Michelangelo's painting of the sin of Adam and Eve (the Fall)

Illuminated parchment, Spain, circa AD 950-955, depicting the Fall of Man, cause of original sin.

Augustine of Hippo wrote that Original Sin was transmitted by lust and enfeebled the will.

Discover great deals from a large variety of crafts online: basketry, bead arts, candle, ceramics, crocheting, drawing, embroidery, shellcraft, knitting, kids crafts, and etc.

Original

Original sin, called in the Eastern Orthodox tradition ancestral sin, is, according to a doctrine in Christian theology, humanity's state of sin resulting from the Fall of Man. more...

Home

Art

Posters

Prints

Costume

Other

Contemporary (1950-Now)

Other

Self-Representing Artists

Crafts Wholesale Lots

Crocheting

Cross Stitch

Decorative, Tole Painting

Drawing

Embroidery

Fabric

Fabric Embellishments

Floral Crafts

Framing & Matting

General Art & Craft Supplies

Mosaic

Paper Crafts & Origami

Quilting

Ribbon

Rubber Stamping & Embossing

Sewing

Weaving

Yarn

Like other theological terms, the terms "original sin" and "ancestral sin" are not found in either the Old or the New Testament, though the sinfulness of humans is frequently addressed, but the doctrine that the terms express is claimed to be based on passages in the New Testament written by Paul the Apostle, such as Romans 5:12-21 and 1 Corinthians 15:22.

In the history of Christianity this condition has been characterized in many ways ranging from something as insignificant as a slight deficiency, or a tendency toward sin yet without collective guilt, referred to as a "sin nature," to something as drastic as total depravity or automatic guilt by all humans through collective guilt.

Western Christian tradition regards original sin as the general condition of sinfulness (lack of holiness) into which human beings are born, distinct from any actual sins that a person may or may not commit later. Different views exist as to whether a person bears real guilt or personal responsibility only for actual sins that they personally commit, while being tempted by original sin, or whether they bear actual guilt for the sins of ancestors.

Eastern Christian tradition too identifies original sin as physical and spiritual death, the spiritual death being the loss of "the grace of God, which quickened (the soul) with the higher and spiritual life" Others see original sin also as the cause of actual sins: "a bad tree bears bad fruit" (Matthew 7:17, NIV), although, in this view, original and actual sin may be difficult to distinguish.

While Christians cite references to original sin in the Old Testament (such as Psalm 51:5), the doctrine is not found in Jewish theology.

The Fall of Man

Original sin is said to result from the Fall of Man, when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit of a particular tree in the Garden of Eden. (They were permitted to eat fruit from all other trees, making the rule particularly easy to follow but for the sins of pride and disobedience.)

This first sin ("the original sin") is traditionally understood to be the cause of "original sin" (the fallen state of humanity). In addition to Adam and Eve's disobedience in eating fruit from the tree, this overt action was preceded by their decision to not believe God. Whereas God had told them that they would die if they ate of the fruit of this particular tree, Satan in the form of a serpent told them that what God had said was not true. Adam and Eve chose to believe Satan's version of the facts rather than believing in what God had said.