What is Original Sin?

Suppose there were no original sin would that have made the bible a story of love; ending with 'and they all lived happily ever after'?

• The sin of Adam In traditional Christian teaching, original sin is the result of Adam and Eve's disobedience to God when they ate a forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Effects of original sin Original sin affects individuals by separating them from God, and bringing dissatisfaction and guilt into their lives. On a world scale, original sin explains such things as genocide, war, cruelty, exploitation and abuse, and the "presence and universality of sin in human history".

• Answer:

  Well yes. If Adam and Eve had not sinned then all of man would be living in a world free from all the bad things you mentioned. The Bible would not have been written cause there would have been no need for saving from the bad state mankind is in. Notice what GENESIS 1:28 says: "Further, God blessed them and God said to them: "Be fruitful and become many and fill the earth and subdue it, and have in subjection the fish of the sea and the flying creatures of the heavens and every living creature that is moving upon the earth." If Adam and Eve stayed obedient, all of man would be living as it was intended, even being at peace with all animals. But just because God's purpose for humans didn't carry out at that time , doesn't mean it was stopped completely. In chapter 3 of GENESIS we see where after Adam and Eve disobedience, God put in to play a solution for the descendants of Adam. The solution is found in GENESIS 3:15 which says: "And I shall put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed. He will bruise you in head and you will bruise him in the heel." This is God speaking to Satan after his deception of Eve. The seed mentioned, to bruise Satan in the head, represents Jesus, who was bruised in the heel (died for our sins). The benefit of such a sacrifice by Jesus is mentioned at JOHN 3:16 which helps us to appreciate that if we exercise faith in Jesus sacrifice we can gain everlasting life. 1 CORINTHIANS 15:22 also says: "For just as in Adam all are dying, so also in the Christ all will be made alive." So although from the standpoint of all the world conditions it seems as if God purpose was shutdown, the Bible helps us to see that is not the case. His purpose will eventually be fulfilled. The reason it hasn't now can be found in 2 PETER 3:9 which says: "Jehovah is not slow respecting his promise, as some people consider slowness, but he is patient with you because he does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance." God does not want any to be destroyed which is why we have his word the Bible. To read and apply what we learn on forgiveness and kindness, self control and many other qualities as well as examples of individuals who walked with God and those who opposed him. God gave us the Bible because he will see his purpose for faithful mankind fulfilled and he wants us to draw from past examples of his power to be able to have confidence in his ability to do so. Remember he created everything around us including us. Psalms 37:9-11,29 tells us of his purpose for our life on earth, to live happily forever..period. For more information on God, his Son Jesus, or what God's name is visit http://www.watchtower.org