the fall: originating sin and its consequences

Although all of God’s creations are good, the first members of the human race chose to disobey God and sinned.

The beginning of sin

The fall man in Genesis 3 is a symbolic narrative about the origin of moral evil or sin. We may be all familiar with its characters— Adam, Eve, and the serpent.

In the narratives of the Fall of man, Cain and Abel, the Great flood and the Tower of Babel, the Book of Genesis points out that sin and evil come from neither God

nor some evil spirit. Rather, sin is brought about human beings who choose to be

completely selfish. The sin of the first human beings destroyed the good

relationship god wanted us to have with Him, with other human beings, and with all

creation. Sin caused sickness and suffering and brought death into the

world.

What is the original sin in the first place?

How does it affect our lives, our world, and our relationship with God?

What we have inherited are the consequences of the sin of Adam and Eve, not their personal sin. True, their personal sin is often called original sin because of

was the first sin, the sin that brought moral evil into the world. But original sin also

refer to consequence of the sin of Adam and Eve: the loss of God’s grace, the “sin of the world,” or the “situation of sin” that all humans are born into. Because Adam and

Eve sinned, human kind lost its original state of harmony and friendship with God. The

state of original sin is universal so all need to be redeemed.

Sin of the World

The consequence of Adam and Eve’s sin is commonly called the sin of the World. This first sin destroyed whatever harmony existed at the beginning and started a cycle of more sins that continue to this day.

Concupiscence

In his letter to the Romans, Saint Paul clearly describes concupiscence:

“What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate . . . So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.”

Concupiscence is the inner disorder of our basic drives.

. . . From God

Before they fell into sin, Adam and Eve felt comfortable with God. But when they had disobeyed Him and had eaten of the forbidden fruit, they were no longer at ease in His presence. So they hid themselves from Him.

. . . From ourselves and from others.

Adam and Eve’s realization that they were naked showed that they had lost their innocence. Sin brought malice into their lives and this made them feel uneasy with themselves. Nakedness is a sign of shame and vulnerability. It represents the loss of a person’s dignity.

. . . From nature.

Sin caused our alienation from nature. Today we have to work hard to make a living. To sustain our basic needs, we sometimes resort to means that harm the environment like illegal logging and dynamite fishing. This activities cause damages not only to nature but to people’s lives as well.

God is forever ready to help us and strengthen us in our weakness.

Aside from punishing the serpent, God did another things before driving man and woman out of the garden.

“For the man and his wife the Lord God made leather garments, with which he clothed them.”

-Gn 3:21

God did not leave Adam and Eve empty-handed. This shows that God is always with us and provides for us even if we are sinful.

In Baptism, we are given a white garment to represent the dignity of an adopted son or daughter of God.

1. Cain and Abel (Gn 4:1-16)

The consequence of the Fall of Man is illustrated dramatically in the story of the first two sons born to Adam and Eve. Cain, furious because God looked on Abel with favor, murdered his own brother.

“Am I God’s keeper?”

Cain, furious because God looked on Abel with favor, murdered his own brother.

“Am I God’s keeper?”Cain’s jealousy made him

ignore his responsibility. This happens to us, when we hurt our brothers and sisters. We have to remember that if our siblings get into trouble, we should not ignore them and present that everything is all right. With our parents’ help, we should reach out to them. We are indeed our brothers’ and sisters’ keeper so we should be concerned about their good. We are responsible for them. After all, we affect their lives and they affect ours.

2. The Great Flood ( Gn 6-9:17)

The narrative of Noah and the Great Flood shows the worst that can happen to a world that has become too evil. This narrative is not just about God’s judgment on a corrupt world, but it is at the same time about God’s mercy.

3 The Tower of Babel (Gn 11:1-9)

This narrative shows how arrogant the early people were. They began to build a tower to make a name for themselves. Rather than respect God, they sought to make themselves gods