Original sin

Dante Alighieri’s Inferno, Alighieri describes many punishments due to sin. Although this purpose might upset modern readers who do not think of themselves as sinners, Alighieri’s audience, however, believed the greater the sin, the greater the grace would be. Fully aware of their sins, the audience saw God’s overwhelming love manifested through the mercy of forgiveness, so they could have hope in the midst of the bleakness of sin. When reading Inferno, the reader must also remember that the…

Suffering, as defined in the dictionary, is “the state of undergoing pain, distress, or hardship.” It involves an experience of unpleasantness and a significant amount of pain. More often than not, we associate suffering with evil (although they are distinct) due to our belief that committing transgressions will possibly have unpleasant consequences that are in line with these wrongdoings. However, suffering is not only limited to those have a high tendency to tolerate evil. People who have the…

What exactly is sin in it's essence? A question that without the aid of an outside stimulus we cannot fully comprehend. Seeing as many aren't fully up to date on this topic, it is important to understand and have the cognition of what sin is. Reportedly, the Catechism of the Catholic Church has stated, “Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods” (Catechism of the Catholic…

History, there is a theme of sin affecting people and creation. First, in Gen 3, original sin develops, and as a result creation is banned from the garden of Eden. Second, in Gen 6-8, the people are so sinful that God destroys all of creation. Primeval History suggests that people and creation are all linked because both have a cause and effect towards the other. In Gen 3, Adam and Eve eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Because of this action of sin, Adam, Eve, and all of…

1. What is sin? Sin is a consequence of human choice. There is personal sin and social sin. According to Fischer and Hart, the biblical definition of sin is the “destruction of our capacity for relatedness and the subsequent need for reconciliation” (Pg. 124). There is also original sin and “sin of the world”, which is the universal influence of sin. Sin can take the form of infidelity, racism, envy and others. Mostly, sin is the denial of love that we should have for ourselves, others, and…

Sin, Harbinger of Virtue Everyday, numerous crimes are committed, such as burglary, arson, assault, and murder. While it is important to focus on helping victims, we often forget about the struggles of the criminals after serving their time in jail. In his novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne describes the experiences of Hester Prynne, who is known to have committed adultery, and her lover, Arthur Dimmesdale and how they cope with their misdeed. Hawthorne uses the symbol of the scarlet…

Alexander Pope once said, “To err is human; to forgive, divine.” (PhraseFinder). An adage many are familiar with, Alexander Pope’s thoughts on forgiveness reveal that everyone makes mistakes. We all sin. And eventually, we seek redemption to find peace. Khaled Hosseini delves deeper into this aspect of human nature in his novel The Kite Runner. A story about two inseparable friends, Amir and Hassan, growing up in pre-revolutionary Kabul, and experiencing a harrowing journey in the midst of…

point he brings to our attention is that ordinary people can also create evil. For example, Hitler appeared to be an “ordinary person” and look at what evil he created. What we’ve also learned from his book is that it challenges the idea of the “original sin” which is mentioned in the Genesis. He supports free will which gives humans the ability to choose good or evil. Whereas the Genesis mentions evil in a broad sense; referencing the theological contexts such as the root of evil. There is a…

1. The sin Hester Prynne commits is adultery, one of the gravest sins a person could commit in the 17th century puritan society of New England. Hester’s immediate punishment is that she has to wear the scarlet letter, and face the social ridicule that comes with it. Hester will never be able to blend in with the society around her, and instead be required to bear the consequences of her sin at all times. Hester, being cut off from mainstream society moves in to a small cottage outside of…

1. Augustine’s theory is based on the belief that there are two parallel cities coexisting on earth, Civitas Dei and Civitas Terrena. Both cities are connected with similarities, but at the same time separate by powerful differences. First, Civitas Dei was created when God created the universe, it is what Augustine’s idea of “heaven.” In this city, only those who have been granted efficacious grace and are motivated by an unselfish love of God (caritas) were elected. This city lives in an…