What Is Original Sin in Christianity?
Learn what original sin means in Christianity for GCSE Religious Studies, how it relates to Adam and Eve, and why baptism and salvation matter to Christians.
Original sin is the Christian belief that humanity has a fallen nature because of the first human disobedience against God. It helps explain why people are inclined to sin, even though they can still choose how to act.
Where does the idea come from?
In Genesis, Adam and Eve disobey God by eating fruit from the tree they were told not to eat from. Christians call this event the Fall: it marks the loss of humanity’s original closeness to God. The story is used to explain why sin and suffering are part of human life.
Sin means an action or attitude that goes against God’s will. Original sin is different from a sin that someone personally commits. It refers to the condition into which people are born, not a specific wrong choice made by a baby.
Why does it matter?
For many Christians, original sin shows why people need God’s forgiveness and salvation. Salvation means being rescued from sin and restored to a relationship with God. Christians believe that Jesus’ life, death and resurrection make salvation possible.
Christian traditions explain original sin differently. Catholics teach that baptism removes original sin, although people remain inclined to sin. Other Christians may place less emphasis on inherited sin or understand the account of Adam and Eve symbolically. So it is more accurate to say many Christians believe this than to claim that every Christian understands it in exactly the same way.
In an exam answer, avoid saying that original sin means every baby has already committed a personal sin. The key distinction is between an inherited fallen condition and the wrong actions a person chooses to do.
