Picture
MRabbi Hillel. © 2013 by Nehr HaOlam Publications. "For centuries, men argued the idea that sin is an inherited trait that was passed on from the first human being that entered the earth to his descendants."
PictureThe Council of Trent defines The Original Sin Doctrine.
For centuries, men argued the idea that sin is an inherited trait that was passed on from the first human being that entered the earth to his descendants. This idea developed from a simple misunderstanding of Paul’s writing when he wrote, “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned” (Romans 5:12). Still, these are the very ones that fail to take notice the following verses, “13 Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. 14 Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of G-d, as Adam did [...]” (Romans 5:13-4).

PictureSt. Augustine formulated the doctrine.
            What is The Original Sin Doctrine? On October 17, 2009, the BBC reported, “Original sin is an Augustine Christian doctrine that says that everyone is born sinful. This means that mankind is born with a built-in urge to do bad things and to disobey G-d. It is an important doctrine within the Roman Catholic Church. The concept of Original Sin was explained in depth by St Augustine [Catholic Monk from Reggius Hippo (November 13, 354 - August 28, 430)] and formalised as part of Roman Catholic doctrine by the Councils of Trent in the 16th Century” (BBC 2009). The Encyclopedia Britannica explains further that The Original Sin Doctrine is “[…] the condition or state of sin into which each human being is born [into]; also, the origin (i.e., the cause, or source) of this state. Traditionally, the origin has been ascribed to the sin of the first man, Adam, who disobeyed G-d in eating the forbidden fruit (of knowledge of good and evil) and, in consequence, transmitted his sin and guilt by heredity to his descendants” (Web 2013). At least, this is one of the seventeen dogmatic decrees that the Roman Catholic Church declared under the supervision of Pope Pious IV at the end of the Council of Trent (held from December 13, 1545 until December 3, 1563) in their counter-Reformation efforts.

            Did all Christians believe in The Original Sin Doctrine? According to the Orthodox Church in America, their website explains that “In the Orthodox Christian understanding (from Eastern European countries), while humanity does bear the consequences of the original, or first, sin, humanity does not bear the personal guilt associated with this sin. Adam and Eve are guilty of their willful action; we bear the consequences, chief of which is death” (Web 2013).

PicturePapavassiliou explains doctrinal development.
            Archimandrite Vassilios Papavassiliou, a Greek Christian Orthodox monk residing in an Eastern Church monastery, explains how The Original Sin Doctrine came into being:

            Augustine’s doctrine of Original Sin was born from his attempt to combat the heresy of Pelagianism. The controversy began in Rome when the British monk, Pelagius, opposed Augustine’s prayer: “Grant what you command, and command what you desire.” Pelagius was opposing the idea that the divine gift of grace was necessary to perform the will of G-d. Pelagius believed that if we are responsible for obeying the commandments of G-d, then we must all also have the ability to do so without divine aid. He went on to deny the doctrine of Ancestral Sin, arguing that the consequences of Adam’s sin are not passed on to the rest of mankind. Adam’s sin affected Adam alone, and thus infants at birth are in the same state as Adam was before the Fall.

             Augustine took a starkly different view of the Fall, arguing that mankind is utterly sinful and incapable of good. Augustine believed that the state of Original Sin leaves us in such a condition that we are unable to refrain from sin. The ‘image of God’ in man (i.e., free will) was destroyed by the Fall. As much as we may choose to do good, our evil impulses pervert our free will and compel us to do evil. Therefore we are totally dependent upon grace.

            So far did Augustine take his grim view of the human condition, that he argued not only that the Original Sin affects all of Adam’s descendants, but that each person is guilty of the Original Sin from birth (Original Guilt). Infants are therefore guilty of sin and thus infants who die before baptism, in which (according to Augustine) the guilt of Original Sin is removed, are condemned to perdition and cannot be saved. As if that was not bad enough, Augustine went on to formulate the doctrine of Predestination, which affirms that God has foreordained who will be saved and who will not. (Papavassiliou 2011)

PictureRobert Gorham Davis (1908—1998), a Jewish Philosopher.
            Unlike the Greek Orthodox Church, modern day Protestant Reformers present a different reason why Augustine developed his doctrine. Most theologians in Western Society agree that Augustine formulated this doctrine as an attempt to explain the guilty feelings he had which resulted from his many North African sexual encounters. Robert Gorham Davis, columnist for The New York Times, opinionated on June 23, 1992 that “St. Augustine, one of its originators, conceived The Original Sin Doctrine largely in sexual terms. As a direct result of Adam's sin men's lusts, he declared, became separated from their wills. These effects, along with weakened will and intelligence, were transmitted through ‘corrupted semen’ to all Adam's descendants” (Davis 1992). In other words, Davis explained that Church clergy cannot trust the decisions of Christian faithful because the free will and judgment of attending members are impaired by sin; thus, it became necessary to rely on Church Doctrine in order to decide the will of G-d in their personal lives. As a result, the Christian faithful will argue doctrinal issues as a means to defend their independent church’s worldviews as dictated to them because inadvertedly members cannot think for themselves as to what the Bible says pertaining to their spiritual livelihood.

PictureDoctrine stipulates that this baby is a sinner, an inherited trait from Adam.
            So, what exactly does Augustine’s Doctrine of Original Sin stipulates? This doctrine stipulates that every single child that is born into the world is born carrying both their ancestral guilt as well as their parents’ sins. Provided that each child is born with these natural impulses to sin, any infant who die prior to being baptized is believed to be automatically sent to purgatory into the eternal flames of hellfire. Though mankind does have a free will, said free will is corrupted by the natural inclination do to perverted deeds as each person have inherited from Adam; thus, mankind can only partake of G-d’s grace if and only if they submit to Church authority who ministers salvation to all humanity. Lastly, that the organization alone can interpret G-d’s will for mankind and express said grace without trusting or being influenced by any given member’s free will because each person’s mindset is tainted with Adam’s original sin, the natural inclination to do evil, as well as guilty of Adam’s offense of disobeying G-d. “The doctrine is the prerequisite for the Christian understanding of the meaning of Jesus’crucifixion and atonement” (Web 2013).

            So, what do you think? Is each child responsible for their parents' wrong doing? Or, is each person accountable for their own actions? Can you study your Bible and share your finds with others? Or, are you required to study the Bible and teach what you discover so long as it goes alongside with Church Doctrine?

Bibliography

1. Davis, Robert Gorham. "Original Sin, as St. Augustine Saw It, Gets Harder to Defend." The New York Times. NYTimes.com, 05 July 1992. Web. 14 Dec. 2013.

 2. "Original Sin (theology)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2013.

3. Papavassiliou, Archimandrite Vassilios. "Original Sin: Orthodox Doctrine or Heresy?" PEMPTOUSIA. Www.pemptousia.com, 7 Nov. 2011. Web. 15 Dec. 2013. 

4. "St. Augustine & Original Sin." Orthodox Church in America. OCA.com, n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2013.

© 2013 Nehr HaOlam Publications
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  All Rights Reserved.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scriptures were taken from the New Living Translation of the Bible.

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MORENO ISABELLE
11/10/2014 06:54:37 pm

For me the sin of Adam, of knowledge, has effect on the circumstance we are living because knowledge can be used for good or bad intention. So we have to choose our intentions and as we know, weekness can take us to bad and Faith to good.

When we read The Bible, The Word, we can understand that our action can affcet our children and more, taht we are borned in the circumstances of the result from our parents choices, intentions.

I read a book from DEREK PRINCE - BLESSING OR CURSE, YOU CAN CHOOSE. This book answered to a lot of questions.

Presentation Editor
"What is wrong with me? Why is it that I never experiences a full development in my life?" "Nothing really works as it should for me." "My father had the same problems, he also was a dud!"

Why do some people seem to continually clouded by failure and frustration while others walk in the glow of success and self-fulfillment? The root of the problem could it really be a curse? Derek Prince describes the invisible forces that are at work in human lives, producing good and evil, and
diagnostic as blessings and curses described in the Bible. He relates his own experience and that of others
in a scriptural demonstration solidly based, and he speaks so
directly to those who are aware of being constantly subjected to forces
acting against them. It responds to the cry of distress frequently launched "Why
do these things always happen to ME? "and identify with the fact that
suffers various causes can cause curses and tells him
the way for his release. This book is the product of his search for answers to
three questions:
1. How can we recognize a curse is operative in our lives?
2. What should we do to revoke a curse and to free us from its consequences?
3. How can we enter into God's blessing?
Derek Prince said: "The blessings and curses ... are the vehicles of supernatural spiritual power ... they are both the major themes of Scripture ... ... their effects can extend to families ... or entire nations ... they tend to be passed from generation to generation ... the main support carrying either blessings or curses, these are the words ... they are called, written or delivered internally. "

"Are you asking yourself if there is way to free yourself from this dark cloud? ... Yes ... ... but only through the death of Jesus, who offered himself as a sacrifice .. . This is the way that God has given you to get shadows in the full light of the curse to a blessing. "

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