Original Sin:

The theological concept of ‘Original Sin‘ pertains to the inherent wounded nature inherited by all humans as a consequence of Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden. This wounded nature gives rise to what is known as the “wounds of original sin.” These wounds symbolize the fallen state of humanity and are the root cause of human suffering and imperfections. These wounds are;

1. Concupiscence: The inclination or tendency towards sin and disordered desires, as mentioned earlier.
2. Ignorance: The human intellect is clouded and limited in its understanding of divine truths.
3. Malice: The presence of evil and moral imperfection within human actions and intentions.
4. Weakness: Human beings experience weakness and vulnerability to sin due to the fallen nature.

These wounds are not to be confused with sin itself. For example, Concupiscence is the tendency towards sin and disordered desires, which gives rise to ‘temptation’. There have been Christians who have confused Concupiscence with actual sin. Many historians have noted that the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther seemed overly concerned that any stray thought he may have had was a mortal sin (see Heiko A. Oberman’s: Luther: Man Between God and the Devil.  Yale University, 1989). Luther’s neuroticism has led many modern scholars such as Erik Erikson, to diagnose him with depression, bipolar, or some other related mental illness.  Luther’s plight, however, is a sympathetic one as a great many well-meaning people have found themselves stricken with guilt over perceived faults.  This view is sometimes the result of misreading certain Bible verses such as Matthew 5:27-28:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

However, this verse could also be understood to be referring to someone who dwells on lustful thoughts, rather than someone who momentarily has a stray thought that they subsequently banish. It is the willful intent to give into lustful thoughts that is a sin, not the uncalled appearance of a stray thought.  Sin is an intention of the will, whereas banishing the thought as soon as it occurs is an opportunity for grace. Christ Himself exemplifies this during His “Temptation in the Wilderness” where He resists the devil’s temptations by quoting scripture and reaffirming His allegiance to God (Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13).

Other Christians have denied Original Sin altogether, or at least that it has had a lasting effect on Christians. The fifth-century Pelagian heretics rejected the notion that all humans inherit a sinful nature from Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden. They believed that individuals are born morally neutral and have the ability to choose between good and evil without being inherently predisposed to sin. Pelagians stressed the absolute free will of human beings, asserting that people can choose to do good or evil based on their own decisions and actions, and thus achieve salvation through their own moral efforts, without the need for God’s grace or intervention. Pelagianism was widely condemned as a heresy by various early Church Councils, including the Council of Carthage in 418 AD. The Catholic Church upheld the doctrine of original sin and the necessity of divine grace for salvation, as stressed by Saint Augustine, who vehemently opposed Pelagianism.

There have also been many people who misunderstand the concept of Original Sin as a punishment. They reject the notion that all of humanity should be “punished” for the actions of one man. Original sin, however, is not a punishment for other people’s sins, but a consequence of their sins. The Catechism says;

“original sin is called ‘sin’ only in an analogical sense: it is a sin ‘contracted’ and not ‘committed’—a state and not an act” (CCC 404).

Adam’s sin caused a fundamental change in man’s relationship with God and a fundamental change in nature itself (cf. Rom. 8:19–22).  Unlike personal sin, original sin is not an evil action committed by each individual, but an absence of God’s grace in our souls. The reason this absence of grace is called original sin is because it is a consequence of the very first sin humans committed. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they lost the gift of God’s grace that protected them from death and suffering. After losing this grace, they could not pass it down to their descendants because one cannot pass down something that one no longer has. Adam and Eve’s disobedience corrupted our human nature and made it possible for humans to suffer and die specifically because our nature lacks grace. As an analogy to help understand this concept, one can liken it to a person who inherited a fortune from one of their ancestors, but greedily squandered it, leaving nothing to pass on to future generations.

The Good News is Christ does not leave us penniless; “By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Pet. 1:4). We lay hold of this inheritance by ceasing to be children of Adam and becoming adopted children of God and inheritors of Christ, who is the New Adam: “For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:21–22)… Christ is the new Adam who leads us to new life. It is through Baptism that we enter into the Church (Col. 2:11–12), joining the Bride of Christ and becoming adopted sons and daughters of God (Matt 3:17). Thus, Baptism “removes” original sin and fills our souls with grace (Acts 22:16, 1 Pet. 3:21, Acts 2:38–39).

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