it's choice

 Original sin or human nature? Something I have thought about every now and gain. Being a person that thinks about such things I have had different thoughts on the matter. When I was little, I just took the Sunday school teachers word for it. I don't recall asking too many questions about any of that, I had the feeling that was frowned upon. This is what you will believe and that's it! That's how I remember Sunday school anyway. You certainly didn't question the Minister. The Reverend Samuel Davis was the authority when it came to anything like that, whatever he said was the truth. I have to admit that I really don't know what his position on original sin was having never asked him directly. The Episcopal church certainly believes we are all born with original sin. That's the reason we get baptized in the first place. I was baptized as an infant, just in case, as it was later explained to me by my mother. Confirmation came later on, after receiving training and instruction. Then I could receive Holy Communion.

 But as to whether we are born with sin or not is the question at hand. Currently my feeling is that we are not.  If we are indeed born in the image of God, I don't see how that could be. God doesn't have any sin. Also, all sin (wrongdoing) is subjective to the society in which you live. An infant couldn't have done anything wrong. Children born out of wedlock, children conceived without the desire to have a child, take the blame for the actions of those that created them. That is often the case, but the baby isn't the one that did anything wrong. The original sin was Adams' disobedience. That's the Christian tradition anyway, it's what the Bible says happened. God having given free will to Adam and Eve (mankind) allowed Adam to make the choice. He chose to sin. That was his choice. We are all born with that choice. What we choose to do will be influenced by our environment. 

 Now is has always been known that there is nature and natures laws. At least that is how James Monroe, Thomas Jefferson and others wrote about that. Unalienable rights, truths, that never change. It's an awareness of what is right and wrong. It is a natural part of the human psyche. It is an individual thing. Other humans will attempt to influence that your entire life. That is accomplished in two ways, government and religion. The aim of both is to control behaviors. The threat of punishment is the deterrent. The removal of deterrence empowers wrongdoing. And that is what I think is at the heart of the matter. It is far easier to just remove the deterrence than to obey the law. All actions can be rationalized if you really try. In religion it is the removal of sin, and in government the removal of deterrence. It boils down to what is allowed. It boils down to choice. We aren't born sinners; we aren't born to sin, but we will all make that choice. Some more than others. 

 That leaves the question however, do we require baptism to be forgiven for our sins? It requires a commitment is my thinking on all of that. Baptism is an outward display of that commitment. Virtue signaling? Perhaps it is, but then again, perhaps we need a symbol, a constant reminder. I think it is a choice.