What are your thoughts about original sin?

One must love these people who make these claims that the Old Testament says nothing on the topic . . . people who don't know the Bible, don't like the Bible, and are so disturbed by the Bible that they lie about it at every chance. It's really very simple. "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden" (Genesis 3:6-8). There's the first two humans sinning, realizing they'd sinned, and trying some personal religion to cover that sin (and failing at it.) That has been humans ever since. More to your point, THEY'RE OUR PARENTS and what they have, we have: knowledge of good and evil combined with a tendency to choose the evil. Why do you think God wouldn't let them near the Tree of Life? They'd be stuck like that forever (so would we.)

I'm Jewish by birth and went to Hebrew school and was bar mitzvah'd. I don't claim to be a scholar or even religious but I do know that our scriptures are your Hold Testament and I never heard of original sin. It's not there. It's another foolish concoction by the early Catholics who continued the process of twisting early Christianity into a pagan religion.

Interesting question. Adam and Eve were given very simple but important guidelines in a world were they had great freedom. They sinned and so they brought sin into the world. From them we inherited that sin the concupiscence, the tendency to sin. We are not in "hock" to God, we are dependent on Him for our salvation and it is always there for us. We just need to turn to Him.

The Old Testament mentions nothing about a supposed universal sin transmitted to the entire human race through heredity. Neither do any of the books contained in the New Testament. It is simply not there. This doctrine of "original sin" has its origins in pagan religion, and was introduced to the Catholic Church in the second century AD by Catholic writer Irenaeus. Augustine (November 13, 354 – August 28, 430), who was bishop of Hippo Regius (Algeria), before his conversion to Catholicism from Manichaean. He later cemented the doctrine into Catholic dogma. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “Manichaeism is a religion founded by the Persian Mani in the latter half of the third century AD. It purported to be the true synthesis of all the religious systems then known, and actually consisted of Zoroastrian, Dualism, Babylonian folklore and Buddhist ethics and some small and superficial, additions of Christian elements. As the theory of two eternal principles, good and evil, is predominant in this fusion of ideas and gives color to the whole, Manichaeism is classified as a form of religious Dualism.” This pagan religion influenced Augustine in his formulation of the original sin doctrine. The original sin doctrine is simply a fiction of men! It essentially teaches that Adam, not us individually, is really responsible for our sin. Romans 3:23 clearly states, “For all [not just Adam!] have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

I like INXS :)

Let's see.

If you place your trust in God and have LOVE there's no need for the process of repenting and being forgiven. That's my point. All the best. Walk in the Light!

Thank you but I will probably continue trying to follow Jesus' command of love God and love others and repent and be forgiven. :)

If you have Love in your heart for the Divine Presence and compassion for your fellow man/woman, that's all you need. Put away the negative thoughts of fault finding with oneself and others. Wear the "Robe of Love" and enter the Father's House with joy. As I said, to dwell on negative aspects only weakens your energies. "He who seeks to save himself alone May find the path but will not reach the goal But he who loves may wander far Yet God will bring him where the Blessed are."