According to scripture, Adam’s transgression gave birth to the concept of original sin, a doctrine adhered to by most Christian faiths:
“So then, just as sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all people because all sinned.” Romans 5:12
In the Christian faith, all people are born sinful and can only be saved by God through the rite of Baptism. Original sin is nothing that people do; rather, it is a sin that mankind has inherited because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God while in the Garden of Eden.
It is possible that original sin is nothing more than a misinterpretation of scripture. Romans 5:12 tells us that the concept of sin came into the world upon Adam’s disobedience to God, but nowhere does it state that the rest of mankind was destined to inherit his sin.
In fact, the idea of original sin was first introduced during the 2nd century fight against Gnosticism by Bishop Lyon Irenaeus. The idea then lay dormant for several centuries until it was revived by Augustine of Hippo in the 5th Century AD. The idea that original sin is an inherited sin was not welcomed by everyone. Augustine’s theory was eventually accepted by most of Western Christianity, and the effects of that can still be seen today.
Most Eastern Christian faiths reject, such as the Eastern Orthodox Church, continue to reject West’s notion of original sin. They believe the sins of our ancestors had a strong impact on mankind today, but reject the idea that all of humanity is responsible for Adam’s sin.
For most non-Christians, the whole premise of original sin is completely flawed. According to the Bible, evil was introduced into the world upon Adam’s sin. If that’s the case, then how was Adam to know that what he was about to do would cause evil? In legal terms, this would be deemed as a lack of mens rea, Latin for “guilty mind.” Without mens rea, or criminal intent, there is no crime.
It is difficult to believe that anyone would accept the idea that someone could be punished for a crime that someone else committed, a concept that would not fly in any other circumstances in modern society. And yet Christians believe that a loving God has forced that upon them.
The concept of original sin is also responsible for centuries of bias and violence against women, since it was Eve who tempted Adam, eventually causing him to bring this curse upon all of mankind.
The debate about original sin continues, with some camps claiming it is a basic tenet of Christianity and the others believing it is yet another case of blind faith gone awry.