Why are we held responsible for Original Sin?

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From what I understand, Adam’s & Eve’s disobedience of God alone was the sin, and the vehicle by which sin entered the world. Even if that is so, why then are we all born with the stain of Original Sin?

Perhaps this might be a rather pedestrian way of looking at it, but if God does not now hold me responsible for a stranger’s sin, why are we ALL held accountable for what our ancestors did?

I could even understand banishment from the Garden of Eden for all subsequent generations, since the world became forever altered by the introduction of sin.

Nevertheless, it does not seem fair that we must all be cleansed from Original Sin at baptism since none of us had anything to do with it.

Does anyone know the explanation for this?
 
without too much forethought, here’s what i hypothesized… critique me! lol

If you think about it, we are all living in community. We are all the body of Christ. We are all the children of God. So in a sense, we are responsible for the actions of others.

The fact that we are descendants of Adam and Eve and contain their genetic DNA and the fact that we are literally made out of their body and mind, their sinful body and mind, we too are conceived with that same sinful body and mind.

Anyways, wish i could expand, it’s late. I hope this gives something to chew on. Goodnight and God bless!
 
Consider: The very nature of the earth and all that lives on it was changed when sin entered the world though the first disobedience. The nature of all that exists was altered forever. Entropy had its genesis. Not only death, but decomposition also entered the world. It was a huge, irrevocable, monumental change. Adam and Eve were changed in their very substance. From perfect, ageless beings, they now experienced sickness and the degeneration of the aging process. Their DNA, in effect, was altered by sin. As we know now from genetic studies, each and every trait is passed on through the complexity of DNA. Since we are all derived from this original, forever altered DNA via the blood, we share in the failed nature of that blood. We are, in essence, born defective through the first sin. Let us be thankful that our Lord introduced Baptism to cleanse us of the inherited sin. Even so, with original sin cleansed, we still suffer from the fallen nature which we inherited, and thus, the need for a redeemer. Just as Adam and Eve were ejected form the garden for their disobedience, so we are also excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven - save for Christ’s redemptive suffering on the cross. Nevertheless, we remain as free to exercise the use of our wills as Adam and Eve were.
 
Hi guys

I was actually thinking about this on the train today so I think it would be good for a first post. Now I haven’t decided for myself whether or not I believe there were two actual people named Adam and Eve from which we are all descended but my argument doesn’t rely on that interpretation.
As scripture says Adam and Eve ate the fruit for the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and buy doing so became capable of sin. Whether this is or isn’t a metaphor is not relevant to my point because one way or another the first man (or men) chose to become capable of disobeying God and sinning. This choice to become capable of sin is a sin itself, indeed the first sin, and by inheriting the capacity to sin we inherit the sin of that choice.
I know this probably isn’t a knock-out argument but I think it’s a step in the right direction and I hope it’s helpful.

God Bless
 
It’s not so much that God holds us responsible for Original Sin as simply that we suffer some very unfortunate consequences of it.

Think of it like this - say my great-grandfather is a chronic alcoholic. As a result his child, my grandfather, grows up scarred by a pathological hatred of drink.

Granddad bangs on so much about the evils of the bottle and how even one sip is gonna send you to hell that his child, my mother, who never knew great-granddad or the reasons behind her father’s attitude to alcohol, thinks alcohol can’t be all that bad, starts drinking and consequently becomes alcoholic herself.

As a result her child, myself, grows up scarred by etc etc etc.

I’m not responsible for the original decisions of my great-granddad that led to his abuse of alcohol, but I certainly am forever affected deeply by the fact that he did so. And will probably seriously affect my own children in turn in one way or another.
 
My understanding of it was that odiginal sin exists inside ourselves in the form of those weaknesses and temptations that we succumb to. Original Sin manifests itself in us in the sins we go on to commit.
 
Eastern Catholicism looks upon original sin more as a loss of grace. IOW, Adam & Eve were originally full of grace (just as the BVM.) By their sin, that grace was lost. However God in his mercy, had a plan that would restore that grace. The Latin Church looks upon original sin more as a state of being that is hereditary. Again, God had a plan that would redeem His disinherited children. Both viewpoints are complementary and correct. So the truth is NOT that we are responsible for original sin, nor does God hold us responsible. However, God’s justice is perfect, and so there ARE consequences that must be dealt with. It must ever be borne in mind how the fallen Angels were judged and condemned. But our frailty won us God’s mercy. It is something to be thankful for. To see original sin as some sort of unfair arbitrary decision of God is to demonstrate how severely we remain in sin’s grasp.
 
Well. As always. . Enter the CCC:

The consequences of Adam’s sin for humanity

402 All men are implicated in Adam’s sin, as St. Paul affirms: “By one man’s disobedience many (that is, all men) were made sinners”: "sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned."289 The Apostle contrasts the universality of sin and death with the universality of salvation in Christ. "Then as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all men."290

403 Following St. Paul, the Church has always taught that the overwhelming misery which oppresses men and their inclination towards evil and death cannot be understood apart from their connection with Adam’s sin and the fact that he has transmitted to us a sin with which we are all born afflicted, a sin which is the “death of the soul”.291 Because of this certainty of faith, the Church baptizes for the remission of sins even tiny infants who have not committed personal sin.292

404 How did the sin of Adam become the sin of all his descendants? The whole human race is in Adam “as one body of one man”.293 By this “unity of the human race” all men are implicated in Adam’s sin, as all are implicated in Christ’s justice. Still, the transmission of original sin is a mystery that we cannot fully understand. But we do know by Revelation that Adam had received original holiness and justice not for himself alone, but for all human nature. By yielding to the tempter, Adam and Eve committed a personal sin, but this sin affected the human nature that they would then transmit in a fallen state.294 It is a sin which will be transmitted by propagation to all mankind, that is, by the transmission of a human nature deprived of original holiness and justice. And that is why original sin is called “sin” only in an analogical sense: it is a sin “contracted” and not “committed” - a state and not an act.

405 Although it is proper to each individual,295 original sin does not have the character of a personal fault in any of Adam’s descendants. It is a deprivation of original holiness and justice, but human nature has not been totally corrupted: it is wounded in the natural powers proper to it, subject to ignorance, suffering and the dominion of death, and inclined to sin - an inclination to evil that is called concupiscence". Baptism, by imparting the life of Christ’s grace, erases original sin and turns a man back towards God, but the consequences for nature, weakened and inclined to evil, persist in man and summon him to spiritual battle.

406 The Church’s teaching on the transmission of original sin was articulated more precisely in the fifth century, especially under the impulse of St. Augustine’s reflections against Pelagianism, and in the sixteenth century, in opposition to the Protestant Reformation. Pelagius held that man could, by the natural power of free will and without the necessary help of God’s grace, lead a morally good life; he thus reduced the influence of Adam’s fault to bad example. The first Protestant reformers, on the contrary, taught that original sin has radically perverted man and destroyed his freedom; they identified the sin inherited by each man with the tendency to evil (concupiscentia), which would be insurmountable. The Church pronounced on the meaning of the data of Revelation on original sin especially at the second Council of Orange (529)296 and at the Council of Trent (1546).297
 
It is my humble opinion that people should look to the source of the Catholic teaching on Original Sin. Here it is.

Basic Catholic teaching regarding Adam and Original Sin and You and Me

is found in the
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition, ISBN: 1-57455-109-4
Paragraphs 355-421.

The good news of Jesus Christ follows in Paragraph 422, etc.

One can put the word paragraph and its number in the Catechism’s search bar in link www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm
Entering topics, like Adam, is also very useful.

When you enter a paragraph number, like “paragraph 355”, and then click on the opening line, CCC Search Result - Paragraph # 355 you will see the following under the paragraph:

»
»
»
»

-------I just saw post 8. However, in my humble opinion, in order to understand the Catholic teaching on Original Sin, one should begin at the beginning which is the real Adam and follow through to the consequences which is one dang battle.

Blessings,
granny

Our first parent Adam was the apple of God’s eye.
(example of reality and figurative language)
 
**PART 1
**
We are not hold “responsible”, we are just suffering the consequences of Adam’s sin. By this I mean that we are not responsible for his sin, but we suffer the consequences of his sin together with him.

Why? Because Adam represented all mankind. He represented me and you. When he sinned we all sinned with him. When he failed we all failed with him. And since he represented us the consequences of his failure are upon us. We support the consequences of his sin even though we didn’t sin ourselves and as another consequence we also follow him in his sin.

There is a very good imagery of this in the Bible. It’s about David and Goliath. I will really take time to explain this since it is very important. “Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Socoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them.” (1 Samuel 17:1-3)
And then Goliath came representing all the Philistines and challenged the Isaelites to choose a representative and make him fight for them:"A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall. He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him. Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us**.**” Then the Philistine said, *“This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.”
*As you see above, he represented the Philistine army. He challenged the Israelites to pick a representative and have him fight him. Now this is very important. If Goliath was going to win, the Israelites were going to become servants of the Philistines. If David would win, the Philistines would become Israel’s servants. Remember this.

Now they pick David and the fight beings. David wins. And then:“When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp.” (1 Samuel 17:51-53)
Now this is important too. When David won Israel began chasing the Philistines and you can read the rest above or in your Bible.

Now what do I want to say with this? To being with, this can be looked upon as an allegory for Adam and us, and Christ and us.

We have a representative, just like the Philistines had Goliath and the Israelites had David. Our first representative was Adam. As you see above, when David won the whole Israelite army won shouting with joy. When Goliath lost all the Philistines lost. And so is with us: when Adam failed we failed as well. And when Jesus won we also won just like when David, the Israelite’s representative won, all Israel won.

He, Adam, represented us. We were in him, one with him. When he sinned the consequences of his sin fell upon us, just like the consequences of Goliath’s failure fell upon all the Philistines and the consequences of Jesus’ victory are upon us as well. All men have to work hard for their food, not just Adam. All women give birth with pain, not just Eve. All of us are slaves of sin, not just our first parents.

We follow Adam in his defeat and sin just like the Philistines followed Goliath in his defeat. We will also sin as well, after having suffered the consequences of sin. A baby suffers the consequences of sin and will sin as well when he grows older. The consequences of Adam’s sin are upon our heads and we soon follow him in his sin just like the consequences of Jesus’ victory are upon us even though we didn’t actually fight and win ourselves and we soon follow Him in His works and victory. We have the consequences of His actions upon us (forgiveness of sins, power over sin, the power of being resurrected, etc.) even though we didn’t do them ourselves and we also follow Him in His works (e.g.: He died for us and so do we die for others) just like we followed Adam in his sins.

I hope I explained myself well enough. Adam represented all of us. We were in Adam or one with Adam. When he sinned the consequences of his sin fell upon all of us since he represented us, just like the Philistines had the consequences of Goliath’s defeat upon their heads even though actually they didn’t fight, but Goliath represented them and when he fought and lost, all of them lost. And we were also one with Christ.

And so is with us as I said already so many times. Adam represented us and even though we didn’t sin ourselves we share the consequences of his sin just like even though we didn’t follow Christ in His works yet we share the consequences of them and we will do them as well soon. In case I didn’t explain well enough, I ask another person who reads this to explain it in more detail.
 
PART 2

You may say that it is unjust because you didn’t choose Adam as a ‘representative’, but it would also be unjust for Christ to be our representative as well, for is is written: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) And not while we were still sinners, but even yet unborn. But … even if it would be unjust it becomes balanced, it is made just when God sends Christ. Paul says: “Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.” (Romans 5:18) If is unjust that for one trespass many to be condemned (even though I don’t see it as unjust, since Adam was our ‘head’, our representative; and when the head does something wrong the whole body suffers) then it is made just (i.e.: equal, right, balanced, etc.) when by one act of righteousness (Christ) many are forgiven and given life.

If I left something out, I ask another person to complete this explanation of mine.

I for one find this to be quite a reasonable explanation and one that makes sense, in my humble opinion.

Blessings. 🙂
 
The difference between Adam’s sin and our sin is that Original Sin is called “sin” in an analogical sense. It is a contracted sin, i.e. it is a state which human nature inherited through the transmission of human nature from the first, two sole parents through all their direct descendents to you and me.

Please read the Catechism references in post 8. Posts 10 and 11 are also good.

Blessings,
granny

Genesis 1: 26-31
 
A good friend gave me this analogy (from Aquinas I think).

If you stood to inherit a fortune from someone, and you did something to break the relationship, that person could legitimately dis-inherit you. You could have no real gripe about it since that money was not yours. It would have been a freely given gift, but will not be given to you. (You can kick yourself I suppose.)

So now you die, your children would have inherited that money from you but since YOU never got it, they never will. How can the children be mad at the giver that they didn’t receive an inheritance that their parent never received in the first place?

In the same way, our first parents did not inherit that particular grace that God could have given them, so we will not inherit it.

However God is so generous (but not stupid) that he has made a NEW way which allows us to form our own relationship with him and through trial and hardship perhaps, allows us to re-establish that adoption relationship. In a different way than was originally intended, we can also inherit!

What a wonderful, generous God! All praise to Him!
 
based on Genesis 3 the consequences are enviromental.
based on Eze 18 we are not responsible for Adam’s sin
based on Romans 3, 6 we all activily sin ourselves.
 
Original sin is a defect in the way our soul has existence. It is corrected By baptism, but the effect on our human nature remains. We remain prone to sin. The grace received in Baptism contains gifts from the Holy Spirit that help us to counteract those negative effects of our human nature and which also make it possible for us as humans to have a real ability to share to some extent in the life of the trinity, in the divine nature of God. Without it we could never be in the presence of God in heaven after our death.
 
Big_Dummy said:
based on Genesis 3 the consequences are enviromental.
based on Eze 18 we are not responsible for Adam’s sin
based on Romans 3, 6 we all activily sin ourselves.
Click to expand...
What passage(s) from Gen 3 and Eze 18 are you referring to?

Rom 3:6 says
6Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? 7Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?” 8Why not say—as we are being slanderously reported as saying and as some claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is deserved

You lost me :confused:
 
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