Original sin
Original sin is a fundamental concept in Christianity that asserts all humans are born with a sinful nature due to the disobedience of the first humans, Adam and Eve, as described in the Book of Genesis. This narrative portrays their choice to eat from the forbidden tree, leading to their expulsion from Eden and the introduction of sin into the world. Over time, interpretations of original sin have varied, with many Christians viewing it as a barrier to a harmonious relationship with God. The idea of original sin gained significant theological development through figures like St. Augustine, who argued that it is inherited from one generation to the next.
The Roman Catholic Church formalized the concept during the Council of Trent, affirming that original sin is transmitted through human reproduction and emphasizing the necessity of divine grace for redemption. The sacrament of baptism is seen as a key rite for cleansing original sin and restoring an individual’s relationship with God. However, this doctrine has sparked debates regarding the fate of unbaptized infants and the philosophical implications of collective punishment for Adam and Eve's actions. Questions about the nature of evil, the fairness of inherited guilt, and the allegorical interpretation of the Genesis story continue to influence discussions surrounding original sin, reflecting diverse theological perspectives within Christianity and beyond.
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Original sin
Original sin is a Christian concept that states that all people are born sinful because humans' earliest ancestors disobeyed God. The story of this disobedience is included in the book of Genesis in the Christian Bible. Over the centuries, there have been different interpretations of what being born with original sin means. However, Christians through the ages have generally understood original sin to be something that negatively affected their relationship with God.
Background
Original refers to existing from the very first or to the earliest form of something. It comes from the Latin word originalis, which means "source," "first," or "beginning." The earliest known use of the word was in the fourteenth century. It was used in connection with the concept of original sin. The word sin comes from the Old English synn, and it refers to something that is morally wrong or an offense to God.
Christians base the idea of original sin on the story of Adam and Eve as presented in the Book of Genesis in the Bible. According to the story, God created Adam and Eve and placed them in a beautiful garden, Eden. The garden contained everything that Adam and Eve needed to live, including many plants and fruit trees from which they could eat. God told them it was all for them except for one tree. God told Adam they must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and that they would die if they did (Genesis 2:16–17). A serpent convinced Eve to eat the fruit of that tree, and she shared it with Adam (Genesis 3:1–6). Because they disobeyed God and ate from the tree, Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden (Genesis 3: 11–22). Instead of living forever in an area of plenty and beauty, they had to live outside this paradise and work for their food, and they would eventually die.
Some Christian theologians believe Adam and Eve brought evil into the world when they disobeyed God. Other theologians argue that evil was already in the world and that Adam and Eve's sin was giving into the temptation of evil. Regardless of the interpretation, the original sin of Adam and Eve is mentioned several times in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. For example, the Bible states that all men became sinners because of Adam (Romans 5:19). After sin was brought into the world, Jesus Christ came to make it possible for people to be restored to a relationship with God (1 Corinthians 15:21).
Overview
The idea that Adam and Eve were responsible for introducing original sin into the world and that Jesus came to help people overcome that sin was part of the writings and teachings of the earliest leaders of the Christian church. In addition to the writings attributed to the apostle Paul and included in several books of the Bible, other Christian scholars began offering explanations of the nature and consequences of original sin.
One of the first to make a significant contribution to the topic was St. Augustine of Hippo. Augustine was well educated before he converted to Christianity at the age of about thirty-one. He was subsequently ordained as a priest and bishop. He believed that original sin was passed from father to child through the sexual act that leads to reproduction. In other words, Augustine believed original sin was inherited and that all people were born with it.
Augustine argued against the views of British-born theologian Pelagius. According to the Pelagian view, man is basically good and Adam's disobedience only hurt Adam individually, not all the humans that followed him. Pelagius's views are generally considered heresy, or false teachings, in most Christian traditions.
In the sixteenth century, the Roman Catholic Church solidified the Augustinian view of inherited original sin through decisions made at a series of church meetings known collectively as the Council of Trent. The council, held between 1545 and 1563, established the official church position that original sin is passed from one generation to the next through the sex act. They also specifically ruled out the possibility that sin was taught by example from one generation to the other, labeling this as a false teaching as well.
Since original sin interferes with the relationship between God and humans, the church also ruled on the ways that one could be freed from the effects of original sin. These included accepting that only God's grace, or unmerited favor, could remove the effects; accepting that Jesus Christ died on the cross in obedience to God to make up for Adam's disobedience; confessing sins and asking for forgiveness from God for them; and being baptized. Baptism is the Christian ceremony of initiation. Water is either poured or sprinkled over a person or the person is immersed in water to wash away original sin and any other sins (if the person being baptized is old enough to have committed any). Christians believe these actions can restore a person to a right relationship with God and allow the person to go to heaven.
Despite the rulings from the Council of Trent, many issues and objections to the concept of original sin have been raised in the centuries since then. One of the biggest was the fate of babies and children who died without being baptized. Prior to the thirteenth century, the Catholic Church taught that these infants and children were not eligible to go to heaven and instead went to hell. In the thirteenth century, the concept of Limbo arose in response to unease regarding the idea that children who could not intentionally sin or do anything to save themselves might face eternal punishment. Limbo was a place on the edge of hell where the souls of unbaptized children were sent. It was not heaven, but it did not include the punishments of hell. This idea changed in 1992 when Pope John Paul II removed the idea of Limbo from formal Catholic teaching and requested additional study on the topic.
Other concerns raised by the concept of original sin include questions about how evil got into the world in the first place. Additional issues related to the topic include the unfairness of God punishing many people for the sin of one, the anti-sex bias inherent in Augustine's view, and questions about the validity of a concept that many believe is based on an allegorical myth and not a historical event.
Bibliography
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"What Is Original Sin?" BBC, 17 Sept. 2009, www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/beliefs/originalsin‗1.shtml. Accessed 20 Oct. 2017.