Sin has widespread social consequences for the human family. No sin is ever really private, even if it is done in secret. Because we are social beings by nature, our sins affect our social relationships and in time create patterns in our society that are structures of sin that harm the human family. To counteract these structures of sin requires conversion of heart and participation in the moral life. God gave us signposts on how to live the moral life in the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes, both of which possess personal as well as social dimensions.