Original Sin

Original Sin in which all human beings are born, is the state of deprivation of original holiness and justice. It is a sin "contracted" by us not "committed"; it is a state of birth and not a personal act. Because of the original unity of all human beings, it is transmitted to the descendants of Adam "not by imitation, but by propagation." The effects of Original Sin are that we are subject to 1)ignorance, 2)suffering, 3) death, and 4) concupiscence. Concupiscence is simply the inclination or tendency to sin.

Most contemporary theologians question the belief that Original Sin is simply a sinful act of "the first man" or is the collective guilt for the sin of one person. However, they do not go so far as to reject the idea of original sin either. Original Sin is more of a history that we are born into and the way in which human history has unfolded. In the twentieth century alone think of World Wars I and II (approximately 70 million people were killed); The Holocaust, Mao's regime in China, Stalin, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, segregation and racism, etc. In other words, we are born into a human history that precedes us. We inherit this history in some way; we have inherited disordered relationships, violence, conflicts, sexism, etc. And whether we are willing to admit it or not, we participate in this sinfulness. We are born into a milieu that has destruction, aggression, racism, and injustice. Because we are historical creatures, we inherit the gritty reality of this history and we are inclined towards selfishness. Now, re-read the definition of original sin: "it is a sin 'contracted' by us not 'committed'; it is a state of birth and not a personal act."