Do children inherit the sins of their parents to the third and fourth generation?

Question

Do children of single unmarried parents tend to follow their example and have children out of wedlock too?Do children of mothers who had them for married men tend to follow suit? Do children of thieves, murderers, rapist setc tend to commit the same crime?To what extent is sin in the genes to the third and fourth generation?

Answer 1

this is a complexed question with answer that not all will understand. God blessed Abraham and his descendants the blessing has been passed down from generation to generation. the blessing are passed to the kids in the way there parents conduct themselves. a child watches his parents behave in a god fearing way, thus they become god fearing. the same is true with the unblessed, the cursed is passed down from generation to generation, the worst mistake any parent can make is teaching there children how to sin, in do so you are passing your sins down to your kids. i have meditated greatly on this subject and that is the best explanation i gave in laymen terms.

Answer 2

I think that perhaps you may be confused - are you thinking that the degenerate nature of sin is a result of something that a parent has actually DONE? What Christians mean when we say that humanity was cursed with the effects of sin (when Adam and Eve "fell" from God's good graces, so to speak) is that all subsequent generations after Adam and Eve (including them, as well) were subject to death of some sort. Additionally, that is when genetic anomolies presented themselves and, as time progressed, became slightly worse and worse.
A sin (such as a lie or adultry - not the nature of sin itself) that a great-grandmother commited will not necessarily repeat itself in her descendents. But the nature of sin that manifests itself as cancer or hyperthyroidism can certainly show up among her descendents.
Does that answer your question, or was I way off?

Answer 3

Its not about genes, its about parenting. This is the reason rational people wonder why you have to have a license to drive a car, but any irresponsible jackass can have a child.

The 'sin' you refer too isn't technically a sin. It's a lack of common sense, and decency. Of course your children will do what you do. The adults they see are their blueprints for behavior.

You are gonna get creamed for this question.

Answer 4

OK, sin is a belief. Not reality. Our children CAN copy what the parents do in life, if the children CHOOSE to do so. But because mom or dad were bad, that does not mean the children will be bad. It is all choices.

My parents and my wife's parents were terrible people. We choose to be the opposite.

Answer 5

No one inherits sin. But we do inherit the consequences of sin which can pretty much seem like the same thing.
If my father had a million dollars and squandered it, then I would suffer for his foolishness.
There are also tendencies in people toward things that are inherited, for example anger. And I am prone to anger, I might be more likely to kill a person.

Answer 6

Children do not inherit their parents sins but they do learn by example. If you are a bad person (practice what is bad) and have children, your children will learn to be bad. If you are a good person (practice what is good) and have children, your children will learn to be good. Of course there are exceptions to every rule but in most cases children become like their parents.


“Do you, however, the one teaching someone else, not teach yourself? You, the one preaching ‘Do not steal,’ do you steal? You, the one saying ‘Do not commit adultery,’ do you commit adultery?”—Romans 2:21, 22.

Answer 7

The child is not held responsible for any of the sins committed by the parents, however, the child might follow the examples of the parents.

Answer 8

Yes children tend to perpetuate the "sins" of those in whose care they were during their formative stages. It is a psychological inheritance rather than a genetic one. The experiences we go through in our fledgling years tend to shape our reality, thoughts and thus, our actions. Working class born children tend to go on to be working class parents themselves or children inheriting the religious beliefs of their parents. Without a constructive effort to do otherwise, we usually repeat the behavioral patterns of those who raised us.

Answer 9

First ? if god so decrees... yes
Second ? unfortunatly yes in all to many cases. But not all That is a result of sin for sure but is is not God's doing...
Third ? again in all too many cases yes. Again this is not God's doing. it would be the result of sin though.
Fourth ? some do. but I believe that a majority probably not, again sin is a factor.

Fifth ? Sin is in all of mankind. it is certainly geneticaly transmitted as it came down to us from the Original Sin of Adam, from the Christian Faith pov.... this is not what youare refering to, in that God did not decree, because of a specific sin or set of sins that such a punishment would be meeted out... The Sin nature is what is in all of mankind. this is what is passed to all...

When God used such punishment. to the third or fourth or whatever generation, it was very specific and for specific offences... that is why it is given the limit...So is, as I said, not as the sin nature within all of mankind.

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Answer 10

Whether it's the nature or nurture element, science has proven that children 'inherit' the 'curses' of their parents, grandparents, etc. Whether you're talking about alcoholism or divorce it's true. I've seen it in my own family. My grandfather got divorced (the first in his family) and EVERY ONE of his 7 children have been divorced. Now every grandchild that has been married has been divorced also. It can't be a coincidence can it?