In regarding our present-day troubles, one misses the mention of the word 'sin', as if no one were guilty of anything that could be atoned for or repented. There seems to be a shift in the allocation of responsibility for evil. Psychoanalysts prefer to regard aggression and self-destruction as prima-facie evils rather than sin. However, sin is at heart a refusal of the love of others. By setting up rules and regulations about behavior, societies convert sins into crimes, thus rendering the designation of sin increasingly pointless from a practical standpoint. Sin began to disappear when both public and private punishment became too severe and human compassion increased. Through the centuries, the great sin of youth has been masturbation. Yet, amazingly, especially since the turn of the century, masturbation has come to be regarded as not sinful but rather as normal and healthy. Regrettably, other sins such as violence, ruthlessness, stealing, and lying have not diminished through understanding in the same mysterious way.