Why is "original sin" associated with sex?

Question

Wasn't the original sin eating the forbidden fruit?

Why have I heard it referred to as sex, and that all of us our born under original sin because our parent's had sex? Did I get bad information, am I misinterpreting something, or what?

Answer 1

WHAT was the original sin? “Sex,” many people will answer. They believe that the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden was a symbol of sexual relations and that Adam and Eve sinned by committing a sexual act.

The idea is not new. According to historian Elaine Pagels, “the claim that Adam and Eve’s sin was to engage in sexual intercourse” was “common among such [second-century] Christian teachers as Tatian the Syrian, who taught that the fruit of the tree of knowledge conveyed carnal knowledge.” Also, to Christendom’s Church (so-called Christians) Father Augustine of the fifth century C.E., sin had its beginnings in sexual desire on Adam’s part. In fact, Psychology Today said “Adam’s sin was carnal knowledge.”

Many do not know that this interpretations flatly contradict the context of the Genesis account. The law in question is recorded at Genesis 2:16, 17: “From every tree of the garden you may eat to satisfaction. But as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die.”
Was that really a veiled reference to sex? Well, as recorded at Genesis 1:27, 28, God commanded the man and the woman to “be fruitful and become many and fill the earth.” How were Adam and Eve to obey that command without having sexual relations? Are we really to suppose that God gave them a command and then sentenced them to death for trying to obey it?

Besides, the Genesis account shows that Adam and Eve sinned separately, not simultaneously. Chapter 3, verse 6, makes it clear that Eve was seduced to eat of the fruit first and that “afterward she gave some also to her husband when with her and he began eating it.” So eating of the forbidden fruit would make an inept and farfetched symbol of sexual intercourse.

Was it Knowledge: What about the claim that the forbidden fruit was a symbol of all knowledge? Actually, both Adam and Eve had already taken in plenty of knowledge before they disobeyed the law at Genesis 2:16, 17. Their Creator, Jehovah himself, was directly involved in their education. For instance, he brought all animals and birds to the man for him to name them. (Genesis 2:19, 20)
No doubt Adam would have had to study each one carefully in order to give it an appropriate name. What an education in zoology! Eve, although created later, was also not ignorant. When questioned by the serpent, she showed that she had been educated in God’s law. She knew the difference between right and wrong, and she even knew the consequences of wrong actions.—Genesis 3:2, 3.
Interpretation of original sin as either sex or knowledge is just that—human interpretation, nothing more. Its weakness is shown up by the question of the faithful man Joseph: “Do not interpretations belong to God?” (Genesis 40:8) The Bible is much easier to understand when we do not impose human ideas on it but, rather, let it interpret itself.

Was It Disobedience? By eating of that fruit, what were they doing? The New Catholic Encyclopedia timidly suggests: “It could have been, simply, an open defiance of God, an insolent refusal to obey Him.” Is that not what Genesis clearly says? Romans 5:19 confirms the point: “By one man’s disobedience many were made sinners.” (The New Jerusalem Bible) The original sin was an act of disobedience.
A footnote in The New Jerusalem Bible puts it this way: “It [the knowledge of good and bad] is the power of deciding for himself what is good and what is evil and of acting accordingly, a claim to complete moral independence . . . The first sin was an attack on God’s sovereignty.”

prerogative to set the standards for man as to what is approved or what is condemned. By refusing to obey God’s law, man was calling into question God’s very right to rule over him. Jehovah justly answered the challenge by allowing man to rule himself. Wouldn’t you agree that the results have been disastrous?—(Deut. 32:5; Eccl. 8:9.)
That is why the Bible’s theme, God’s Kingdom, brings so much hope. By means of that Kingdom, Jehovah promises to end oppressive man-rule soon and replace it with His rule—a government that will restore an earthly paradise—something Adam and Eve forfeited.—Psalm 37:29; Daniel 2:44.

Answer 2

Bad info, really bad info. Though you are not the first person I have ever heard say this. It has nothing to do with sex, other than that all humans since the time of Adam's fall have been born with sin. So, it only has to do with sex insomuchas procreation makes babies, and all babies are born with a sin nature. Thus, a baby may not ever actually "do" a sinfull act, but it is still guilty of sin because it is passed down through the human race, almost like a genetic spiritual flaw. Just a side note, this is mainly a Catholic belief, and they would probably be able to describe it better. There are a lot of protestants that believe in a form of this too, but it is a lot less defined. Hope this helps!!

Answer 3

actually we are all born in sin and iniquity because we all have committed some kind of sin whether it were big or small. no sin is better. the first sin came about when the serpent told Eve to eat from the "Tree of Life". he told her it would give her great knowledge that God didn't want her to have. When she received that fruit and ate and then offered her husband (Adam) the fruit, that was the first sin that they had committed. Maybe u should read Genesis the first book of the Bible to get all the knowledge and information about Adam and Eve and the "original sin".

Answer 4

The idea of "Original sin" has nothing to do with sex. It is a Christian concept that is quite biased. Basically, Eve is responsible for eating the forbidden fruit and she tells Adam to eat also. They are never forgiven for this, as a result, every person brought in this world is also born "sinful," eventhough we have nothing to do with their sins. To add to this, Christ is supposedly sent to relieve mankind for this sin, so he has to die?
So, Eve, is responsible for her sin, the sin of Adam, The sin of all mankind, and the death of Christ.
So, in other words, ONE WOMAN IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DESTROYING THE WHOLE WORLD!
If I were a woman, i would be quite offended by such a concept. In the Qur'an, the finger isn't pointed at anybody. It statest that they BOTH ate from the tree. It doesn't point the finger at either one. Something to think about.

Answer 5

The original sin was the first disobedience, the partaking of the forbidden fruit. We are not born under the sin or condemnation of that first sin. Babies are born completely pure with no sin. We will be punished for our own sins and not for Adam's transgression.

Answer 6

Here's my take on this:

"Original Sin" is a fabrication and invention of the RCC in order that ALL NEWBORN INFANTS will automatically HAVE TO BE BAPTISED into the Church. The same FALSE DOCTRINE has been unwittingly carried over by certain Protestant churches since the Great Reformation since they use practically the same teachings handed down over the millennia to mankind.

And SEX has been corrupted and heavily demonized to mean something EVIL in the eyes of the Mother Church... rather than to leave it in its pure, natural and Human instinctive form as it ought to be in all of the animal kingdom.

It was/is the Church's doctrine to SUPPRESS SEX in order to instill the so-called "vow of chastity" she has instituted among her clergy. But look at the fruits of her trees now with all the court litigations on those horrendous pedophile cases that are still pending...

Peace be with you!

Answer 7

You're right. Some associate it with sex. But I haven't a clue as to why. Sounds Catholic to me. (Sin is always sexual in Catholicism)

Anyhow, sex wasn't the sin. It was disobedience. Perhaps some get it confused because God knew of their sin by the fact that they had lost their innocence and were suddenly aware of and embarassed by their sexual differences. Being ashamed to be naked was the sign of their sin.

But it's unlikely that, embarrased as they were, they had even tried sex yet. Obviously they were really trying to hide it from each other.

Answer 8

it is not sex
God commanded them to "be fruitful and multiplty.... fill the earth".
It was not a sin to do what God commanded.
The sin was disobedience. God commanded not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and bad.
Adam and Eve had the choice to obey and live, or disobey and die.
The fruit was not actually what caused death, it was the act of eating the fruit that caused their death.
Also note: the did not actually have sex until after they had eaten the fruit.
It is an easy story to follow. Gen. Chpt.s 1-3, should cover it .

Answer 9

Yes, original is was Adam and Eve's direct disobedience to God by eating the forbidden fruit.
Perhaps you are thinking of the phrase "that you are steeping in sin from your mother's womb."
We are all born with the blood disease that Adam gave us, the fallen man prone more to ungodly behavior then toward good.

Answer 10

No you have it mixed up.

We are all born under sin because of the sin of Adam and Eve. It is like a family curse type of sin.

Sex is for reproductive reasons and should only be done with your husband or wife because you combine your bodies.

When you have "sexual partners" they become your husband because your body was shared and you became one. ( Just like the woman in the bible who had 5 husbands even though she said she was living with a man. It means she's slept with 5 men.)

Answer 11

You are correct. The original sin had nothing to do with sex, as God commanded them to "become fruitful and become many". The original sin started when Adam and Eve chose to listen to thier desires to become totally independent of God, edged on by the devil. All it took was one tiny act to break that bond and satisfy thier desires, by eating the fruit God forbidded them to eat. They could've eated any fruit in the world, but they had to choose that tree-the knowledge of good and bad.