Comments on: Original Sin and Individuation

By: Paul

Paul — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 11:04:26 +0000

You finish with the statement, “it is our … responsibility to evaluate at all times the status quo and attempt to determine where and when change would be appropriate and desirable in order to further our healthy and whole life.”

Note the assertion of “responsibility”: you are asserting a moral imperative, an “ought.” Is yours a temporary imperative, or is it permanently true? You assert it as if it were permanent: as if furthering a healthy and whole life” were a permanent criterion for what is moral.

But by asserting that the content — and not just the interpretation — of moral principles changes over time, you make it impossible to assert moral imperative with certainty. This is a problem in all relativism: relativists can never assert, as permanently true, that relativism is true.

P.S.: Though the Catholic Church claims the ability to speak infallibly on “matters of faith and morals,” it has never made an infallible declaration on morals. Consider, for example, these statements: “It does not seem that any moral truth has actually been defined as a dogma.” “I agree … in denying that popes have defined dogmas … in their teaching concerning moral matters.” (Quoted from: Sullivan, Francis A. . New York: Paulist, 1996. Pp. 81 and 83 respectively.)

By: Rajan D

Rajan D — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 05:40:41 +0000

I agree with Tom’s comments.
Further to his… one should notice that Orthodox Christianity along with New Testament writers advocates for a sin free/ uncondemned/ abundance life which is also called and promised for a ‘New Life’
Paul writes “therefore no condemnation … for those who are in Christ Jesus…”
However, we inherit within us the nature to transgress and fall a short. Further Paul also expressed that there is a thing that make him to do what he wouldn’t like to do against his personal will. Therefore, we need some help from above or form within us or from someone else to live a better life.

By: Tom Heroldt

Tom Heroldt — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:40:48 +0000

Rainer makes some interesting points, but misses the most important cure for our sin and feelings of guilt and shame. That is the one who died on the cross for the sin of Adam, that is Jesus Christ. Shame and Guilt need not be part of our orginal sin any more. Once we confess our sins to God and accept Christ as our savior the guilt of original sin is washed away in His blood. Will we continue to live sinful lives? Yes. That is because of our humanity. Yet having Christ as our model we can attempt to achieve his way of life. Our guilt and shame come from not our original sin but our current sin.