The Doctrine Of The Original Sin Essay Sample

The doctrine of the original sin, that is sometimes referred to as the doctrine of the inherited sin is the explanation of the sin committed by Adam as understood in Christian circles. Augustine for instance, interprets the original sin through the account of the fall of Adam in the book of Genesis. He goes on to say that Adam was created good and given the freedom to choose to do what God had instructed him or go against it. That there were several contributing factors that led to this state among them the nature of the evil, the freedom of the will as well as the ability for the will to overcome sins. According to Augustine, after the sin that Adam committed, all human beings are born sinners, and this is passed from one generation to the other. When this is the case, no human being can overcome the said sin unless it is through Christ. It is through Adam that all has sinned and is punishable by death, and Eve is just part of the sin and her taint is passed down through the pain of child- birth.
The result of the original sin according to Augustine is that all human beings ended up sharing the results of the said sin which is death, and this is in solidarity with Adam because he is the father of the human race. As soon as a child is born they become part of the sin and have to carry that guilt all their lives. The disobedience of Adam was a choice, and he used his free will in arrogance and went against the commandments. According to Augustine, all human beings shared in the sin Adam committed and are guilty and, therefore, shared in his damnation. Human beings were created and placed in an immortality state, but sin made them immortal.
The original sin may have been derived from the story of Adam and Eve and their disobedience as recorded in the bible but these concepts are absent from the New Testament. Jesus did not speak about it but spoke of sin in totality and never singled out any sin. The only thing that believers know is the fact that the sin is only related to Adam and Eve and not the rest of humanity. But as bad as it may seem, humanity have to pay the price for that one act of disobedience. It is against this premise that human beings are expected to get baptized and get sanctified from their sins. The original sin may have been the mother of all sins because it is through it that man has to carry a guilty conscious. But through baptism immortal man can regain their mortal being if they believe and do as per the will of God.
In contrast to the views of the original sin, it is imperative that one looks at the whole issue of individual and not group judgment. Christianity teaches that God looks and judges every individual according to their deeds. One wonders why if individuality comes in at certain points, then why is the human race paying for the sins of their original parents. They ought to have carried their sins and guilty at their personal level. It is not a good idea that an innocent human being is paying for sins committed by someone else. The sin that Adam and Eve committed was personal and so shoul the guilt be personal. The human race should not be condemned, because of the mistakes of the original parents.