No offence intended; it's just that as a concept, it's totally alien to my own faith, Judaism. Just am interested to know how people who are not Christians view the idea of 'original sin'.
And please: no quoting the bible!
Thanks for your time in answering :)
2007-12-19 23:35:04 · 26 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
A2Z - so then Judaism and Islam have that in common, because we also believe everyone is born an innocent :) Happy Eid!
2007-12-19 23:42:11 · update #1
FUNCUSED - re-read the post, I referred to ORIGINAL sin.
2007-12-20 01:32:01 · update #2
Beware belief systems that make simply being human "evil".
2007-12-20 00:05:23 · answer #1 · answered by American Spirit 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
It's not a matter of absolution. It's a matter of damage. My dad helped clean up Hiroshima after the bomb was dropped. (He was in the Navy.) Back then, the dangers of radiation exposure weren't understood. It's possible; even probable that my body has been affected in some way by his exposure to radiation. Is that fair? No. It's just the way it is. Each of us chooses individually to submit to sin, but we really can't resist it in that we have a sin nature. We sin because we are sinners. If we were capable of living holy lives within ourselves, there would have been no reason for Jesus to die for the sins of the world. Something bad happened. God came to fix it. If you don't want the fix, that's your choice, but don't go whining about things not being fair.
2016-05-25 03:52:03 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
This has been the subject of some debate in Catholicism, particularly with regard to the concept of Limbo, a place or state for innocents who have died before baptism. The fact that they are not punished as such is clear evidence that the Catholic church certainly differentiated between the concept of original sin and sinful acts. Original sin is therefore more an acknowledgement of man's inherent capacity for evil and of his distinction from those immaculately conceived, namely the Christ himself and his Blessed Mother.
The adoption of such a position of humility is hardly "unfair".
2007-12-20 00:23:42 · answer #3 · answered by des c 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
A2Z, I thoroughly agree with what you said. People will sin. When I read between the lines, I derived that Eve repented and not Adam. (Jews and Muslems gotta disagree, you know), but the concept of the path to forgiveness is taught there.
I won't quote the Tanach where G-d tells Cain to improve himself and he will be ok.
Shalom,
Gershon
2007-12-19 23:45:57 · answer #4 · answered by Gershon b 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
The bible is a series of teachings which unfortunately people seem to take as actual historical truth. The story of original sin I think is meant to instill a sense of fear of God, to scare Early Christians in to following his laws and rules. It manifests his wrath and anger well and makes clear his way of judging and his punishment.
It is just unfortunate as a book of teaching that God has a complete personality change in the new testament, and completely resets the rules.
2007-12-19 23:45:17 · answer #5 · answered by Birdie2006 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Nice to see a few Jewish prospectives here! I never have understood this concept and have asked my Christian friends to explain it to me. (as far as justification of it, not the idea itself) I personally don't want to be held responsible for someone else's actions that took place thousands of years ago! To me, it seems like another way to keep the sheep with the flock. No offense, of course.
2007-12-20 00:25:05 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Which original sin? Do you mean when adam and eve ate the forbidden fruit? It isnt unfair... Imagine giving adam and eve everything they want to eat and just forbidding them to eat one fruit still they did it.. A very simple and easy commanndment yet was disobeyed. I supposed that God is setting an example here for all of us to know. That we must obey commandments that was given to us. And this example sets us to civilization and because of the original sin sometimes you see people so uncivilized that they kill each other.
2007-12-20 00:01:03 · answer #7 · answered by mandala_04 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The god that holds me accountable for anyone else's wrongdoing isn't god; rather it's a vain imagining. The genesis myth deserves a spiritual understanding rather than literal. Literally understanding that which is meant to be spiritual sucks the life out of it, is nothing more than gross materialism, and destroys any chance of an inner message being understood.
Literal, concrete understanding of holy texts requires no insight, no use of the inner vision, is a veil covering the spiritual eyes. Literal interpretation of holy texts is an insult to all that is eternal and spiritual. Literal interpretation is a veil enshrouding the inner vision. The veil of idle imaginings, literal interpretation must be burned away with the fire of the love of truth.
"Dost thou consider thyself only a puny form when within thee the universe is enfolded?"
~ Baha'u'llah
2007-12-19 23:39:18 · answer #8 · answered by jaicee 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Being a Christian it took a minute to understand this concept my self. But it was explained to me like this. We are descendants of Adam, we inherited it genetically like we inherited eye color aND such. That is why it is considered being "born again" when we choose to identify with Christ, who is the 2nd Adam and are washed clean of this sin as well as or own. We chose to identify with the spiritual being not the worldly one.
2007-12-19 23:48:32 · answer #9 · answered by Connie D 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Not only is it unfair, it's utterly ridiculous!
Imagine being sent to jail for something your great-great-great-great ancestor did?
No, and no reasonable person can either...
Hey horton, if the clay could talk, and the potter were real, yes, they not only would, but should say so!
2007-12-19 23:40:37 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋