The Nature of Original Sin

[po18guy]

**** In another thread on the Immaculate Conception, the nature of original sin came up. It was postulated by a Christian brother that original sin is a state that can be overcome through dedication to God’s word - a struggle in other words, if I read it right. The conversation continues…

 

[rcjones]

**** In another thread on the Immaculate Conception, the nature of original sin came up. It was postulated by a Christian brother that original sin is a state that can be overcome through dedication to God’s word - a struggle in other words, if I read it right. The conversation continues…

I don’t know that I went that far. Original sin is an instinctive response to a world in entropy.

You can over come the instinct moment by moment, but we will be ‘unclean until the evening’, because it is an ‘instinctive response’… this means ‘without thinking’.

 

[po18guy]

I don’t know that I went that far. Original sin is an instinctive response to a world in entropy.

You can over come the instinct moment by moment, but we will be ‘unclean until the evening’, because it is an ‘instinctive response’… this means ‘without thinking’.

Sorry if my post was hyperbolic. My bad there. However, I see original sin as a state of being, inherited from our original ancestors, who fell from grace and sinned the first sin through their willful disobedience to God. I see it as overcome by the trinitarian baptism. However, our sinful nature remains, and that is what we battle, as did Saint Paul, for the rest of our lives.

 

[rcjones]

Sorry if my post was hyperbolic. My bad there.

No problem.

However, I see original sin as a state of being, inherited from our original ancestors, who fell from grace and sinned the first sin through their willful disobedience to God.

Same here. The state being one of degeneration in entropy.

I see it as overcome by the trinitarian baptism.

I see all sin being overcome by the cross. You probably do too, and are just expressing the sacrament as being the effectual sign of the removal of the consequence of original sin rather than the flesh nature itself.

However, our sinful nature remains, and that is what we battle, as did Saint Paul, for the rest of our lives.

Amen. We still have the instinctive nature which wants to put us first, rather than God and others.

I don’t think we are too different in our beliefs.

 

[po18guy]

I see all sin being overcome by the cross. You probably do too, and are just expressing the sacrament as being the effectual sign of the removal of the consequence of original sin rather than the flesh nature itself.

We are likely very close. But, there is an absolute requirement for baptism in the trinitarian formula, as that is one’s entry into the Body of Christ. It is the first thing that Paul asked for oncce he was converted and his eyes were opened (Acts 9:18). See Mark 16:16 and Matthew 28:19. Peter also says that baptism now saves you (1 Peter 3:21). I hope that you are baptized according to Matthew 28. Being Christian is not solely belief, but also a physical response to the words of Jesus.

 

[InternetWoman]

I think of original sin as “a spiritual birth defect” that we inherited from our original parents. Not a true sin for us, but our intellect, will and memory (the 3 parts of the soul) are damaged (as y’all have already said) and we have to make a continual effort to walk the Lord’s path.

It’s also like inheriting a car with a misaligned front end - you have to keep fighting the pull until you can get the car into the shop and get the alignment fixed. Our alignment will be corrected by our Lord when we see him on the day of judgment. Until then we have to fight the good fight.