Objection · Case 06 · Problem of Evil
Original sin, the idea that everyone inherits guilt from Adam, is unjust and isn’t in Genesis 3 at all. It’s Augustine’s reading of Romans 5.
One objection from the free evidence repository at apologetics.pro.
Response
Correct that Genesis 3 does not teach inherited guilt. Romans 5 says sin and death spread to all, and that all are guilty of Adam’s sin is one interpretation of Paul, the Augustinian one; Eastern Christianity has never held that version. What this claim needs is only that Scripture traces the human condition to a turning away from God that affects everyone, which Genesis, Paul, and ordinary observation all support. The mechanism of inheritance is a real debate among Christians and is not settled here.
About this exhibit
This objection is to The book of Genesis, the account of the fall.
Genesis 3 tells of the first humans choosing to define good and evil for themselves rather than trusting God, and of the fracturing that follows, in their relationship with God, with each other, and…
Under Claim 02: Scripture presents a world made good and then broken by human rebellion, so it diagnoses evil rather than pretending it is not there.