My apologies for not having posted much of anything in the past couple weeks or so. The economic Crisis and the Recession they have finally admitted that we are in has hit home. Top priority here is for me to find work until the company I was laid off from picks up production and goes back to two shifts. Please keep this in your prayers while I am finding employment to help out with finances until then.

Now, in the midst of looking for work and browsing the net, I have stumbled across some of the same old arguments that most of the critics are discussing in various message forums, articles that are written against the Latter-day Saint Christian faith. Thus, being a person who has a penchent for religious discussions, writing and research, I figured it is high time to put my talent to good use and present some good thought provoking articles. This is not to say that the previous articles that I have posted are not thought provoking - they are - but these forthcoming articles that you will see are going to be more indepth, more doctrinal and more comparative in their renderings. These articles are why I have decided to start this blog - a precise, logical defense of the Latter-day Saint Faith. What more could open up such an intense study, thought and understanding than that of the doctrine of Grace and Human Accountability.

Why this study is of importance

Why I have chosen this subject to study, research and post several articles on is due to the increase information that is available about the Latter-day Saint Christian faith (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) from those who are considered Anti-Mormon's, critics and those who have left the LDS Faith and became known as Ex-Mormons - or Apostates. Either way, majority of the discussions seem to center around Salvation and how one is saved and by what means one is saved. Majority of the Christians today have this presumption that the doctrine of Grace is based upon the doctrine of Original Sin and man's depravity because of the fall. While the heart of this doctrine is within the confines of the Calvinistic Christian thinking, modern Christians have adapted and adopted some or most of the Calvinistic thoughts, doctrines and assumptions to be scripturally authoritative.

What these articles are going to do is expose the truth behind the nature and doctrine of Original Sin as an illogical doctrine, unbiblical doctrine and a product of St. Augustine's time. In fact, one cannot in anyway separate the definition of the doctrine from St. Augustine because Agustine actually conceptualized the term "Original Sin" in response to Pelagius and his ideas and doctrines.

What this means is that the term "Original Sin" is nowhere in the Biblical text, but a product of a Fifth Century dogma that evolved and became an adoptive teaching of the Roman Catholic Church, then passed on and embraced by the Protestant Reformation and the development of the Calvinistic doctrines and teachings:

Many Christians who profess to believe in the doctrine of original sin do not know what it teaches. Even more Christians are ignorant of its history and origin: that it had its roots in a heathen philosophy, that it has evolved, and that it was made a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church in the fifth century A.D., primarily by the influence of Augustine. {Are Men Born Sinners - The Myth of Original Sin; Chapter 3: The Origin and History of the Doctrine, Original Sin, Tom Overstreet - 1995; found at http://www.gospeltruth.net/, accessed December 1, 2008}

Today's proponents of the doctrine rely on several Old and New Testament, but the two prominent passages of scripture are those of the Apostle Paul: 1) Romans 5:12, 14, 18 - Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned...Nevertheless death reigned from Adam unot Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. ... Therefore, as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification for life.And,  1 Corinthians 15:21-22, For since by one man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

A leisurely reading of the King James version translation will show the true believer of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the error and misinterpretations of these texts.

I say this, because the obvious is this: in both epistles, the Apostle Paul is referring to Adam and Christ. Thus, since Paul is referring to Adam and all humanity thereafter who have descended from Adam and his immediate children, so also is he referring to Christ and the atonement of Jesus Christ.

1) Wherefore, by ONE MAN (Adam) Sin entered the world and death by sin, for ALL DIE. Because of the offence of one man came judgment and condemnation passed unto ALL MEN

2) for by ONE MAN (Adam) Death came into the world and death passes unto ALL MEN.

3) By the Righteousness of ONE (Christ) came upon all men

4) In Christ, ALL SHALL be made Alive.

What we have here is a logical argument where these texts essentially destory the idea and doctrine of Original Sin. The logic is this:

If Original Sin is A in the argument, Christ and his Atonement and Salvation of Mankind is Z, thus if A affects B through Y then Z affects Y through B in the same manner.

Meaning, if Original Sin is truly in Romans 5:12, 14 and 18 and 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 (Rom. 5:12-19 contextually), then that would mean the doctrine of Universal Salvation is just as true and Biblical as that of Original Sin. Why that is because both passages reference Adam and the Fall and Christ and his Righteousness. Thus, according to the doctrine of Original Sin, the effects of the Fall of Adam is passed onto the human populace and because of this, Man is born a sinful creature. Because Adam fell, and because he passed on the heredity of physical and spiritual death, sinful disposition unto all of humanity, the antidote to this is Jesus Christ, his crucifixion on the Cross, his death, burial and resurrection on the third day. And, if Christ is the antidote to man's sinful nature, fulfillment of what the Mosiac Law could not do, and ability to do that which Man could not do of his own free will - break the bonds of Sin and Death, therefore, because Man's inherint sinful nature is the product of Adam's Fall, his redemption is the Product of Jesus Christ and therefore, because of Christ's redemption all men stand righteous before God.

The proponents of Original Sin, and the Critics, Ex-Mormon's and Modern Christian thinking believers would disagree with the doctrine of Universal Salvation. And why is that? The answer will vary from Christian to Christian, because in the Modern Christian scheme of Salvation, only a few are saved from God's Condemnation, only a few are redeemed from the effects of the fall and are "born again" as a new creation in Jesus Christ. Those who are not are justly condemned in the life to come.

But, yet, they rely on passages like Romans 5:12-19 and 1 Corinthians 15.21-22 because they are taught to believe in a fifth centure dogma of the Roman Catholic Church that also taught - because of man's inherint sinful nature, infant baptism become a doctrine and practice of religious thought and practice, even among Calvinistic and Reformed Christian believers.

 Human Accountability - A Cursory thought why Original Sin is false:

Another reason why I am discovering the false doctrine of Original Sin is the nature of Human Accountability. Upon an in depth study of Original Sin, one will soon discover that there is no human accountability for their own actions. Meaning, because man is inherintly sinful, the blame does not fall upon their own actions but what was done at the beginning of human history.

Not only is this idea false - pertaining to Original Sin - but it is illogical within the legal field. Imagine a criminal standing before a Judge and saying: I am not responsible for my crimes because, I am already a criminal anyway.

The sad reality, we already see this happening in our court rooms and legal system. The lack of accountability for one's crimes and actions. "I do not know what happened, I just blacked out and then when I 'came too' my wife/husband/lover/child(ren) were lying lifeless on the floor. It is sad that at taxpayers expenses, young people who do not wish to live by structured rules and boundaries and find a sense of freedom on the streets to be vagrants and vagabonds pick a mental defect and force themselves and begin to exhibit the symptoms of that specific disorder so that they can get tax free money and not have to worry about any true responsibility.

It is sad that man blames another for their actions and reasons behind there behavior.

In reality, all the doctrine of Original Sin says is: "The Devil Made me do it because he made Eve do it, Eve made her Husband, Adam do it and therefore because I am human, it is in my nature".

Not only does the doctrine of Original Sin diminish the human accountability, it also diminishes moral responsibility in a sense.

Conclusion

As one can see, the depth and scope of these articles are pertinent, not just to defend the Latter-day Saint position, but to reveal and expound upon the Biblical truth that Men are and will be held accountable for their own actions and lives and not because of Adam's transgression and sin. Essentially, it is to establish and support the Second Article of Faith: We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's Transgression.

And, the third article of Faith, We believe that thorugh the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

And, the fourth article of faith, We believe that the first principles of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repenteance; third, Baptism by immersion fo rthe remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the figt of the Holy Ghost.

All three of these articles of faith are true biblical Doctrines that will be further investigated and expounded upon in the coming articles.

One other interesting fact is that after I had left the Latter-day Saint Faith, I had become a proponent and believer in the Calvinistic Doctrines and Traditions. While I admit, there are some aspects of the Calvinistic Doctrines and beliefs that seem to be truly Biblical teachings and proper interpretations, one must closely scrutinize and examine to see if they truly are. Thus, these articles are not just meanderings and rambling words to sport a more intellectual observation, but actual research and studies of my own personal reflections as I go back and re-examine and rethink the Calvinistic position as compared to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint faith.

Thus, the doctrines, the history and the interpretions of the following are going to be in-depth articles:

Original Sin
Predestination
Salvation by Grace Alone
By Faith Alone
T.U.L.I.P - Acronymn for Calvinism, otherwise known as the Five Points of Calvinism: 1) Total Depravity; 2) Unconditional Election; 3) Limited Atonement; Irresistable Grace; Perserverance of the Saints.
There are many more, but these are just a tip of what will be coming forward in the days and weeks to come.

And, I definitely look forward to sharing these insightful, intellectual and Biblical truths to one and all.

As always, your comments and suggestions are definitely welcomed, especially when the first article is posted. Please feel free to pass on this blog to your friends or those who are wanting a more reasonable defense, or those who have serious doubts/questions about the doctrines of the Mormon Faith.

Tags: Mormonism Sin Sinful Nature Natural Man Original Sin Grace Salvation

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