Does the orthodox church believe in original sin? There is a great deal of debate surrounding this topic. Some believe that the doctrine is outdated and that the real Orthodox doctrine should be ancestral sin. Others believe it is still relevant today. The orthodox view is probably the most widely accepted in the West. However, the real answer to the question is much more complicated than that. It depends on your personal beliefs and your understanding of the Bible.
Ancestral sin
The debate over the doctrine of Original Sin and Ancestral Sinners continues. Many Orthodox scholars argue that the doctrine of Original Sin is flawed, and that the true doctrine is ancestral sin. John Romanides published a doctoral dissertation that criticised this view. However, he did not condemn it as heresy, as was the case in the West. Here’s his explanation of the debate.
According to the Christian tradition, original sin is a result of human sin that prevents us from fulfilling God’s design and plan. This damage results in physical and spiritual death. As a result, Original Sin causes people to suffer from shame and a bad conscience. This means that they need the grace of God in order to achieve salvation. In this sense, original sin is similar to a disease: it damages our bodies, and we become dependent on it.
Original sin
There is a great deal of debate over the issue of Original Sin, and the Eastern and Western churches agree on some points, and disagree on others. For starters, the Eastern church teaches that Adam fell from the grace of God, and therefore all mankind fell from grace because of his disobedience. It is through Adam’s disobedience that sin entered the world, and with it death and the fear of it.
This view rejects the juridical scheme of human justice that demands punishments based on objective morality. Moreover, it ignores the true nature of God’s justice, and denies the devil any real power. Historically, original sin has been associated with heresy, but not in the modern sense of the word. Thus, original sin in the Eastern Church is an essentially Christian view. This is the main reason for the conflict between the Eastern and Western views on original sin.
Moral culpability
The Roman Catholic Church rejects the concept of original sin, but does not necessarily deny the existence of it. Its doctrine of the Immaculate Conception affirms that the Virgin Mary was born sinless. This doctrine of original sin has two parts. The first part explains how the Church views Original Sin, and the second part explains how it is compatible with the Roman Catholic view of sin.
One of the earliest criticisms of Original Sin came from the writings of Father Michael Pomazansky, who wrote a doctoral dissertation in the late nineteenth century. He argued that it is not the case that the original sin of Adam and Eve resulted in the fall of man, but that it was the result of a sin that denied us the right to be holy.
Origins
The orthodox Church teaches that no human is born free of original sin. The consequences of Adam’s fall are passed down to all human beings, and we have no choice but to submit to its consequences. According to Saint Gregory of Nyssa, this damage is so deep and widespread that we cannot escape it. We must accept the grace of God and His Mysteries to overcome our original sin.
There are various versions of the doctrine of original sin. The Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church both recognize that the doctrine of original sin is rooted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, but the Eastern Orthodox Church views this idea differently. While the Catechism and the Orthodox Church have essentially the same understanding of the Fall, the two churches disagree about how Adam came to be tempted by God.
Orthodox view of original sin
The Catholic Church denies personal culpability for Original Sin. However, it recognizes that Original Sin has a historical dimension and is a hereditary disease. It infects humans in the womb, causing all manner of sin. In God’s eyes, original sin is vile and is enough to condemn the entire human race. Therefore, the Orthodox view of Original Sin is based on the Catholic view.
In the Roman Catholic view, a human being is born with Original Sin, and that he or she inherited the guilt of his or her sin. This doctrine is called the Immaculate Conception. Mary was born as a mortal, and the Roman Catholics held that a special conception was necessary for the birth of Christ. Orthodox Christians, however, do not believe in the Immaculate Conception. The immaculate conception of Christ was possible because of her union with the divine.
