How To Figure Original Sin Into A Non Literal Perspective Of Scripture

[Guest Romans5:1-5]

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' post='1594691' date='Jul 7 2008, 10:37 PM']So, as I thought to myself lately, I accidentaly 'tripped' my own thoughts.

The only spot I ran into trouble was this:

Considering that we accept Genesis as *religiously* but not *scientifically* true, we would of course think that there was no *literal* Garden of Eden. Therefore no Adam and Eve literally sinned against God and were sent from the garden.
Ergo, the doctrine of Original Sin cannot be explained through a literal story.
So how do I explain to myself how Original Sin came into the world, considering a literal reading of Scripture is impossible?[/quote]
Good question! I read a really great Catholic Update (May 2007 Edition) pertaining to this subject. I’ll quote a few points that stood out to me that seemed relevant to this topic from the Catholic Update.

1. “After the creation account (Gen1:1-2:2-4, we hear the story of Adam and Eve. It is the first of four basic stories in Chapters 2-11. (Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah and the Flood, and the Tower of Babel. If we look closely, we will discover that each one of them, in fact, has the same basic story line: human sin is followed by punishment, but the last word in each story is one of grace from God.”

(That’s a neat point. Of course, the creation story is probably the most-well known in the series of these stories of sin/grace. But there are many like it, all sharing the common theme of the truth that, “All Humans have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”…but His love overcomes our sinfulness.)

Interesting side-note:
(… “What kind of fruit was eaten is not mentioned and is immaterial. The idea that it was an apple seems to come from a Latin pun: the same word, malum, means both “evil” and “apple”…”)

2. “With sin, all of our other relationships- those to God, to ourselves, to other people, to the natural world- break down. Curse is the power of death; blessing is the power of life…God creates a harmonious universe and fills it with life. By rejecting our imagehood, we bring death and brokenness. Who will have the last word? Each other the stories leaves us with no doubt: God’s will for life and for blessing prevail.”

3. “Applying this principle, [contextual criticism] Scripture scholars are today taking a new look at this story. We realize more clearly now that the story of Adam and Eve is rather something like a parable. The truth is in the message of sinfulness rather than in factual history.”

4. “Was there a historical Adam and Eve? Cain and Abel? Noah and the flood generation? Not in a literal sense. But we can ask our question differently: Are there and Adam and Eve? Cain and Abel?…Here the answer is a definite Yes….The man and woman of Genesis 2-3, as well as other characters in the primal stories are intended to represent an Everyman and Everywoman. They are paradigms figurative equivalents, of human conduct in the face of temptation.”

5. From this perspective…at the time of the originating sin (as Saint Augustine puts it), perhaps they were multiple Eden’s…many Adams and Eves, and lots of temptation. We share in this story of salvation history; we participate in it. The reality is in the actions and the relationships and not in the insignificant details that could probably vary and be characteristic of us all at one point or another.

Hope this makes sense and that I answered the question in some aspect. Once again, great question. It definitely got me thinking.

Edited July 8, 2008 by Romans5:1-5

[Thy Geekdom Come]

[quote name='Romans5:1-5' post='1595351' date='Jul 8 2008, 05:36 PM']Good question! I read a really great Catholic Update (May 2007 Edition) pertaining to this subject. I’ll quote a few points that stood out to me that seemed relevant to this topic from the Catholic Update.

1. “After the creation account (Gen1:1-2:2-4, we hear the story of Adam and Eve. It is the first of four basic stories in Chapters 2-11. (Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah and the Flood, and the Tower of Babel. If we look closely, we will discover that each one of them, in fact, has the same basic story line: human sin is followed by punishment, but the last word in each story is one of grace from God.”

(That’s a neat point. Of course, the creation story is probably the most-well known in the series of these stories of sin/grace. But there are many like it, all sharing the common theme of the truth that, “All Humans have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”…but His love overcomes our sinfulness.)

Interesting side-note:
(… “What kind of fruit was eaten is not mentioned and is immaterial. The idea that it was an apple seems to come from a Latin pun: the same word, malum, means both “evil” and “apple”…”)

2. “With sin, all of our other relationships- those to God, to ourselves, to other people, to the natural world- break down. Curse is the power of death; blessing is the power of life…God creates a harmonious universe and fills it with life. By rejecting our imagehood, we bring death and brokenness. Who will have the last word? Each other the stories leaves us with no doubt: God’s will for life and for blessing prevail.”

3. “Applying this principle, [contextual criticism] Scripture scholars are today taking a new look at this story. We realize more clearly now that the story of Adam and Eve is rather something like a parable. The truth is in the message of sinfulness rather than in factual history.”

4. “Was there a historical Adam and Eve? Cain and Abel? Noah and the flood generation? Not in a literal sense. But we can ask our question differently: Are there and Adam and Eve? Cain and Abel?…Here the answer is a definite Yes….The man and woman of Genesis 2-3, as well as other characters in the primal stories are intended to represent an Everyman and Everywoman. They are paradigms figurative equivalents, of human conduct in the face of temptation.”

5. From this perspective…at the time of the originating sin (as Saint Augustine puts it), perhaps they were multiple Eden’s…many Adams and Eves, and lots of temptation. We share in this story of salvation history; we participate in it. The reality is in the actions and the relationships and not in the insignificant details that could probably vary and be characteristic of us all at one point or another.

Hope this makes sense and that I answered the question in some aspect. Once again, great question. It definitely got me thinking.[/quote]


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Thank you for your understanding.

God bless,

Raphael