Christianity Questions thread

roosh

Having a basic understanding of a lot of the elements of christianity, but was hoping to get a better understanding of a few things, so thought this would be a good place to ask a few questions.

Many of the questions might be fairly basic, so forgive me for that.

Obviously it is meant as a thread where anyone with questions can post them.

Just a quick one to start off. With regard to the concept of original sin in Christianity, is it said/believed that people are born with original sin, or that they are born into original sin?

Fanny Cradock

I'm not sure we need a thread that is supposed to be doing the same job as an entire forum.

Anyway, with regards to your question it really depends on who is answering. I would think that sin makes sense if it is viewed as a concious thought, action or choice that stands over against divine will, rather than an evil we are born with. Matt 19:14 is suggestive that sin is something we fall into.

roosh

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

I'm not sure we need a thread that is supposed to be doing the same job as an entire forum.

Anyway, with regards to your question it really depends on who is answering. I would think that sin makes sense if it is viewed as a concious thought, action or choice that stands over against divine will, rather than an evil we are born with. Matt 19:14 is suggestive that sin is something we fall into.

cheers for the reply, and apologies if the thread is somewhat superfluous. I just find, that from time to time, I find myself with certain basic questions, and thought that it might be better to stick them all in one thread, rather than starting a new thread for each one.

Does the reply above cover original sin, or just sin in general, or where does the concept of original sin come from?

smurfhousing

The relevant section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p1s2c1p7.htm

IN BRIEF

413 "God did not make death, and he does not delight in the death of the living. . . It was through the devil's envy that death entered the world" (Wis 1:13; 2:24).

414 Satan or the devil and the other demons are fallen angels who have freely refused to serve God and his plan. Their choice against God is definitive. They try to associate man in their revolt against God.

415 "Although set by God in a state of rectitude man, enticed by the evil one, abused his freedom at the very start of history. He lifted himself up against God, and sought to attain his goal apart from him" (GS 13 § 1).

416 By his sin Adam, as the first man, lost the original holiness and justice he had received from God, not only for himself but for all human beings.

417 Adam and Eve transmitted to their descendants human nature wounded by their own first sin and hence deprived of original holiness and justice; this deprivation is called "original sin".

418 As a result of original sin, human nature is weakened in its powers, subject to ignorance, suffering and the domination of death, and inclined to sin (this inclination is called "concupiscence").

419 "We therefore hold, with the Council of Trent, that original sin is transmitted with human nature, "by propagation, not by imitation" and that it is. . . 'proper to each'" (Paul VI, CPG § 16).

420 The victory that Christ won over sin has given us greater blessings than those which sin had taken from us: "where sin increased, grace abounded all the more" (Rom 5:20).

421 Christians believe that "the world has been established and kept in being by the Creator's love; has fallen into slavery to sin but has been set free by Christ, crucified and risen to break the power of the evil one. . ." (GS 2 § 2).

roosh

smurfhousing wrote: »

The relevant section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p1s2c1p7.htm

Cheers for that.

does #419 suggest, that the Council of Trent decided that original sin was something we are born with, as opposed to something we are born into i.e., we are born with it, rather than we learn it?

smurfhousing

mangaroosh wrote: »

Cheers for that.

does #419 suggest, that the Council of Trent decided that original sin was something we are born with, as opposed to something we are born into i.e., we are born with it, rather than we learn it?

Yeah we are born with it, rather than learning it by bad example. It is a deprivation of the Sanctifying Grace, or life, of God, as well as the inclination towards evil, called concupiscence.

The Council of Trent reaffirmed the traditional Christian teaching on original sin.