"Every sin is a variation of theft"

I few weeks ago, I read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I devoured the story in a little under 10 hours, frequently pausing on my bunk to cry (discreetly, mind you) or contemplate the central theme of redemption. I don't think I've ever had a book bring me to tears, but this one coaxed them with ease on many occasions.

One passage, early in the story struck me as something I had never considered before. Amir is talking to his father, "Baba", about the Mullah at his school, wrestling with the concept of sin. Baba tells him "No matter what the mullah teaches, there is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft." Later he continues, "When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal his wife's right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness."

I immediately cast this light on my own life and my crime. When I assaulted my wife and threatened her, I stole her dignity and her safety. I took away the very core of the promise I had made to her almost 14 years ago. I am deeply ashamed and sorry for stealing these things from her.