One of the most well-known stories in the history of humanity is the story of Adam and Eve. The serpent's part in the play, the temptation of Eve, the eating of the fruit – all have been the focus of theological debate, the cause of divisions in churches, and the inspiration for great art masterpieces.
Despite the notoriety of the story, only a single chapter in Genesis is dedicated to the story. Every argument and idea past that has been extrapolated and debated, the debate still continuing 2,000 years after the appearance of Jesus, who, to Christian believers, is responsible for wiping away the original stain of sin caused by Adam and Eve.
Biblical Basis and Account of Original Sin
The story of the fall of Adam and Eve is almost universally known. Adam and Eve live in the Garden of Eden and are given one command: do not eat the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden. The serpent (often believed to be the Devil in disguise) tricks Eve into eating the fruit, and she gives some to Adam.
When Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit, their eyes are opened and they know good and evil. God banishes them from the garden and sends them out into the world.
Explanation of Transmission of Original Sin to All Men
All of the human race is descended from Adam and Eve. When they sinned, they fell from grace and placed the "stain" of original sin all their descendants. (The "state" of sin is not to be confused with the act of sin). On the opposite side of this transmission is the fact that Christ's grace is now available for all mankind also. (Catechism)
Multiple theologians and apostles throughout the ages have talked of original sin. St. Augustine was one the first and is still the most influential in the ideas currently held about original sin. He had four theories of the exact transmission of the "state" of sin (O'Donnell):
- God creates a new soul for every human being coming into the world, but places the stain of original sin upon it.
- God creates souls in heaven and then sends them down to bodies, but places the stain of original sin upon the body.
- God creates souls in eternity, but the souls choose to "lapse" into rebellion and into bodies.
- God created a single soul in Adam and Eve. Each of their descendants gets a small part of that soul when they are born. Of course, since the original soul was stained with sin, the part they get is also stained with sin.
Consequences of Original Sin
- Lack of trust in God's goodness, power, and love for humanity.
- Loss of humans' original state of holiness
- Death makes its entrance into humanity – prior to Adam and Eve eating the fruit, they were to live forever in the Garden of Eden.
- An ingrained tendency towards sin. Even after baptism, which washes away the stain of original sin, some of the consequences remain. A lingering inclination towards sin and not towards goodness remains.
Relation of Baptism to Original Sin
There are two major views of how baptism relates to original sin.
- Some sects of Christianity don't believe in original sin. In this case, baptism is a simple confirmation and oath to give one's life over to Christ's purpose.
- Baptism washes away the stain of original sin, as well as consecrating the life over to God.
Baptism and its relationship to original sin is a much debated topic. Some sects don't believe in baptizing infants, others believe in baptizing a person only once, others multiple times, etc. What actions actually constitute baptism (submerging, sprinkling, regular water, Holy water, etc.) are also debated.
Arguments Against the Existence of Original Sin
The major argument against original sin for these people is that one must either sin according to nature or one must not sin, which would be against nature, which would also be a sin. This contradiction "proves" that original sin doesn't exist, according to original sin opponents.
For those building an argument against original sin, there's also a Bible verse from Ezekiel: "The son shall not bear the inequity of the father."
Both arguments against original sin have been rejected by the major theologians throughout history.
A Debate That Continues
Original sin is much debated topic, with no solid evidence to 100% "prove" a single argument against another argument. It is recommended by spiritual advisers that prayer, guidance by the Church, and trust in God should be used by Christian's in forming their opinions about important issues.
Sources:
- Catechism of the Catholic Church. (1994) United States Catholic Conference, Inc.- Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
- O'Donnell, James J. Augustine. (2005). Harper Collins Publishing, New York, NY.
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