Are Men Born Sinners? - Library of Theology

necessitated will, and irresistible grace much more palatable. Although the position of
Celestus on the lack of a need for infant baptism was Scriptural; nevertheless, the
churchmen's strong prejudice for infant baptism caused the controversy to erupt. And this
point in which Celestus and Pelagius were right drew much more attention in the
controversy than several other points in which Celestus and Pelagius decidedly took
unscriptural positions. Therefore, the Augustinian doctrine of original sin was not made a
dogma of the Catholic Church because of its truth or merits, but because Pelagianism
rejected infant baptism and was in gross error in its denial of the need of a special divine
grace if men are to be saved and delivered from sin. Pelagius and Celestus held such
ridiculously unbiblical views of sin and of man's ability to obey God without grace that it
was actually easy for Augustine to show that their views were false. Thus the rejection by
Celestus and Pelagius of infant baptism, and their rejection of the need for a special
divine grace if men are to be saved and delivered from sin captured all the attention of the
churchmen's minds and diverted their attention from the absurdities of the original sin
doctrine as taught by Augustine.
7. Most Christians are ignorant of exactly what Augustine taught as the doctrine of
original sin, as well as what Cocceius, Placeus, and Arminius taught as their doctrines of
original sin. If they were told exactly what Augustine taught, they would be shocked and
would refuse to believe it.
8. Most Christians are ignorant of the fact that the doctrine of original sin is a patently
unbiblical doctrine. It directly contradicts scores of Biblical texts and both the spirit and
the letter of all the fundamental doctrines of the Bible.
9. Most Christians are ignorant of the fact that it is both morally and physically
impossible to be born a sinner.
10. And finally, most Christians would have to admit that they are ignorant of the
shocking teachings and implications that grow out of the doctrine of original sin. For
instance, the teachings that God creates sinners, that infants who die go to hell, and the
logical implication that if all men are born sinners, then Jesus himself was born a sinner.
The fact is that Christians are woefully ignorant of the origin and evil nature of this
doctrine, and it is this ignorance that protects and perpetuates it. There are several factors
that work together to make this ignorance possible. I will name five.
First, the spirit of the new Christian is receptive. He does not have a spirit of debate about
things he may not understand. New Christians naturally tend to accept everything they
are taught as gospel truth because they have a pliable and teachable spirit. They may not
understand this new doctrine, and they may question its justice; nevertheless, their
receptive and teachable spirit prevents them from objecting and arguing about it. They
are not prone to question or reject authority. Their pliable and teachable spirit makes
them receptive even to a doctrine that contradicts their convictions of justice.