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By Laurence B. Brown, MD<\/a><\/p>\n The concept of original sin is completely foreign to Judaism and Eastern Christianity, having achieved acceptance in only the Western Church.\u00a0 Furthermore, Christian and Islamic concepts of sin are virtual opposites with respect to certain nuances.\u00a0 For example, there is no concept of \u201csinning in the mind\u201d in Islam; to a Muslim, an evil thought becomes a good<\/em> deed when a person refuses to act upon it.\u00a0 Overcoming and dismissing the evil thoughts which forever assail our minds is considered deserving of reward rather than punishment.\u00a0 Islamicly speaking, an evil thought only becomes sinful when acted upon.<\/p>\n Conceiving good deeds is more contrary to the base nature of man.\u00a0 Since our creation, if not bound by societal or religious restrictions, humankind has historically dined on the banquet of life with lust and abandon.\u00a0 The orgies of self-indulgence that have carpeted the corridors of history envelop not only individuals and small communities, but even major world powers which ate their fill of deviancy to the point of self-destruction.\u00a0 Sodom and Gomorrah may top most lists, but the greatest powers of the ancient world\u2014to include the Greek, Roman and Persian empires, as well as those of Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great\u2014certainly bear dishonorable mention.\u00a0 But while examples of communal decadence are innumerable, cases of individual corruption are exponentially more common.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So, good thoughts are not always the first instinct of humankind.\u00a0 As such, the Islamic understanding is that the very conception of good deeds is worthy of reward, even if not acted upon.\u00a0 When a person actually acts upon a good thought, Allah multiplies the reward even further.<\/p>\n The concept of original sin simply does not exist in Islam, and never has.\u00a0 For the Christian readers, the question is not whether the concept of original sin exists in present day, but whether it existed during the period of Christian origins.\u00a0 Specifically, did Jesus teach it?<\/p>\n Apparently not.\u00a0 Whoever dreamt up the concept, it certainly wasn\u2019t Jesus, for he reportedly taught,<\/p>\n \u201cLet the little children come to me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of heaven\u201d (Matthew 19:14)<\/p>\n We may well wonder how \u201cfor of such\u201d could be \u201cthe kingdom of heaven\u201d if the unbaptized are hell\u2011bound.\u00a0 Children are either born with original sin or are bound for the kingdom of heaven.\u00a0 The church can\u2019t have it both ways.\u00a0 Ezekiel 18:<\/a>20 records,<\/p>\n \u201cThe son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son.\u00a0 The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.\u201d<\/p>\n Deuteronomy 24:16 repeats the point.\u00a0 The objection may be raised that this is Old Testament, but it\u2019s not older than Adam!\u00a0 If original sin dated from Adam and Eve, one wouldn\u2019t find it disavowed in any<\/em> scripture of any<\/em> age!<\/p>\n Islam teaches that each person is born in a state of spiritual purity, but upbringing and the allure of worldly pleasures may corrupt us.\u00a0 Nonetheless, sins are not inherited and, for that matter, not even Adam and Eve will be punished for their sins, for God has forgiven them.\u00a0 And how can humankind inherit something that no longer exists?\u00a0 No, Islamicly speaking, all of us will be judged according to our deeds, for<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026man can have nothing but what he strives for\u201d (Quran 53:38\u201339)<\/p>\n \u2026and<\/p>\n \u201cWho receives guidance, receives it for his own benefit: who goes astray does so to his own loss: no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another …\u201d (Quran 17:15)<\/p>\n Each person will bear responsibility for his or her actions, but no infant goes to hell for being unbaptized and burdened with sin as a birthright\u2014or should we say a birthwrong?<\/p>\n \n Copyright \u00a9 2008 Laurence B.\u00a0 Brown\u2014used by permission.<\/p>\n