Original Sin and or Original Guilt?
Augustine taught that babies inherit Adam’s guilt even before they sin—but this was based on a faulty Latin translation of Romans 5:12. So does that mean we aren’t born sinful? The doctrine of original sin was promulgated by Augustine (AD 354–430), who taught that we inherit guilt from Adam via our parents. He didn’t just say that we were born with a sinful urge (which everyone agrees with), but that we are already sinners when we are born before we have had a chance to sin by ourselves because we inherit the guilt of Adam’s sin . It is easy to confuse the doctrine of original sin with that of original sinfulness—that is, the teaching that all humans are born with the inclination and natural propensity to sin, so that all humans are sinners because of they all sin. Therefore, in order to save confusion, I’m going to refer to Augustine’s doctrine as the doctrine of “original guilt.” ADAM’S SIN Part of Augustine’s reasoning depended on the rather idea that Adam’s...