In his writing on critical theology, Gregory Baum defines social sin as "collective blindness, group-egotism, and the pursuit of a national life that betrays the covenant and violates the divine command" (Baum 198). Baum goes on to describe foul levels of social sin that can be applied to society. This notion of sin can be clearly seen in Sister Helen Prejean's book, Dead Man Walking.
             One example of collective blindness in Dead Man Walking can be seen in Prejean's childhood. As a child, Prejean was exposed to the racist American society in the 1940's and 1950's. She tells of separate schools for blacks and whites, as well as separates seats for blacks in buses and churches. Prejean recounts how "it was a great dare for a white kid to go to the back of the bus and sit with the blacks." (Prejean 6). She later explains, "it would take me a long time to understand how systems inflict pain and hardship in people's lives and to learn that being kind in an unjust system is not enough." (Prejean 7) This example constitutes Baum's first level of social sin, which is "made up of the injustices and dehumanizing trends built into the various institutions which embody people's collective lives." (Baum 201) Racism and poverty were so deeply rooted into society that people perceived the treatment of blacks as normal. Furthermore, this social sin is also seen when the young Prejean goes for a bus ride. She recalls an awful event she witnessed:
             "... I heard the bus driver shout an obscenity to a young black women and saw him kick her with his foot off the bus and onto the sidewalk... She didn't say a word, did not even look at the bus driver, just picked herself up and walked away." (Prejean 7) Since these kinds of destructive trends were built into the institution, nobody came to the aid of the young women. Like Baum said, "as people go about doing the...