what is original sin? some questions to the chrisitians and all are welcome to answer

**Helena** · 06-23-2006

Peace be upon u all....

Well i have couple of questions to ask to my fellow brothers/sisters in christianity or even judaism...and muslims are also welcome...

Can someone explain wot is meant by original sin? as i've studied in childhood that some believers believe that children are born with sins and when they enter this world they eventually become pure,as examples were given such as james bulger case...as some think does original sin exist?
but others believe including myself, we are born with pureness when we enter this world people start commiting sins.

Also my second question is about Adam and Eve as i've studied in religious studies, did original sin start from there? because the fall of the eden...
therefore was eve blamed to tempted adam to have the apple? as i have studied in RE that because of eve tempted to have an apple, women are cursed by God thru child bearing, menstrul cycle, women are seen as a object in the society then equal amongst men....

and how are men and women are seen in christianity, equally? or are women subordiante to men?

found an article from wikipedia...

Some branches of Christianity fully accept the tradition of Adam and Eve as portrayed in the Bible, and although some hold various views expressed in the Pseudepigrapha, they do not accept the later Jewish Midrash.

The story of Adam and Eve forms the basis for the doctrine of original sin, a doctrine that is held as true by many branches of Christianity, but is not shared by the Orthodox [9] or Congregationalist churches, nor by Judaism[citation needed] nor The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "Sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned," said St Paul in his Epistle to the Romans, writing in Greek about 58 AD.[10] St Paul was not being true to the Hebrew of Genesis, which nowhere mentions the words "sin" and which does not say that Adam was punished with death. (Adam's transgression in Genesis 3 is disobedience, not sin, and he is expelled from Eden not in order to die, but so that he may not eat of the Tree of Life and become immortal).[11] St Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD), working with a Latin mistranslation of the epistle, understood Paul to have said that Adam's sin was hereditary: "Death passed upon (i.e. spread to) all men because of Adam, [in whom] all sinned".[12] Original sin, the concept that man is born in a condition of sinfulness and must await redemption, while founded on a forced reading of Genesis followed by an exegesis based on a mistranslation, nevertheless became a cornerstone of Christian theological tradition, primarily in Western-rite churches.

Over the centuries, a system of uniquely Christian beliefs has developed from the Adam and Eve story. Baptism, which predates Christianity has become understood as a means of washing away the stain of hereditary sin.[13] Additionally, the serpent that tempted Eve was interpreted by some to have been Satan, although there is no mention of this identification in the Torah. In fact, Genesis does not even hint at any of these readings, and their observance by many Christians has marked the religion's radical break from its parent.

Because Eve had tempted Adam to eat of the fatal fruit, some early Fathers of the Church held her and all subsequent women to be the first sinners, and especially responsible for the Fall. "You are the devil's gateway," Tertullian told his female listeners in the early 2nd century, and went on the explain that they were responsible for the death of Christ: "On account of your desert _ that is, death - even the Son of God had to die."[14] In 1486 the Dominicans Kramer and Sprengler used similar tracts to justify the Malleus Maleficarum ("Hammer of the Witches") that led to three centuries of persecution of "witches".

Eastern Orthodox tradition holds that the sword placed at the entrance to Paradise to prevent humankind from returning to the Garden was removed once Jesus was born.

hopefully u can all answer my questions...wid evidence from the bible...

Thanks alot...

**Helena** · 09-12-2006

i've discussed original sin before.....but i wanted to know when a child is born....him/her is the carrier of sin...why is this? is it biblical????

**ZOREENA** · 09-14-2006

Originally Posted by Jayda

We believe that we inherited Adams sin, and that it is washed away through baptism.

Catholics inherited sinz, coz of Adam...first I heard of that and I used to be a Cathoilic...but we were never taught anything worthwile anyway!! So original sin is based on Adamz actionz, even though Jesus died for the peoplez sinz, still a new born baby is born into it? And the priest has the special power to absolve this sin, only if the baby is baptised??

**glo** · 09-15-2006

Originally Posted by cihad

Has anybody seen that guy...
Jeff Lang or something

he explains it nicely -i mean come on Adam and Eve just ate a few peices of fruit off a tree, i'm sure you have done worse than that!
he says its like when they ate off the tree it was the first individual choice that he made, which shows that he was ready to go and live on earth..etc

it was hardly a sin , and anyway they didn't ask you before they ate the fruit,did they?

Forgive me cihad, but your post demonstrates just how little understanding you have of the Christian faith. Either that, or that this Jeff Lang guy might not be trying too hard to explain Christian doctrine ...

The point is not that they ate a piece of fruit!

The point is that they went willingly against God's instructions. (Obedience to Allah is a strong Islamic principle, so you should understand the severity of this.)

Furthermore, the fruit was from the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil.
So not only were Adam and Eve disobeying God's instructions, they also wanted to be like God, rather than be submissive to him. (Submission to Allah is also a strong Islamic principle, so again, there should be no problems with that)
Indeed, the tempter said this to them:
"For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."(Genesis 3:5)

That is the sin which continues to be present in us humans to this present day: The desire to rebel against God, to ignore his presence and his commands to us, and tothink of yourself as being greater than God! (Can you, as a Muslim, disagree with any of this?)
Just look around the secular world, in which people genuinely think they can manage just fine without God!

what about babies that die before baptism
do they go to hell because of smething they had no idea about?

Most Christians do not believe this!
God does not hold people accountable until they are old enough to make an informed choice about their faith. Hence children and people who are mentally or congitively unable to understand are saved anyway.
In fact, Jesus himself said this:
"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.
But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. (Matthew 18:2-6)

I hope this explains the Christian perspective somewhat.

(I just realise that I wrote all this in post #11 ... bit of a deja-vu then ...

)

Peace.

**InToTheRain** · 09-16-2006

Hi Glo and

Originally Posted by glo

That is the sin which continues to be present in us humans to this present day: The desire to rebel against God, to ignore his presence and his commands to us, and tothink of yourself as being greater than God! (Can you, as a Muslim, disagree with any of this?)
Just look around the secular world, in which people genuinely think they can manage just fine without God!

From what I understand from christianity i believe what we see today is a result of mankind bieng led astray by satan and his works. He has set many traps for us, tempts us to do much evil and loves seeing mankinds demise. After all, if this original sin was all that was needed tempt us to go against God, there would be no need for satan.

Matthew 13:19

When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.

Mathew 13:37-39: He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works" (2 Corinthians 11:13-14).

Peter 5:8-9
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

and there are many more which tell of how satan/devil attempts to lead people astray. This makes more sense as to why people commit sins and keep on doing so. We also know that Adam and Eve (Peace be upon them) were Sinless, pure. But the Satan decieved them and led them astray using his mind games and traps. Similiarly Children are born innocent and remain innocent until they are led astray due to Satans temptations and well constructed deceptions.

Originally Posted by glo

Most Christians do not believe this!
God does not hold people accountable until they are old enough to make an informed choice about their faith. Hence children and people who are mentally or congitively unable to understand are saved anyway.
In fact, Jesus himself said this:
"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.
But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. (Matthew 18:2-6)

Jesus says the children belive in him, doesn't that mean they were already baptised/christian? Does this not imply jesus is reffering to a christian child and not a random child?

Peace be upon you

**InToTheRain** · 09-19-2006

Can a christian brother or sister of the book give clarification regarding my previous post

Incase its not clear

I was emphasising that from my understanding of what I read from the Bible the concept of original sin bieng inherited by man from Adam(AS) and Eve(AS) doesn't exist. I also whent on to say how from the teachings of the Bible it is saitans work to make us rebel against God and not this original Sin.

1) Adam(AS) and Eve(AS) where pure and sinless before eating the apple. If the inheritance of original sin is what makes us rebel from God, why did Adam(AS) and Eve(AS) eat the fruit when they were pure? Clearly is was Saitans work.

2) Jesus(AS) warned us many times against the temptation of the devil and how the saitan will lead us astray. Doesn't the existence of an original sin which makes us rebel against God negate the work or existence of saitan and his work. And it also contradicts 1)

3) To me it also removes the concept of sin being inherited or bieng accountable for the sins of another. This means babies or children who are incapable of making a decision are pure and innocent until they decide to rebel against God by following the works of saitan.

Does the teachings of christianity agree with me on this or is my understanding of christianity wrong?

Peace be upon you.