Original Sin and Forgiveness

One of my favorite things about Christianity, which I, as a lifelong skeptic, appreciate and distrust at the same time, is its doctrine of original sin, which stipulates that all men are born sinful. An infant born from his mother’s womb may look innocent and adorable, but, in the eyes of Christianity, it shoulders a burden of sin and guilt for no other reason than merely being human. I do not mean to say that I disagree with this belief or find it overly critical; in fact, I find it ethically interesting and thought-provoking.

All the other teachings of Christianity stem from this presumption: because we humans are innately sinful, we do not merit the blessings of heaven, which entails reunion with God. Hence, Christ came to save us, such that whoever believes in him can be cleansed of this sin and once again become God’s children.

In this article I wish to focus on the notion of original sin per se, not other teachings of this religion that originate from it.

I remember several years ago when I was an incessant questioner of Christianity, I asked my father if the belief of original sin is too pessimistic and cynical, to which he gave a brilliant come-back. I do not remember his reply verbatim, but here is its main message: the belief that all men are inherently sinful is in fact optimistic since it lowers the bar of morality and makes us more tolerant of each other’s faults. Because we presume others are evil, we can forgive them more easily. On the other hand, if we assume people are inherently good, we would be unforgiving if one transgresses.

His answer I remember with every vivid detail because, in a sense, it is my first introduction to ethics and philosophy. Not only so, it altered my worldview and my very way of viewing people. I am not a committed Christian, but the more experience I gain with interacting with people, the more I come to accept the veracity of original sin: everybody with whom I am acquainted, including myself, err. Everybody is flawed, commits mistakes, unknowingly hurts others, and does not completely abide by morality. Nobody is a saint; nobody is righteous, as Paul once famously proclaimed in the Book of Romans. I sometimes hurt others; the same may hurt me.

I came to an astonishing belief that, even with a secular point of view, the notion of original sin is in fact very applicable and true.

I begin to carry this belief in me, which works to my weal. Whenever one hurts me, I can easily forgive them; whenever I hurt someone else, I can likewise forgive myself. I finally understand why forgiveness is a virtue: without it, no friendship or love can be sustained; without it, the world would be a battlefield of hatred and chaos simply because we err too much.

From now, I unconditionally forgive others, not because I am a pompous and condescending saint, but because, without forgiving others, I have no right to forgive myself.