Sin

==Shinto==
The Shinto concept of sin is inexorably linked to concepts of purity and pollution. Shinto does not have a concept of original sin and instead believes that all human beings are born pure.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Shinto Concept of Sin (Tsumi) and Impurity (Kegare)｜TSURUGAOKA HACHIMANGU|url=http://www.tsurugaoka-hachimangu.jp/shinto_is/shinto_concept.html|access-date=2020-09-23|website=www.tsurugaoka-hachimangu.jp}}</ref> Sin, also called [[Tsumi]], is anything that makes people impure (i.e. anything that separates them from the ''kami'').<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=BBC – Religions – Shinto: Purity in Shinto|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/shinto/beliefs/purity.shtml|access-date=2020-09-23|website=www.bbc.co.uk|language=en-GB}}</ref> However, Shinto does not believe this impurity is the result of human actions, but rather the result of evil spirits or other external factors.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />

Sin can have a variety of consequences in Japan, including disaster and disease.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> Therefore, purification rituals, or [[Harae]], are viewed as important not just to the spiritual and physical health of the individual but also to the well-being of the nation.<ref name=":1" />