Well, much to the chagrin of my biblicist commenters, I'm not going to start this series of reflections on Original Sin with the Bible, but with my own intuition. (Don't read too much into this. I will get to all of the questions that many of you have posted so far. And, to those funny, funny commenters who accuse me of starting my own religion-without-the-bible, just take a dep breath and see where we go with all of this.)
I remember some late-night dorm conversations in college in which a half-dozen of us would stay up debating the biggest ideas in the universe: the existence of God; the meaning of life; which fraternity to pledge.
One that took a great deal of our time was the question of whether human beings are
inherently good or inherently bad. It may sound like a philosophically silly question now, but it was all-consuming to us as 18-year-olds.Reared as a Protestant Christian, my answer was always the same: human beings are inherently bad, from birth. This answer was based on my notion of Original Sin, taught, as I described in my last post, as a matter of biblical fact in all of my various youth group experiences (church, Bible camp, YoungLife, Teens Encounter Christ).
But, I must admit, I always felt a bit uncomfortable with my own response. I really had nothing to base my "humans are bad" concept except what I'd been taught. Although I was surely aware of my own sin, I didn't really get the impression that I or anyone else was inherently evil. In fact, my experience was the contrary: I generally felt that people are good, kind, and generous.
Since then, I've become more uncomfortable with the notion that people are inherently bad, prideful, etc. I don't deny the reality of sin. But I do doubt that human beings are depraved from birth.
So, without quoting the Bible, what do you think? Are human beings predisposed to good or evil?
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It seems like many of the commenters decided to ignore the rules of engagement... the question is what is your basic intuition on the concept that we are born completely without the ability to do any good. I'll answer that my intuition and basic observation of human beings says absolutely. I won't scripture dump because I was requested not to.
It's rude to completely ignore the wishes of the poster and simply engage in the manner requested. Try being honest and answer the question AS PRESENTED... it's not difficult.
Umm...what's the point of our just putting in our opinions without referencing the Bible? Isn't the Bible supposed to be lay the ground rules for what we believe? If you or I believe man isn't sinful from birth, what does it matter unless what we believe is the same as what the Bible teaches?
Weak, buddy.
Well, this is a challenge, eh? I mean, I don't know exactly how to separate the messages that originate in my intuition from the ideas that originate elsewhere (mind/reason? heart/emotion? conscience? big toe?). Also, I guess I need a more clear definition of "good" and "evil." So, with the acknowledgment that the parameters of this post invoke a hopeless handicap:
My "intuition" says that people are born to pursue pleasure and self-preservation. My observation (which feeds my intuition) shows that, while most humans are capable of "selfless" acts, the general bent of humanity is towards destructiveness: we progressively destroy the environment, our relationships, and our own selves.
I hope this can be an acceptable response.
Oops. Didn't finish. So, my intuition tells me that destruction is evil. So I think/feel/sense/detect humans are born with a natural bent towards evil.
Thing is any "good" that people do without believing that Jesus Christ has died and rose from the dead is for selfish purposes.
Even though mother theresa did wonderful things... if she did not do them and believe Jesus Christ is the end all say all.... she did them with a delusion that doing good for HUMANITY made "her" a better person. If we are to live by the grace that jesus christ has for us we have to know that it is by HIS POWER, love, and sacrifice that we are made holy and acceptable.... anything else is actually some form of pride hidden from ourselves by ourselves (or outside influences) in order that we fall. WE cannot be humble unless or until we admit that WE DO NEED a savior. EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW
Then she did them out of "humanitarianism"; She believes humans can be holy and good apart from "PERFECT REDEMPTIVE SACRIFICE for SIN"
WHICH, case in point, would be sin in and of itself. It is Pride. It is being unable to be meek and humble and admit that you even have any pride to begin with.
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