Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: conan@jif.berkeley.edu Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: A Scary thought, but I bet I get flamed anyway...! Message-ID: Date: 2 Aug 89 01:33:55 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Math Dept., UC Berkeley Lines: 19 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article ka2czu@cbnewsh.att.com (robert.switzer) writes: > >[As far as I know, the Bible doesn't use the term "original sin" at >all. However it says various things that are summarized under that >doctrine. --clh] The doctrine of original sin is (to the best of my knowledge) neither biblical nor even apostolic in origin. It was first formulated by Augustine as a philosophical "category" to describe the ongoing effects of the Fall. [That depends upon what you mean by original sin. Augustine certainly did some philosophical work on the doctrine, and it would be going too far to say that the Bible teaches exactly what Augustine does. However take a look at I Cor 15:20 ff and Romans 5:12ff. Paul clearly had the idea that Adam's sin involved the rest of us in sin. Rom 5:18 seems to say that Adam's guilt actually applies to us. I think this is close enough to Augustine's idea to be termed "original sin". --clh]