Original sin

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Original sin is a Christian doctrine describing the fallen state of humanity and the process of its continuing alienation from God. Christian tradition regards it as the general lack of holiness into which human beings are born, distinct from any actual sins that a person may or may not commit later.

Used with the definite article ("the original sin"), the term refers to the first sin, committed when Adam and Eve succumbed to the serpent's temptation, commonly known as "the Fall." This "first sin" is traditionally understood to be the cause of "original sin." While Christians derive the doctrine of original sin in part from the Old Testament, the doctrine is not found in Jewish theology. It was not firmly established in Christian tradition until the Pelagian controversy of the fifth century.

The Western tradition, both Catholic and Protestant, concerning original sin is largely based on writings by Augustine of Hippo, who concluded that unbaptized infants go to hell because of original sin. The Latin Church Fathers who followed Augustine adopted his position, and it became a point of reference for Latin theologians in the Middle Ages. In the later medieval period, some theologians continued to hold Augustine's view, others held that unbaptized infants suffered no pain at all: unaware of being deprived of the beatific vision, they enjoyed a state of natural, not supernatural happiness. Starting around 1300, unbaptized infants were often said to inhabit the "limbo of infants".

Augustine's formulation of original sin accepted by Protestant reformers, such as Martin Luther and John Calvin and thus passed into most mainline Protestant churches. However, like other traditional church doctrines, original sin has been denied or reinterpreted by various modern Christian denominations (such as the Unity Church) and theologians (such as Matthew Fox).

The first sin

Adam and Eve's sin

Michelangelo's painting of the sin of Adam and Eve (the Fall)

The account in Genesis 2-3 implies that Adam and Eve initially lived in a state of intimate communion with God. The narrative reads that God "caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" (Gen. 2:9, NASB). God forbade Adam to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, warning him that he would die if he did (Gen. 2:16-17). The serpent persuaded Eve to eat from the latter tree and "she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate" (Gen. 3:6, NASB). After eating the fruit, Adam and Eve became aware of their nakedness (Gen. 3:7). God bestowed a curse on each of the active participants. The serpent must eat dust, and there will be enmity between its offspring and those of the woman. (Gen. 3:14-15). The woman will under pain in giving birth and will be dominated by her husband (Gen. 3:16). The man, rather land living in a paradise of abundant fruit trees, must struggle for his sustenance (Gen. 3:17-19). In addition, Adam and Eve are expelled from the Garden of Eden, so that they may not eat of the "tree of life" and live for ever (Gen. 3:22-24).

Jewish view

Historically, Judaism has taught that the first sin did not alter human nature. Rather, the tendency to evil, known as the yetzer harah was present in Adam and Eve from the beginning, otherwise they could not have fallen. Each person is thus entirely responsible for his or her own sin rather than having inherited the original sin from our ancestors.

Even in Old Testament times, the idea that God is "a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me" (Exodus 20:5) was balanced by Deuterononic tradition and the teaching of Ezekiel that "The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son." (Ezek. 18:20)

Original sin (Christian doctrine)

Pauline doctrine

The doctrine of original sin is thought by some to be implied in the Apostle Paul's description of human sinfulness as a universal condition inherited from Adam.

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For 'as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. —Rom. 5:18-19 ESV

I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?—Rom. 7:15-24, ESV

Augstine's teaching

The idea of original sin came into sharper focus during the Pelagian controversy, with Augustine of Hippo taking the lead in promoting the idea that humans, because of original sin, were incapable of improving themselves spiritually without God's intervening grace. For Pelagius, grace consists mainly in the gifts free will, moral law, and the Gospel. He insisted as the Jews did, that Adam's sin did not affect human nature, and that humans can overcome sin through their own moral efforts by following Jesus' example.

Augustine countered by affirming the reality of original sin, arguing that the entire human race partakes of Adam's sin. Because of the inherited corruption of Adam' sin, human free will is damaged and enslaved to concupiscence, making God's special, intervening grace absolutely necessary for salvation. Although one pope decided that Pelagius' teaching was acceptable, Augustine's view ultimately prevailed, and Pelgianism was condemned as heresy. Conversely, the Augstinian view, while never officially adopted by an ecumenical council, came to predominate, especially in the Latin (Roman Catholic) church.

Catholic doctrine

Depiction of the original sin. Illuminated parchment, Spain, circa 950-955 C.E.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says:

By his sin Adam, as the first man, lost the original holiness and justice he had received from God, not only for himself but for all human beings. Adam and Eve transmitted to their descendants human nature wounded by their own first sin and hence deprived of original holiness and justice; this deprivation is called "original sin". As a result of original sin, human nature is weakened in its powers, subject to ignorance, suffering and the domination of death, and inclined to sin (this inclination is called "concupiscence"). [

The catechism further explains that in "yielding to the tempter, Adam and Eve committed a personal sin, but this sin affected the human nature.

The Catholic Church further holds that since baptism is "for the remission of sins," because infants too have traditionally been baptized, the only sin of which they need to be cleanse is e original sin.

The Roman Catholic doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary holds that Mary was conceived free from original sin. Moreover, through Mary, Jesus, too, was conceived both without original sin and even without sexual intercourse, which according to Augustine was the means by which the original sin was transmitted from generation to generation.

Original sin in Eastern Christianity

Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholicism, which together make up Eastern Christianity, acknowledge that Adam and Eve's sin introduced ancestral sin into the human race and affected the subsequent spiritual environment for mankind, but these groups did not accept Augustine of Hippo's notion of original sin and hereditary guilt attached to it. Thus, the act of Adam is not the responsibility of all humanity, even though the consequences of that act changed the spiritual and physical reality of this present age of the cosmos.

The Eastern view may thus be said to be less pessimistic than the Augustinian view, which stresses that free will has nothing to do with salvation, which is determined only by God's grace. The Eastern view, on the other hand, allows for the possibility of that humans can be divinized through a combination of God's grace and human efforts.

Original sin in Protestantism

The second article in Lutheranism's Augsburg Confession, much like the Catholic tradition, accepted the basic Augistinian doctrine of original sin:

"Since the fall of Adam all men who are born according to the course of nature are conceived and born in sin. That is, all men are full of evil lust and inclinations from their mothers’ wombs and are unable by nature to have true fear of God and true faith in God. Moreover, this inborn sickness and hereditary sin is truly sin and condemns to the eternal wrath of God all those who are not born again through Baptism and the Holy Spirit."

Luther and Calvin agreed that humans inherit Adamic guilt and are in a state of sin from the moment of conception. The Methodist Church, tended to see a greater role for human free will the process of salvation and spiritual growth, but nevertheless upheld the idea that: "Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam (as the Pelagians do vainly talk), but it is the corruption of the nature of every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam, whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness...

The Radical Reformation, including Anabaptists and Baptists, adopted a less strict notion of original sin by rejecting infant baptism. By insisting on the principle of believer's baptism, the radical reformers tended to imply that God would not doom young children to Hell, despite the original sin.

Most Restoration Movement churches, such as the Churches of Christ, Disciples of Chrsit, and others, reject the Augustinian notion of original sin, believing that men and women are personally responsible only for the sins that they themselves commit. Many Restoration movement churches and individuals, however, do believe that Adam's sin made us depraved (that is, with a tendency to sin) without making us guilty of Adam's sin.

Other Christian-based traditions

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as the LDS Church, and the "Mormons") teaches that the actions of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden brought about spiritual and physical death. However, the LDS church rejects the traditional concept of original sin, insisting that people will be punished only for their own individual sins and not for any transgression of Adam or Eve. Neither do Mormons believe that children are conceived in sin or come into the world with any kind of fallen nature. Rather, Jesus Christ already atoned for any "original guilt" not only for Christians but for all mankind.

The Unification Church teaches that original sin is a reality, but holds that it was caused by a premature sexual union between Adam and Eve, symbolized by their eating of the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Unificationists believe that original sin is forgiven through the church's Blessing Ceremony, resulting in children born free from the original sin. Church membership in no longer required to participate in the ceremony.

Original sin in the Unity Church

The Unity Church believes original sin to be false doctrine, and a blasphemous one. If a manufacturer consistently puts out a product with the same flaw, it is the fault of the company, not its products, and so it would be if God were creating beings with the same flaw.

The Unity Church say the Bible is cited as self-contradictory in this matter. In Genesis 1, God created everything in God's image and called it "good," then Genesis 2 comes along like a retcon by a different author. Then Psalm 8 calls humans "a little lower than God" and Psalm 82 calls humans "gods, children of the most high," which Jesus quotes in John 10:34. Jesus also says we are the "light of the world" and capable of perfection in Matthew 5, and capable of greater things than he is in John 14:12. This is not consistent with the concept of original sin.

The original sin in religions other than Christianity

The original sin in Gnosticism

Many Gnostic sects (particularly the Ophites) saw the figure of the serpent as a divine benefactor and liberator of humanity, rather than as Satan, Lucifer, or any other ill-intentioned figure. They held that the world was created by the Demiurge, an imperfect creator who wished to rule it as a tyrant. However, the spirit of Christ interfered by possessing the serpent and telling Eve to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Eating from this tree allowed Adam and Eve to have free will and thus defy, if need be, their Demiurge creator. Therefore, according to many Gnostics, what Christians call the Fall of Man was really the freeing of humanity's minds and souls.

The original sin in Islam

Unlike Christianity, which teaches that all the children of Adam are sinful for Adam’s sin, Islam teaches that all humans are innocent by birth and they become sinful only when they consciously commit a sin. Islam regards the concept of “original sin” and the need for atonement by God Himself - via dying on the Cross - as a pure invention of those who came after Jesus Christ, declaring themselves as Christians.

Another important point to bear in mind about the Islamic concept of sin is that one man’s sin cannot be transferred to another; nor can the reward due to a person be transferred either. Every individual is responsible only for his or her actions, for God is never unjust. This is made clear in the following in Surah 17, verse 25:

• {Who receiveth guidance, receiveth it for his own benefit: who goeth astray doth so to his own loss. No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another: nor would We punish until We had sent a messenger [to give warning].}*

Excerpts from Qur'an

Is it certain that it was Adam and not Eve who was tempted? Irrespective of this, both are forgiven together, the concept being that Man and Woman were created equally, by God, of the same material and therefore have equal rights to redemption.

This episode is mentioned in the Qur'an in several places. Amongst them are:

• But the Satan made them both fall from it, and caused them to depart from that (state) in which they were; and We said: Get forth, some of you being the enemies of others, and there is for you in the earth an abode and a provision for a time. ^{[Quran 2:36]}
• But the Shaitan made an evil suggestion to them that he might make manifest to them what had been hidden from them of their evil inclinations, and he said: Your Lord has not forbidden you this tree except that you may not both become two angels or that you may (not) become of the immortals. And he swore to them both: Most surely I am a sincere adviser to you. Then he caused them to fall by deceit; so when they tasted of the tree, their evil inclinations became manifest to them, and they both began to cover themselves with the leaves of the garden; and their Lord called out to them: Did I not forbid you both from that tree and say to you that the Shaitan is your open enemy? They said: Our Lord! We have been unjust to ourselves, and if Thou forgive us not, and have (not) mercy on us, we shall certainly be of the losers. ^{[Quran 7:20]}

Adam and Eve are forgiven by God after they repent:

• Then Adam received (some) words from his Lord, so He turned to him mercifully; surely He is Oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful. ^{[Quran 2:37]}

Therefore, the idea that the sin propagates to their offspring is categorically refused by Muslims, citing verses such as:

• Say: What! shall I seek a Lord other than Allah? And He is the Lord of all things; and no soul earns (evil) but against itself, and no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another; then to your Lord is your return, so He will inform you of that in which you differed. ^{[Quran 6:164]}
• Allah does not impose upon any soul a duty but to the extent of its ability; for it is (the benefit of) what it has earned and upon it (the evil of) what it has wrought: Our Lord! do not punish us if we forget or make a mistake; Our Lord! do not lay on us a burden as Thou didst lay on those before us, Our Lord do not impose upon us that which we have not the strength to bear; and pardon us and grant us protection and have mercy on us, Thou art our Patron, so help us against the unbelieving people. ^{[Quran 2:286]}

That is to say, all children are born without sin in the state of purity.

See also

• Actual sin
• Divine grace
• Fall of man
• Hamartiology
• Incurvatus in se
• Justification
• Pandora's box
• Prevenient grace
• The Antichrist (book)
• Total depravity

External links

• Article "Original Sin" in Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved October 29, 2007.
• The Book of Concord - The Defense of the Augsburg Confession, Article II: Of Original Sin; from an early Protestant perspective, part of the Augsburg Confession. Retrieved October 29, 2007.
• The United Methodist Church: Original Sin (Sermon 44) by John Wesley: A perspective from one of the founders of Methodism. Retrieved October 29, 2007.
• Original Sin on Orthodox wiki which claims that the Catholic Church teaches that everyone bears the guilt of Adam's sin. Retrieved October 29, 2007.

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