What is original sin, and how does it affect us today?
Original sin is the condition of broken relationship with God into which every human being is born, inherited from the first parents of the human race.
At the beginning of history, humanity abused its freedom by choosing self over God and disobeying his commandment. As a result, the original holiness and justice in which mankind was created were lost. Original sin is not a personal fault that we personally committed; rather, it is a wounded human nature that we contract.
Because of this inheritance, human beings experience an inclination towards sin (called concupiscence), spiritual blindness, suffering, and physical mortality. In his boundless love, God did not abandon humanity to the power of sin. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, salvation was won, and the Sacrament of Baptism washes away original sin, restoring us to adoptive divine sonship.
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 404
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 405
- Romans 5:12
Awaiting review by the chaplaincy. Written in our own words; the Church's own texts are the authority.