Lesson 8.

The Reality of Sin in Relation to Social Problems

A. CHURCH TEACHING ON ORIGINAL SIN
CFC 400. Why is there sin and evil in the world?
- The Bible teaches that sin and evil come not from God who created
everything good, but from the willful disobedience of man who abused his
God-given freedom at the dawn of history.

CFC 401. What does “original sin” mean?

-“Original sin” can refer to two things:
• the first “originating sin” which brought evil and brokenness into
the world;
or • “originated sin,” or the actual sinful state into which we are born,
the essence of which is the privation of sanctifying grace, and some of
whose consequences are evident in the outside sinful situation (sin of the
world), and the inner effect of disordered desires (concupiscence) we all
experience within us.

CFC 402. Why does the Bible treat of original sin?

The Bible’s “Good News” narrates the history of sin in the world to
bring out our need for God’s redeeming love through Jesus Christ in the
Holy Spirit.

CFC 403. What does Genesis teach about original sin?

Genesis narrates the primordial account of the “originating sin” of
Adam and Eve and its consequences for them as well as in the spread of evil
in order to account for the evil which we all experience today.

CFC 404. What does St. Paul teach about original sin?
St. Paul teaches that “just as through one man’s [Adam’s]
disobedience all became sinners, so through one man’s [Christ’s] obedience
all shall become just” (Rom 5:19).

CFC 405. How does Church teaching explain original sin? The Church
clarifies that we do not inherit Adam’s personal sin, but its consequences,
that is that as members of the human race, we are born deprived of
sanctifying grace, into the sinful condition in the world with our weakened
human nature resulting from his sin.

CFC 406. In what does original sin consist and what is related to it?
Original sin essentially consists in the privation of sanctifying grace, the
condition in which all human beings are born.
Related to it are:
• “the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29) describing the sinful environment into
which we are born;
• the “heart of darkness” in us which we experience in concupiscence;
and• the connection between original sin and personal sins. 407. Why is it
called “original sin”?
It is called • “original” because its roots in the origins of the human race
alone explain its universality;
• “sin” not because it is a personal sinful thought, word or deed, but
because it is a state contrary to God’s will. It affects our capacity to love
God, become our true selves, and achieve our destiny with our fellow men
and women.

CFC 408. How do we experience this “heart of darkness” within us due to

original sin?
St. Paul aptly describes this experience: “I do, not the good I will to
do, but the evil I do not intend” (Rom 7:19). “The desire to do right is there
but not the power” (Rom 7:18).

CFC 409. What is meant by “concupiscence”? Concupiscence is that deep-

seated disorder in our appetites and drives that is the root-cause of many
of our personal sins; through God’s redeeming grace we are strengthened
to overcome this disorder within us.

CFC 410. What is meant by “capital sins”? Capital or “root sins” are basic
evil inclinations or disvalues (pride, lust, anger, gluttony, envy,
covetousness, sloth) which are the origin of many sinful thoughts, words or
 deeds. They manifest the evil tendencies within each of us which are the
effect of original sin.

CFC 411. How does Baptism “take away original sin”?

Baptism “takes away original sin” by bringing to the baptized the gift
of the Holy Spirit, God’s saving, sanctifying presence. The indwelling Holy
Spirit in the baptized makes them adopted sons/daughters of the Father,
coheirs with Jesus Christ, and incorporates them into his Body the Church.

CFC 412. Why do we baptize innocent babies?

Infant baptism is not to take away any personal sins __ the baby
obviously cannot have committed sin. Rather, Baptism is to grace the child
with the gift of the Holy Spirit, within the Christian community of parents,
sponsors and neighbors, to effectively symbolize the Christian atmosphere
needed for growing up as a disciple of Christ in faith, hope and love

B.Fundamental Human Alienation( Reference: Witness to the Word pp.21-

26)
Consequences of Sin
1.The Human Being is “Cursed” (Gen. 3:14-17)
-The unique relationship that the human being had with God is shattered
to pieces. This break is expressed in Scriptures by the fact they were thrown out
of the garden of Eden, away from the beautiful life of SHALOM. He/ She is not
anymore at peace.
2.The human being is Scattered (Gen. 11:1-9)
-Something also went wrong in his relationship with his fellow human
beings. Each one closed himself on himself. Instead of being a compliment to
one’s growth, the other now becomes a threat. They could not understand each
other (Tower of Babel Story)
 3.The Human being is a being towards death
-One’s relationship with oneself is also disturbed. Life now has no
meaning and no end except in death and annihilation. What meaning does human
life has when there is no God? Human life has a future only in rapport with God.
Scriptures give us a deep insight into the human situation. It says that “at the very
depth of the human being is a flaw. There is a basic disorder in one’s being. Yes,
the human will relate with God and with one’s fellow human being but in order
to use them for their own selfish motives/interest/ and agenda.”

4.Alienation
The act of sinning is a movement of going away from one’s good SELF,
from OTHERS who are equally good, from NATURE which reflects the goodness of
the Creator, and from the Creator Himself, the Ultimate Good.
Alienation from: Meaning/Description Consequences Scriptures
1.Self Signified by the Self -pity, guilt, “ I am certain
strange feeling of worry complex, that neither
nakedness and failure to death nor life,
embarrassment appreciate neither angels
Adam and Eve oneself, nor spiritual
experienced after attachment to powers, neither
eating the forbidden material things, the present nor
fruit (Gen 3:7) not forgiving the future, nor
oneself which the cosmic
may result to powers, were
suicide. they from
heaven or from
the deep below,
nor any creature
whatsoever will
separate us from
the love of God,
which we have in
Jesus Christ ,our
 Lord”- (Rom.
8:38)
2.Others Alienation from Envy, pride, It is symbolized
others, with whom anger, lust, greed by the painful
we are suppose to story of Cain
relate in LOVE, is War, violence, murdering his
shown in manifold racial own brother Abel
evil acts (murder, discrimination, because of envy
abortion, genocide, nuclear race (Gen. 4:1-16)
and the like) Neo liberal -
capitalism Where people
The poor mis understood
becomes poorer one another
(Gen. 11:1-9)

3.Nature This experienced of Natural and man- Best symbolized

estrangement is made calamities. by the flood story
manifested in (Gen 6-9)
human beings Imbalance
disregard of the laws ecosystems
of nature and
disrespect towards Forest
Mother Earth. The denudation
extensive and
indiscriminate act of Floods
raping the natural
resources by Landslides
multinational corp.is
more to blame than
the sporadic acts of
poor people who
exploits nature
resources due to
extreme poverty.
-
4.God Separation from -Occult practices After eating the
God. -satanic forbidden fruit,
-All the forms of movements the man and the
alienation already -proliferation of woman hid from
discussed are thoughts hostile God (Gen. 3:8-
alienation from God to religion. 12)
since an act away
from God is
separating from
HIM.