Since I'm neither a medical professional nor a parent, I've never had the opportunity to look into the eyes of a newborn human baby. I have seen and held very young infants as a social worker, but that's as close as I've ever come. In either instance, however, I simply can't fathom how someone could look upon this innocent little being and know they are already beset with evil.
Yet, this how a devout Christian looks at this new life because of the weird and bizarre doctrine of original sin. Because two fictitious characters -- Adam & Eve -- fell from grace, everyone of us is born flawed.
I'm sorry, but that seems like the doctrine of a crazy person! In order to sin (though I personally don't believe in that concept), a person must have the capability of making [bad] choices and newborns don't have that capability. As I understand it, we all pop out on autopilot. Breathing and securing some nourishment -- neither of which should be considered sinful -- are our sole priorities.
So what is it about newborns that we can affix as the first sin? Crying? Falling asleep when we'd rather them make gurgling sounds? Grasping at air? What?
Yet, this how a devout Christian looks at this new life because of the weird and bizarre doctrine of original sin. Because two fictitious characters -- Adam & Eve -- fell from grace, everyone of us is born flawed.
I'm sorry, but that seems like the doctrine of a crazy person! In order to sin (though I personally don't believe in that concept), a person must have the capability of making [bad] choices and newborns don't have that capability. As I understand it, we all pop out on autopilot. Breathing and securing some nourishment -- neither of which should be considered sinful -- are our sole priorities.
So what is it about newborns that we can affix as the first sin? Crying? Falling asleep when we'd rather them make gurgling sounds? Grasping at air? What?
Oddly enough. I feel almost the same way as Christians do.
ReplyDeleteI look at the baby and think, "Twenty more years and she'll have all the shortcomings of her mom and dad combined. Poor thing!"
Obviously, I don't ascribe the misfortune to a dark force in the sky, but I do see new life as somewhat doomed.
OK, if we accept your line of reasoning (some will, some won't), wouldn't you say the blemish then belongs to the parents and not the infant him/herself?
ReplyDeleteactually, Christians believe in something called an "age of acountability" where a person finally grasps the difference between good and evil. this "age" is different for every person.
ReplyDeleteWe do not believe that if a 5 month old baby were to die, he/she would go to hell. However, we do believe that once that person reaches their "age of acountability" they will begin to sin.
Those who attack the bible are stuck with the same sickness as those who defend it. This sickness is ignorance. Drop all opinions for or against and harmonize with the Great Tao that can't be spoken. This is called putting down the craving mind.
ReplyDeleteTye,
ReplyDeleteI grew up in the church and even was accepted to seminary at one point. I have never heard of the doctrine of "age of accountability". I don't think it's a universal concept within Christianity.
This leads me to wonder: Which branch of Christianity are you a member of?
The doctrine of Original Sin is actually not a doctrine, but an Augustinian theory. It is entirely based on St. Augustine and his mistranslating of the Greek New Testament into Latin, of a certain term. Basically, St. Augustine's Greek wasn't that good, and he misunderstood the text at that point, and what it was actually saying about Adam's sin, and how it could be blamed (or not blamed) on us.
ReplyDeleteFor the scholarly details, please go to "A Theology for the Church", by Daniel L. Akin, David P. Nelson, Peter R. Schemm, Jr. -- page 460, "The Key Passage: Romans 5:12-19".
Many Christians throughout the ages have found the "doctrine" of original sin to be absolutely daffy, implausible, defeatist, or downright offensive.
Eastern Christianity got the translation right, and they do not hold to the Western Christianity viewpoint that we are sinners, because of Adam. According to them, we live in a fallen world, but people born after Adam are not saddled with his sin.
One of the reasons doctrines like this keep chugging along is because many Christians have worse Greek (or no Greek at all) and rely exclusively on secondhand translations, never bothering to read the actual source material!
Hey everybody, I did some research about the "Age of Accountability" -- this comes from the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement Churches, including the Churches of Christ, Christian Churches, and the Disciples of Christ. These churches came out of the "Second Great Awakening" in America, from about 1790 - 1840.
ReplyDeleteFrom Wikipedia, under "Original sin" -- these Christian churches "...reject the notion of original sin, believing only in the sins for which men and women are personally responsible. Such churches do not object to the idea that Adam and Eve brought sin into the world by introducing disobedience. Disobedience influenced further generations in much the same way other ideas spread, thus making sin likely in any individual above "The Age of Accountability.""