Original sin east and west?

[Mara]

I was hoping we could get a discussion going about the different ways the East and West approach the topic of original sin -

Thanks and Blessings!

 

[HeDa]

Start with searching for what has already been written in the forum. I have read several in the past six months.

 

[pacloc]

I think that today, the RCC has moved toward what the Orthodox Church believes about it and has dropped mention of personal guilt. The only subtle difference I see is that the RCC is a little more fear driven by it and think that an unbaptized infant can go to hell as Orthodox do not. Orthodox Christians are more positive about God’s providence and see original sin as a means for the betterment of mankind, as a training method. So having fore-knowledge of all things, God has created us in this state knowing that He also will forgive us our sins, He is only disciplining us with this state for our own good. The RCC tend to focus more on justice and punishment, which are really there, but I would say they are secondary to His Providence in which He longs to help us.

 

[Mara]

Thank you for your posts, both of you! I did look through the current threads and cant find any on this topic?

Paloc thanks for your answer - I see its from an Orthodox perspective…Im very interested in the eastern catholic (in communion with the west) view…which might be the same as orthodox, but Im just not sure!

Anyway - I am very drawn toward the orthodox (eastern?) understanding…despite being RC!

Many blessings

 

[ziapueblo]

I just posted this earlier on another thread:

In the Eastern Churches, we believe that man inherited from Adam only his liability to death and corruption, infants have no sin to remit. It is awareness of death that causes the development of disordered passions, which impel all men to sin.

Baptism represents new life in Christ. When immersed in the font, we descend into the tomb with Christ, and we share in his death, which is the death of the old man. Rising from the font, we are reborn in Christ, have put on Christ, and thus have access to the doors of immortality. Sins are remitted, only to the extent that the catechumen has actual sin to remit. Children, being blameless, do not have any sins to remit, but any sins an adult has committed, die along with the old man.

Hope that makes sense.

ZP

 

[Margaret_Ann]

I’m Ukrainian Greek Catholic but I think that the RCC has a point re original sin. Original sin is technically the deprivation of sanctifying grace. Adam & Eve were created perfect. God gave them His own divine life (sanctifying grace) as well as preternatural gifts of immortality, infused knowledge, passions being subject to the will etc. If Adam & Eve had not sinned, we would never need to learn, get sick, get old or die. St. Paul in Romans 7 writes about the conflict between the mind, the will and the passions.

Finally, I think it was GKC who said that original sin is the only part of theology that can be proved (apologies if I misquoted him).

 

[Arkansan]

It is a dogma of the faith that original sin is real, affects all men, and that unless it is remitted a person cannot enter into Heaven.

All Catholics are bound to believe that. Beyond what the Church requires, all Catholics are at liberty.

Within the realm of allowed opinions, it is irrational to base one’s views off of one’s own personal status (as a Latin or an Eastern Catholic), since what is objectively true is not dependent on one’s own characteristics.