Bible Q: Why are newborns sinners?

[perla75]

I am a non-Christian & merely seeking information. I do not understand the concept of the "original sin." Why are newborns already considered sinners? What did they do that was a sin?

Again, I am not judging or ridiculing, I am just seeking education!

 

[chisnpeke]

I never thought they were.

 

[perla75]

Maybe I got misinformed then. Today, a colleague of mine, told me that newborns are considered sinners at birth. That everyone is a sinner at birth, except for Jesus Christ.

I might have misinterpreted this though? I do not know much about the religious aspects of Christianity (just the commercialized holidays!).

 

[tinatark]

Everyone is born with a sinful nature.

You must also consider the age of accountability - when you are aware of your sins.

 

[mickeylove2]

I've been told that it's because of the fathers bloodline. Because Jesus was born to the virgin Mary that the DNA of his Father is God so he was sinless, he had no human father, so since every other newborn is born to a human father the nature of sin is passed on through the blood. Or something like that, if I can remember exactly I'll post again.

 

[ceceevie6]

Since we are all born descendants of Adam, we are all born with the sin he committed. This is distinct from the actual sins that a human commits. Here's a quote describing this:

"...original sin is hereditary. It did not remain only Adam and Eve's. As life passes from them to all of their descendants, so does original sin. We all of us participate in original sin because we are all descended from the same forefather, Adam.

 

[perla75]

Thank you-I think I understand this now! Feel free to add more of course, I am always open to learning more about other people's religions!

 

[jimmiej]

Here's what the Bible says about original sin:

Romans 5:12 (New International Version)

Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ
12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—

 

[ConcKahuna]

However, since the blood of Jesus Christ washed away the sins of mankind, doesn't that negate origional sin?

 

[chisnpeke]

Everyone is born with a sinful nature.

You must also consider the age of accountability - when you are aware of your sins.

This is what I was thinking of.

My mistake!

 

[Buckalew11]

However, since the blood of Jesus Christ washed away the sins of mankind, doesn't that negate origional sin?

Nope. Salvation through Jesus Christ must be an accepted gift. It is not an automatic thing. You know, free will and all that.

Sorta like Prayer. God knows what your needs/praise etc. are before you pray. So why do you need to even ask or talk to God in prayer? Even though He knows, you need to pray those prayers anyway. You have to ask/say it on your own even though He knows.

 

[jimmiej]

However, since the blood of Jesus Christ washed away the sins of mankind, doesn't that negate origional sin?

It does if you believe it does! That's exactly why Jesus came to Earth.

 

[eduk8r26]

In the Catholic church, Baptism takes away the original sin and makes you a child of God.

 

[chris1gill]

In the Catholic church, Baptism takes away the original sin and makes you a child of God.

And what happens to babies who are born stillborn or live only minutes? I had a sister who lived less than five minutes after birth.

 

[FSUDisneyGirl]

I don't believe that newborns are sinners...and I'm a Christian. I guess it depends on your denomination.

 

[MontanaZoo]

I don't believe that newborns are sinners...and I'm a Christian. I guess it depends on your denomination.

I agree with that. This is one of those things that my best friend who is also Christian views completely differently than I do. It falls under my avoid talking about with her list.

 

[sjaakie]

And what happens to babies who are born stillborn or live only minutes? I had a sister who lived less than five minutes after birth.

I can only tell you what I saw with my own eyes years ago.

Our neighbours son was born death. The parents were forced to burry there child outside the graveyard, outside the blessed ground.

No church service no holy mass . The poor father was forced by the priest to burry his child some were under a hedge outside the catholic graveyard. Because the chills was born as a “sinner”.

My father and our neighbour took the little coffin themselves to the place the priest told them and had to dig the grave themselves. It was horrifying.

That same day I lost my fait in God.

 

[hentob]

And what happens to babies who are born stillborn or live only minutes? I had a sister who lived less than five minutes after birth.

Their mothers were once led to believe that their baby was in Purgatory and the more prayers and purchased Mass Cards they carried out, the better chance the baby has at getting to Heaven

Now we are more educated and know that many of these rules were made up by greedy clergy

And no, the babies were not allowed to be buried with the general population.

Could you imagine being part of a religion that has parents believe that their dead, innocent, precious baby wasn’t worthy of God’s love

 

[LaraK]

I haven't heard of non-baptised babies being burried outside of a cemetary since Vatican two. I even went to a funeral where someone who committed suicide (a BIG no no) was burried in a Catholic Cemetary.

BTW...anyone can baptise anyone. If a baby looks like they are not going to make it, I've known nurses to baptise the baby before they pronounce the baby dead. I've even known it to happen with stillborn babies (with the parent's permission of course).

I also know of a case where they were coding a baby. The baby wasn't going to make it (about three months old) and the parents asked for someone to baptise the baby because they hadn't had the chance. This baby was not going to make it, the doctor kept the code going so that one of the nurses could perform the baptism. As soon as she finished, the baby got his heartbeat back. He survived and thrived. You never know when you're going to see God's hand.

It used to be that you baptised your baby ASAP so that they were freed from origonal sin....now people wait as much as a year. The reason is because the whole "purgatory" thing seems to be going by the wayside.

 

[Mkrop]

I haven't heard of non-baptised babies being burried outside of a cemetary since Vatican two. I even went to a funeral where someone who committed suicide (a BIG no no) was burried in a Catholic Cemetary.

BTW...anyone can baptise anyone. If a baby looks like they are not going to make it, I've known nurses to baptise the baby before they pronounce the baby dead. I've even known it to happen with stillborn babies (with the parent's permission of course).

I also know of a case where they were coding a baby. The baby wasn't going to make it (about three months old) and the parents asked for someone to baptise the baby because they hadn't had the chance. This baby was not going to make it, the doctor kept the code going so that one of the nurses could perform the baptism. As soon as she finished, the baby got his heartbeat back. He survived and thrived. You never know when you're going to see God's hand.

It used to be that you baptised your baby ASAP so that they were freed from origonal sin....now people wait as much as a year. The reason is because the whole "purgatory" thing seems to be going by the wayside.

Yes this is my understanding of the Catholic faith as well.