Original sin is a Christian doctrine that refers to the idea that humans inherit a tainted nature in need of regeneration and a proclivity to sinful conduct. The doctrine is based on several passages in the Bible, including Genesis 3, which tells the story of the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, and Psalm 51:5, which states "I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me". The doctrine of original sin focuses particularly on its effect on our internal nature and our standing before God. There are three main views that deal with that effect:
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Inherited guilt: This view holds that humans actually bear the guilt of what Adam did, which takes the doctrine to another level.
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Inherited fallen state: This view teaches that original sin is an inherited fallen state, like what is described in Catholicism, and not an inherited guilt/personal fault.
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Inherited sin nature: This view holds that being conceived with original sin upon us results in our inheriting a sin nature so wicked that the human heart is described as "deceitful above all things and beyond cure".
The doctrine of original sin has its basis in the Bible, and it is traditionally ascribed to the sin of the first man, Adam, who disobeyed God in eating the forbidden fruit of knowledge of good and evil and, in consequence, transmitted his sin and guilt by heredity to his descendants. The doctrine has long been the prerequisite for the Christian understanding of the meaning of Jesus’ Crucifixion.
