What is the doctrine of the original sin and when did it become a part of Christianity?
Answer Hannah, Thank you for your question. The short answer is that it has ALWAYS been a part of Christianity. The Doctrine of Original Sin states that at creation, mankind was given a choice to love and serve God, or to reject him in favor of self. God is Love, and love must be free, so man was created free. In that freedom, he chose to be “like god, but without god”. In that primordial moment, the latter was chosen and it wrought devastation upon human nature and the world. This devastation is “original sin”, which is not actually a “sin” per se, but the consequences of that one, first sin which put man at odds with his Omni-benevolent Creator. For a longer but more thorough study, you might enjoy this passage from the Catechism of the Catholic Church: – – – – – “396 God created man in his image and established him in his friendship. A spiritual creature, man can live this friendship only in free submission to God. The prohibition against eating “of the tree of the knowledge of good
