Is Original Sin a Fact

Every individual is born into a religious environment that is not necessarily in accordance with his or her choice; children are raised to follow the religion or ideology of their family, society, or culture. Even as new-born babies, they are assigned either the religion of their family or the ideology of the state; in some countries, the child's assigned religion is even recorded on the birth certificate. By the time individuals reach their teens, they have usually accepted the beliefs of their parents or their particular society. Since these beliefs have come to feel normal to them, they may give no thought to examining and possibly changing them.

However, individuals often encounter, or are exposed to, various beliefs and ideologies throughout the course of their lives, leading many to question long-held beliefs, traditions, or philosophical ideas. They begin to question the validity of their own beliefs. Seekers of truth often reach a point of confusion, especially upon realizing that the believers of every religion, sect, ideology, and philosophy claim to profess the one and only truth.

Amongst the doctrines which the followers of Jesus (pbuh) have inherited across the centuries is the belief in 'original sin'. This booklet discusses the reality of this belief from both theoretical and logical point of views.

Before we proceed, here is a reminder that when beginning the search for the true religion, one should keep in mind the following four things:

1. Firstly, Allah has given us the ability and the intellect to discover the answer to this crucial question, which is also a life-changing decision: What is the true religion?
2. Secondly, Allah, the Most Compassionate, has not left us to go astray without any guidance. Indeed, He sent us prophets with scriptures to show us the right path.
3. Thirdly, we should always remember the underlying reason for this search: the everlasting life to come depends upon adopting the true religion in this life. This should be our ultimate motivation and a driving force to keep us searching until we are completely satisfied.
4. Fourthly, we can only determine the true path and make a rational and correct decision if we willingly put aside all the emotions and prejudices which often blind us to reality.

Table of Contents

1. The facts about original sin
2. 1.1 Background
3. 1.2 Analysis
4. 1.3 Original sin and atonement from an Islamic perspective
5. 1.4 Conclusion