Will I go to hell if I pierce my body, tattoo my body, or commit suicide? People seem obsessed with what is a sin.
Perhaps this is all part of a greater problem. People get into what I call a "balance scale" legalism. The idea is that their good deeds have to outweigh their bad, and then God will owe them salvation. The problem with that mentality is that no amount of good deeds will outweigh just one sin. It that were possible, then Jesus did not have to die.
The gospel (good news) is that, because of the blood of Jesus, God can forgive all our sins, and forgives each time we sin, if we are one of his children. God’s graciousness coupled with the perfect sacrifice is sufficient that we don’t have to worry about what is or is not a sin.
See my article, "Will I Go to Hell?", for more about this subject.
