Help with scripture passage . .

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Anima_Christi

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Could anyone explain to me this passage I came across in Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)? It almost seems to teach Pelagianism:
*Do not say, “Because of the Lord I left the right way”; for he will not do what he hates. Do not say, “It was he who led me astray”; for he has no need of a sinful man . . . It was he who created man in the beginning, and he left him in the power of his own inclination. If you will, you can keep the commandments, and to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice. *(Sirach 15:11, 12, 14, 15)
Doesn’t this go against the doctrine of Original Sin? What exactly does the Church teach about the nature of free will and Original Sin? Thanks.
 
Throw Eze 18 into the mix too. thanks

Does this translation help?

11 Don’t blame the Lord for your sin; the Lord does not cause what he hates. F34 R21 12 Don’t claim that he has misled you; he doesn’t need the help of sinners to accomplish his purposes. 13 The Lord hates evil in all its forms, and those who fear the Lord find nothing attractive in evil. 14 When, in the beginning, the Lord created human beings, he left them free to do as they wished. 15 If you want to, you can keep the Lord’s commands. You can decide whether you will be loyal to him or not. 16 He has placed fire and water before you; reach out and take whichever you want. 17 You have a choice between life and death; you will get whichever you choose. 18 The Lord’s wisdom and power are great and he sees everything. 19 He is aware of everything a person does, and he takes care of those who fear him. 20 He has never commanded anyone to be wicked or given anyone permission to sin.

bible.crosswalk.com/OnlineStudyBible/bible.cgi?word=sir+15&version=tev
 
This passage from Sirach speaks of free will.

It says a few things. First, it says that God is not the author of sin. We can’t blame Him for our sin. (cf. Trent decree on Justification canon 6).

Then it says we have free will. (cf. Trent decree on Justification canon 5).

Then it says that we can keep the commandments if we want. This is a good thing to do. It does not say we can be saved by doing this. We can, without Christ, keep the commandments. Doing so, however, does not merit salvation. (cf. Trent decree of Justification canons 1, 2, 7, 10, and 18).
 
Lazer - good Trent quoting!

Trent is my favorite council, bar none. I think I’m a tremendous Catholic-dork for having a favorite council, but the fact remains: it’s still my favorite. Oh, and here’s a link for those who want to read up on Trent. 😃

God Bless,
RyanL
 
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