Definition of Original Sin

The concept of original sin is part of the tradition Christianity and has a specific biblical origin and, as a result, consequences for men.

Its biblical sense

Original sin is that committed by Adam and Eve by eating the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, as recounted in the first of the books that make up the Bible, the Genesis. For having violated the mandate ordained by God, Adam was expelled from paradise and punished to earn a living with the sweat of his brow. As for Eva, she was punished to give birth in pain. It should be noted that the fact that Adam and Eve took the forbidden fruit was due to the fact that a serpent seduced Eve with her cunning to that he violated God's command, due to which the serpent was also punished by God by being forced to crawl through the dust.

Consequences of original sin in Christian culture

First, the biblical account reminds believers that temptations must be overcome (the serpent symbolizes the idea of ​​temptation). It must be remembered that the serpent manipulated Eve to convince Adam, for which the serpent told Eve that God was a tyrant and an oppressor who prevented the

Liberty human. In this sense, the Christian might have the idea that his religion of it implies a series of prohibitions that are not easy to respect (the Christian cannot be unfaithful to his spouse or behaving selfishly with others). Thus, the idea of ​​a god who forbids certain actions is an incorrect one for Christianity. interpretation of God's intention and a symbol of the presence of evil among men.

The fact that Adam was expelled from paradise symbolizes that the human being would no longer enjoy an idyllic situation. On the other hand, men would be forced to work with effort, an idea that is maintained in our days, since work is considered by some as an ordeal and a hardship. obligation painful.

Eva's punishment had implications for women, as they would be forced to give birth in pain and to serve their husband.

Original sin is interpreted by some non-Christian approaches as a psychological stone that prevents the authentic happiness of human beings

According to the Christian position, original sin reminds us that sin is not a reasonable option or a right, since sin is not desirable as it is not a good in itself. It must be taken into account that freedom for Christianity is the ability to choose the good and another interpretation of freedom would be typical of the debauchery (a misapplied and abusive freedom).

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Themes in Original Sin