The concept of original sin accounted for death and weakened the grip of magic on ancient peoples. [1] Adam's sin cursed the human race, contrary to the Jewish belief in the Shekinah and the Messiah's role in restoring divine favor. [2]
The crass injustice of damning a soul because of ancestors' sin goes against the teaching that each individual's relationship with God is personal and not based on the sins of others. [3] Philo's teachings influenced Paul, but he diverged on the doctrine of hereditary guilt, innate evil, and redemption from original sin. [4]
The doctrine of total depravity hindered religion's ability to uplift society and inspire, until Jesus proclaimed all men as children of God, reaffirming their dignity. [5]
Mankind, by nature evil but not necessarily sinful, requires the new birth to be delivered from evil and enter the kingdom of heaven, rejecting the erroneous teaching of descending from godly perfection towards oblivion. [6]
The fall of man did not occur with Adam and Eve, as the human race has evolved and progressed despite their mistakes and ultimate failure in carrying out the divine plan. [7] Paul partly incorporated Mithraic elements into his theory of original sin, distinct from both Hebrew theology and Philo's teachings. [8] The doctrine of original sin necessitates a onetime golden age hypothesis, perpetuated by Christian teachers. [9] PRIMITIVE man, in debt to spirits, developed the doctrine of sin and salvation, seeing the soul as born under forfeit and in need of redemption. [10]
Jesus' gospel redeems man from the superstition of being a child of the devil, elevating him to a faith son of God, providing a timeless solution to spiritual difficulties. [11]