tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27405843.post114771073442674229..comments2024-01-25T05:44:34.896+02:00Comments on God in a Shrinking Universe: Original SinPatrikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10237545786695465374noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27405843.post-65417191083472809732011-11-27T05:27:42.179+02:002011-11-27T05:27:42.179+02:00The concept of the "Original sin" is not...The concept of the "Original sin" is not original at all especially in the Eastern Orthodox church. <br />http://www.amazon.com/Ancestral-Sin-Comparative-Augustinian-Formulation/dp/0970730314/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322364101&sr=1-1<br /><br />"This book is not really about sin, but its result: death. Or more specifically, Romanides' thesis is that Western and Eastern Christendom gave very different answers to the question: Where did death come from? The West, he argues, thought death came from God. The East said it came from the free-will of the devil and man. The result was a fundamental break at nearly all levels of theology between West and East. <br /><br />So, for instance, in the West Satan became God's punishing agent, whereas the East saw him as the Evil One, the Enemy. In the West salvation became about escaping the wrath of God. In the East, it was about defeating sin, death, and the devil. In the West, the incarnation was ultimately about placating God's anger and justice. In the East, it was restoring corrupted human nature, and defeating death. The West encountered a problem understanding how faith and works could merit salvation. However, the East never questioned that salvation was completely unmerited because of God's unselfish and free love, and that we nonetheless needed to struggle ascetically for our own good, not to placate God, so as to overcome the parasitic sin reigning within us, and the demonic temptations attacking us from without. "Salahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10338558964972742880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27405843.post-5694875735503408062011-11-15T10:38:06.920+02:002011-11-15T10:38:06.920+02:00Original sin is unimaginable tragedy. The world wo...Original sin is unimaginable tragedy. The world would be better without it. Sin is not a part of the God's plan of creation. Without any sin Resurrection, forgiveness, martyrdom would be absent, but insults of God's Majesty and damnation also would be absent.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27405843.post-1150006971795012072006-06-11T09:22:00.000+03:002006-06-11T09:22:00.000+03:00Thanks for you comment Vynette... Did you read my ...Thanks for you comment Vynette... Did you read my post?Patrikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10237545786695465374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27405843.post-1148241757284706662006-05-21T23:02:00.000+03:002006-05-21T23:02:00.000+03:00Interesting post. I was taught that 'original sin...Interesting post. <BR/><BR/>I was taught that 'original sin' is the tendancy, and even the ability to sin, while sins are the acts themselves. I've always found that approach to the matter helpful, not depressing, because it gives you something to ascribe your own sinfulness to, especially when you find yourself sinning against your own will.<BR/><BR/>Thanks!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27405843.post-1148240109947008942006-05-21T22:35:00.000+03:002006-05-21T22:35:00.000+03:00Anyone who doubts we are born with "original sin" ...Anyone who doubts we are born with "original sin" has obviously not given birth to a child! I have four children as my proof of sin's existence. ;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27405843.post-1147841849025079602006-05-17T07:57:00.000+03:002006-05-17T07:57:00.000+03:00Well, I guess it is this kind of understanding of ...Well, I guess it is this kind of understanding of original sin I am trying to counter. First of all I don't think Augustine taught total depravity, not at all. His idea of humanity as a <I>massa perditiones</I> is not about the total deprivation of humanity, it is about how we as individuals don't start at zero and go from there. Original since gives us a bad start. <BR/><BR/>And really, it is not about excusing sin, it is about giving a balanced view of the situation we as humans stand in. <BR/><BR/>We must remember that the doctrine of humans as the image of God is of a higher order that the doctrine of original sin. And an image is not an image if it bares no resemblance with the original. The image has not been destroyed by sin, but distorted.Patrikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10237545786695465374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27405843.post-1147822487284585332006-05-17T02:34:00.000+03:002006-05-17T02:34:00.000+03:00Charles Finney would have freaked at the concept o...Charles Finney would have freaked at the concept of letting someone out of their personal responsibility with regards to the destuctive attitudes and actions they participated in. I believe the concept of original sin is one that spills into every other area of our theological paradigm. To many original sin follows us through total depravity. Augustine and Calvin's view of total depravity to not permit the will to be free to yield to the grace of God. The elect are overwhelmed by the saving grace, while others are not given this saving opportunity. I believe we all stand without excuse! We can not say to the Creator, if only you knocked me off my horse like you did Paul, then I would have let You have my heart. Interesting break down - but you give the impression that we are not as responsible for our sin as we might think. It reminds me a little bit of Billy Graham's presentation that we are all born with a disease called sin and Jesus is the remedy. The reality is that we are not victims of Adam's sin. We all have followed in his footsteps!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13017840554533842765noreply@blogger.com