Saturday, 06 October 2012
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What Is Original Sin?
From time to time someone brings up the concept of 'Original Sin" which is a Christian belief and not Jewish. What does it mean? "Original sin may be taken to mean: (1) the sin that Adam committed; (2) a consequence of this first sin, the hereditary stain with which we are born on account of our origin or descent from Adam. From the earliest times the latter sense of the word was more common, as may be seen by St. Augustine's statement: "the deliberate sin of the first man is the cause of original sin" (De nupt. et concup., II, xxvi, 43). "It is the hereditary stain that is dealt with here. As to the sin of Adam we have not to examine the circumstances in which it was committed nor make the exegesis of the third chapter of Genesis."
I think it means that we are brought into a world where cycles of violence and abuse of all kinds are passed on from generation to generation. Many ask in great pain why the world can't become a more humane place, why so much cruelty and horror? Unless there is a way to deal with this, our continue spiral downward will continue until perhaps we destroy ourselves in one great war of rage and self hatred directed outward.
This is hard to swallow I know, I don't like it myself, but the way of world seems to point that this view is correct. That does not mean that there are not many good people in the world who actually break the cycle of violence and abuse in their own families and by doing so do help all of mankind. Even the gifts of science can be used to destroy and enslave, our entertainment and news does the same thing. In the United States it seems apparent we are moving ever closer to more chaos and fragmentation -- there is no end in sight.
Those who seek to stop the cycle of violence I believe are touched by God's grace and that there are a lot of people who seek to better the world through compassion. No religion I believe can claim that only they are the avenue for this influx of grace and love from the Transcendent. The paradox is this, only those who know that they are part of the problem, or could easily be a part of the further disintegration of our societies can bring about change. Without self knowledge it is only reduced to finger pointing which only aggravates the cycle. Mercy and love or the only way to do it, nothing else will work.
To show mercy and forgiveness has a cost, a heavy one. When loving parents forgive a man or woman who abused or killed their child, they take on a great deal of pain; they can't seek revenge but take the cost upon themselves. They are crucified, but this kind of suffering leads to deeper healing and compassion. The seeking after justice or revenge for the most part can only lead to an ever deepening self contentedness and rage that has no end. If mercy is to be received, the who accepts it will only benefit to the extent that he understand the harm that was done and what those who forgive are putting themselves through. Mercy and forgiveness comes with a heavy price. It is easy to forgive someone unknown, or unloved, if the harm is slight, but the deeper the pain the harder it is to forgive. Justice demands balance, to forgive brings that back and stops the cycle of violence. When the past is held on to, those who do evil continue to exert power and dominance over their victims and their families.
Jesus Christ, who I believe is a revelation of God, did not come because of a wrathful God, no he came to show mercy and to forgive. Since all evil done to another human being is done to God, then only God can forgive all human evil and cruelty or if you want 'sin'. He did it by not seeking justice, but taking it upon himself; he suffered our spiritual death on the cross. "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me"? He experienced hell in our place; out of love, out of mercy; to bring us all to that place of inner healing.
Since Jesus is I believe God, what he has shown us in his death and resurrection, is something that has gone on from the beginning of time. God immanent and transcendent, who takes on our suffering and journeys with us, that is the message of the cross. It shows our worth, our dignity. Human hearts are made for love, we come close to God when we learn through our own needs and weakness to have compassion for all, this is grace at work, no matter what path is walked.
The belief in original sin and in sin in general is not there to make us feel neurotic guilt, but real culpability which is good. It is like feeling real anger; it gives the energy to move forward. To understand that sin means that I have the freedom to change, and that because of God’s mercy and compassion I can begin ever anew, each day.
I know for many this is absurd, fine, but the reality of our inability to make a better world on our own, points for me the reality of sin and our need for salvation by grace. This is available to all. Reality is open-ended, that means that any simplistic understanding in how God works in the world is doomed to becoming an ideology and that brings death.
What do you think original sin means to us today? Have you seen its impact in your life?
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- From: markdohle
- Name: markdohle
- Location: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- About Me: I am a Roman Catholic, who seeks to ever deepen my love of Jesus Christ.
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Comments (30)
Original sin ruined human nature and the repercussions of that thunder through a fallen universe. That means that no matter a person's good intentions or the execution of the finest plans, they will have great and far reaching negative consequences.
The only way out of original sin is through baptism in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus death was the price paid to redeem mankind from the Original Sin of Adam and Eve. And it is in Jesus Christ and through his grace that man finds his true, original, unblemished human nature.
Only Christianity teaches that, therefore all other religions are a waste of time if salvation and restoration be the objectives.
That is the basic Christian doctrine on the subject of Original Sin.
Original sin means that because of Adam's sin, we are born with a sin nature, that is, the nature to sin. However, we are not guilty because of Adam's sin. We are guilty for our own sin.
@PrisonerxOfxLove@xanga - Yet we are called to love others, not to return evil for evil, but to return evil with good.....though of course it is difficult and impossible without grace. Things seem to be getting worse each generation, Yet we are called to pray for all and to love all. The seed has been planted, the kingdom of God is at work, like leaven, we don't see it, but it is happening. How? Well it it God's work, all we can do is to be open to grace and love. We are called to conversion.
peace
mark
@musterion99@xanga - Yes thank you.
peace
mark
@markdohle - Because of Original Sin we cannot really love others, since our love is corrupted. Jesus acknowledged that even the heathen loved their own. But he was quite clear that only through him can our love become pure like it was before the Original Sin was committed.
@markdohle - No. We ARE guilty of Original Sin. If we were not guilty of Original Sin then Jesus would not have had to die in our place. Jesus was hung on the Cross instead of us.
He took our guilt into his Body and then his Body was nailed to the Cross.
I recommend reading Saint Paul in the New Testament.
It's amazing how much bogus Christianity gets transmitted on this atheist blog, Revelife.
@PrisonerxOfxLove@xanga - I read St. Paul, in fact he is one of my favorites authors in the NT. We are called to put on Christ, to have the Mind of Christ, so I agree with your in a partial way. Original sin is not personal sin, there is a difference. Jesus does call us to perfection, to be perfect has he is perfect. Of course we can't become perfect on our own, or stop sinning, for the just man falls seven times a day. We are called upon to have a total trust in the Love of Christ Jesus for us, when we fall, to look to him and not to ourselves, to not sink into despondency but to ever grow in trust, which is a choice.
We will always be sinners, yet we are called to ever deeper conversion which is the work of grace.
Interesting that you would call this an atheist blog
.
Peace
Mark
@PrisonerxOfxLove@xanga - Only God can love in a complete unconditional manner, so our love, even the best and most pure has some need attached to it. We are finite beings, so yes our loves is limited, yet with Christ Jesus we can grow in love for all of mankind, though there will always be struggle and failures.
peace
mark
@markdohle - You're welcome.
@PrisonerxOfxLove@xanga - "The absence ofsanctifying gracein the new-born child is also an effect of the firstsin, forAdam, having receivedholinessandjusticefromGod, lost it not only for himself but also for us[...]. [...]Consequently the privation of thisgrace, even without any other act, would be a stain, amoraldeformity, a turning away fromGod,aversio a Deo, and thischaracteris not found in any other effect of the fault ofAdam. This privation, therefore, is the hereditary stain."
-http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11312a.htm
Original Sin does not deform our physical nature and, by extension, our ability to perform good deeds.
God deals with each individual person. I can be saved, you can be saved, but I cannot save you. It is up to each individual to repent, believe and be saved.
It is my sin that I have committed that would cause me to go to Hell, if I did not believe and be saved. The same is true of you, it is your personal sin. God does not send us to hell, for any reason other than our sin.
Yes Adam sinned, Yes through Adam sin and death entered into the world. We inherited a sin nature, a total depravity to sin if you will. Our thoughts are only of sin. Even our good deeds, can be sin, if they are done with wrong motives, such as to show people how good we are. Our good deeds are like filthy rags, we cannot be good enough for salvation. Without Christ, we can't do enough to be saved, it is impossible. But God does not hold us accountable for what others have done. I am not held responsible for what Adam did. I am held responsible for what I do.
God is our perfect heavenly Father, He gives us good gifts, He gives us what we need and on occasion what we think we need. To hold us accountable for the sin of Adam, would be like if someone takes a cookie at your house, you spanking all of the kids. How is that good parenting? "Okay, sue took a cookie, so all 5 of you are getting punished." Would you do it? what makes you think that God would do it?
It's very difficult to have original sin today. So many interesting ones have already been committed that you gotta really think about it and get creative and down and dirty.
Φ ≡
Hmmn. Stlll pondering the baptism part given in this post. I do question original sin because of Christ's sacrifice, wondering if he made that sacrifice for original sin, why do we go around beating others over the head with it? I also at times question original sin altogether. Please please don't anyone think I'm trying to offend. I'm at a juncture filled with questions, and also, the reading of Paul I do not take as literally as fundamentalists take it now. It can and is interpreted in other ways, and we know pretty clearly he did not hob knob with Christ himself so as to gain interpretation. There are substantial books out there concerning Paul and women, and the interpretation of Greek, and how things were actually meant to be, which is good, because for many years I really couldn't stand Paul, and that's an unkind, un-Christian place for your heart to be. And Mark, you can tell me to go pour water all over my head having none of this my business, but which of the handsome fellows are you in the picture? Not coming on, buttering up, doing anything inappropriate. Just come from a 60ish woman herself. So much to study, so little time!!
There are still people who believe in the literal existence of the Garden and all that occurred in it?
@Sir_Sparrow@xanga - I think the 'story' deals with 'why' we are so screwed up and self destructive. Some still believe the the garden story is history. I doubt the one who wrote this was trying to say it was real history, how could he? Yet I believe it is inspired by the Holy Spirit, inspired yes, but not channeled.
peace
mark
@Sir_Sparrow@xanga - The Judeo-Christian worldview understands human nature. The Protestants describe human beings as "totally depraved" while the Catholics describe human beings as concupiscent (prone to fall into sin).
The story of Adam and Eve tells how that concupiscence came about: man disobeyed God by wanting to become like God himself.That is a very accurate, deep, penetrating understanding of human nature.
@markdohle - "Inspired" can work in the generally secular western world. Insisting on a literal interpretation just forms unnessary barriers to the listener before any "gospel" is mentioned.
@PrisonerxOfxLove@xanga - The general state of the natural man can be seen in such stories but that is not the concern I raised.
I tend to agree with your RC and Protestant division of views on the matter of "sin", however that is interpreted.
@Sir_Sparrow@xanga - I believe that your concern is trivial and that the elephant in the room is how modernists and postmodernists have convinced society that man is essentially good.
Modern and postmodern thought hold that man is essentially good and that social factors are what create human evil.
The modern and postmodern solution to human evil is total government control of society so as to provide a social environment where man can flourish and evolve to a higher level.
Modern and postmodern thought also reject Christian ethics and morality. That has led to mass death on an unimaginable scale and the enslavement of the poor in urban ghettos.
Dummies who take the biblical version of Creation literally are harmless in comparison to modernists and postmodernists.
If the whole world agreed to live fair lifestyles by sharing resources in such a way that everyone has what they deserve.. so that everyone can be at peace.. then that would require a big change that I doubt everyone would be happy about. Imagine making America give up their vanities.. and learn to give back resources they'd taken by force from other continents/countries... that would be chaos to an average American..
but I'm guessing that Obama.. after watching Obama 2016, is trying to achieve something like this..and it's almost like a small example he's setting, to revert the original sin. I don't nkow if anyone can see what I'm saying here, but to me, Obama, in a Christian view, is trying to make up for the past sins of America.
I am one Christian who does not believe in "Original Sin".
The inspired scriptures of Jehovah are crucial to your life. Without a revelation of God's will, mankind is desperately ignorant and will perish in ignominy and pain. Fulfillment and happiness are by keeping God's commandments, which can only be known by attention to the Bible. Neglect the Bible to your own peril! The lesson of this proverb is simple, but most are grossly misled by a false interpretation and application.
The hired gun brought in by the ambitious pastor tells the contented church, "To be a big church, you need to think big. If you want to grow, then you need to think growth. If you want to triple your attendance in two years, then you need to build an auditorium that size. If you can dream it, you can believe it. If you can believe it, you can achieve it. Even God agrees. The Bible says, �Where there is no vision, the people perish.' Get a vision, people! Get a vision of tripling the size of your little church! Sign your pledge cards today, and help your pastor get that multi-million dollar mortgage!"
Who has not heard this sound bite, "Where there is no vision, the people perish"? Here is one of the most abused verses in the Bible. This is the sound of words with no regard to the sense of words. Lord, save us from such ignorant and flippant use of your Scriptures.
This proverb is often corrupted to seduce churches to borrow large sums of money to finance unnecessary building projects. The "vision" is a plan to grow the church in size; and "perishing" is continuing on the same course with a bought-and-paid-for building. What a travesty of Bible interpretation! May the LORD bless you to read and understand the sense of this proverb, as Ezra read and gave the true sense to Israel (Neh 8:8).
As often in Proverbs, the parallelism tells us that "vision" is the hearing and reading of God's word. For a happy man is contrasted with people perishing, and the law of God is contrasted with "no vision." There is nothing here about dreaming or building plans.
The lesson is simple but powerful. God's word is a great blessing, and obeying it is the basis for true happiness: but where the word of God is not preached, the people will die in ignorance and folly from starvation for knowledge. Lord, save us from such ruin!
The Lord at times may take His word away from His people. Consider the early days of Samuel, who anointed David king of Israel. The word of the LORD, or a revelation from God, was rare in those days, and it is specifically called a vision. In general, God was not revealing Himself and His will to the nation until Samuel arrived (I Sam 3:1).
God took His word away at other times also. Under Asa, the nation had gone a long time without a teaching priest or the law of God (II Chr 15:3). And during Josiah's reign, the law of God, which had been lost, was found during temple renovation (II Chr 34:14). While in Babylon, God also took His word away from Israel (Ezek 7:26; Lam 2:9). Jesus saw His own people, without faithful preaching, as sheep without a shepherd (Matt 9:36).
Without the word of God to save him, man will zealously worship trees, burn children in sacrifice, teach reincarnation, believe he came from monkeys, eat a cracker-god, kiss a stone in Mecca, worship buffalo, burn widows on funeral pyres, and so forth. Without God's word, men wander out of the way of understanding and remain in the congregation of the dead, to perish there under Satan's delusions (Pr 21:16; Acts 26:16-18; Eph 2:1-3).
When Paul preached at Lystra and Athens, he explained that God had let the Gentiles walk in their own ignorant ways without His word for many generations, but He was now commanding men to repent of their ignorance (Acts 14:11-18; 17:22-31). Without Scripture, men will rush with greedy ambition into the vilest of lifestyles (Eph 4:17-19).
In our own world, great sections of it are closed to the reading and preaching of God's word. It is generally forbidden in Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and other countries. Where it is not read and preached, the people suffer in ignorance and folly of all sorts. Without God's word such nations are "without hope" religiously (Eph 2:12; John 4:22; I Thess 4:13), and they cannot achieve the "witty inventions" of even natural progress (Pr 8:1-31).
One-sixth of the world is Catholic, where until very recently its members were not allowed to read the Bible, and the Mass - their only exposure to Scripture - was done in Latin! What superstitious ignorance! And this in the name of religion! Compare a Catholic country with those around it, and perishing through ignorance is clearly visible. Since they did not receive the love of the truth, God sent them delusions (II Thes 2:9-12).
The logic is simple. Religious salvation is by calling upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. But how can they call without believing? And how can they believe without hearing? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach without being sent? God has withdrawn His word from a world that rejected it (Rom 10:13-17).
The LORD warned that one of His judgments is to take away the word of God and leave a people starving for Him and Scripture. The Lord says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6). He described the famine He will bring on a land: not a famine of bread, but a famine for hearing God's word (Amos 8:11-12). Lord, save us!
The United States is in such a condition. It is fulfilling the perilous times of the last days, prophesied by Paul (II Tim 3:1-5). Though having an information explosion with a geometric increase in learning, there is no ability to identify or learn the truth (II Tim 3:6-7). False teachers are at work everywhere, deceiving and being deceived (II Tim 3:8-13). So-called Christians resent sound doctrine and truth, and they multiply teachers and entertainers who will tickle their itching ears and lusts with fables (II Tim 4:3-4).
Preaching is despised as an outdated, boring, and negative activity. Entertainment rules! There is no more vision! America is in the midst of a famine for God's word. Men are living dysfunctional and perverted lives and perishing in folly and ignorance! Christians throughout the nation are starving to hear and understand the word of God, but they cannot find it being taught anywhere. Confusion and error reign on any and every subject.
What is the cure? God-called men must preach the Word of God faithfully and dogmatically. Scripture is completely sufficient to make every faithful minister perfectly prepared to instruct his people in all the wisdom of God (II Tim 3:14 - 4:2; Jer 3:15). With the Bible as his handbook, a faithful man of God can destroy the errors and illusions of any people, for the word of God is a hammer and a fire (Jer 23:28-29).
What is another cure? Honor faithful preaching of His word with a ready and receptive mind, and do not despise old-fashioned Bible teaching (Ac 17:11; I Thes 5:20; Jer 6:16). Reject any move to contemporary worship in your church, and restore a proper emphasis on thundering messages from God's word by ordained teachers. Review the great joy and national celebration of Israel hearing and understanding preaching (Neh 8:1-12).
What is another cure? Treasure His word as your greatest earthly possession, and delight in its glorious words from heaven (Jer 15:16; Job 23:12; Psalm 19:10; 119:72,103,111). Promote the Bible as the absolute and final authority on every subject where you can, in conscious defiance to this MTV generation and their obsession with pleasure.
What else can you do? Humbly obey in sincerity and truth what you read and hear from the Bible, not merely complying outwardly by a religious ritual and habit (Ezek 33:30-33; Luke 8:18). Let others see your true conviction about Scripture by your obedience to it.
What else? Show the true joy, peace, and hope in believing that will cause others to be encouraged and ask a reason of your hope (Rom 15:13; I Pet 3:15). Those under the influences of the Spirit at Pentecost did not count their vision a light thing (Acts 2:42-47). By obeying the Bible and having a blessed life, you will do much to promote it to others.
There is great reward in having and obeying the Word of God (Ps 19:11). Moses told Israel that the precious revelation they had received from God was their wisdom and understanding above other nations (Deut 4:5-10), their righteousness and means for His blessing (Deut 6:20-25), and even their very lives (Deut 32:46-67). Building on this solid foundation will prepare you well for life's storms that will surely come (Luke 6:46-49).
Jesus said regarding His preaching, "If ye know these things, happy are ye if you do them" (John 13:17). He even told a woman that hearing and keeping the word of God was a greater blessing than being His own mother (Luke 8:21; 11:28). And James added that the blessing is for those who hear and do (James 1:25). Make sure you are a doer!
The Holy Scriptures and the faithful preaching of them provide more value to a people than any other blessing. For obeying God's word saves from horrible ignorance and trouble, leads to the highest peace, prosperity, and pleasure possible in this world, and contains all the spiritual instruction to prepare for the next world. It teaches us how to walk with God in confidence of eternal life and personal fellowship with Him. Glory!
The Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of God. There He received great gifts and spoil for His victory over sin and death, and He has in turn given these gifts of ministerial ability and authority to preach the Scriptures to His people and churches. Rejoice and be exceeding glad that you have seen the beautiful feet (Rom 10:15; Job 33:23-24) and heard the joyful sound (Ps 89:15; 68:11; Rom 10:18).
Dear reader, do you love, appreciate, read, and obey the Bible as you should? It is your life! Without it, you will perish! Neglect it to the peril of life and soul! It is your happiness! Exalt it to the joyful blessing of your own life and that of your family!
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I am not Jewish but to say that the first five books of the Bible and the contents therein is not is funny. The first five books are called the Torah and Jews absolutely believe in origional sin. The Bible is absolute and only through God's word can we learn the truth about Jesus Christ.
@sukastech - That is pretentious