Am I Inherently Bad? The Problem With the Doctrine of Original Sin…

If you have attended an evangelical church in your lifetime, you have probably encountered the doctrine of original sin.  Sermons, hymns, worship songs, and prayers are often based on this teaching (i.e. the famous hymn with the line “…that saved a wretch like me…”)  In many Christian communities, it is a central belief that informs how people live, behave, think, and feel. 

In this blog post, we are going to take a deep dive into what exactly is the doctrine of original sin, some problems that can develop in human beings when that narrative is absorbed and believed, and how you can start to shift your negative views of self.

What Is the doctrine of original sin?

The doctrine of original sin has been a cornerstone of Christian theology for centuries. It is the belief that all humans inherit a sinful nature due to the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.  Furthermore, it is the belief that humans were born with tendencies toward wickedness, depravity, doing bad things, evil, and disobeying God.  In short, people are born sinners and are by nature sinners.  

Humans can be “saved” by God by repenting of their sins and asking God for forgiveness.    Living life becomes a constant back and forth between realizing you have done something sinful/bad (which therefore separates you from God), and repenting/asking God for forgiveness (so that you are not separated from God anymore).  Many evangelicals point to God and his saving grace as the only thing that is good about them. Sound intense?  It is!

So how does this affect a person when they are operating from this worldview?

The Psychological Implications…

Negative self-image:

When someone believes that they are bad to the core, the natural result is feeling unworthy.  Having a poor opinion of yourself can mean that you don’t see yourself as having value.  It may also mean that you don’t believe you deserve love, and that you don’t see your own thoughts, feelings, interests or opinions as valid.  It can also play a role in how you allow others to treat you, and can affect your tenacity to go after the things you want in life – if you believe you are bad and are not worthy of good things, you may be less likely to pursue your goals and dreams.  Common signs of a negative self-image might be lack of confidence, trouble asking for help, negative self-talk, lack of boundaries, and being a people-pleaser.

Fear and anxiety:

Many people who adhere to the doctrine of original sin live in fear and anxiety.  The fear of divine punishment or being separated from God because of inherent sinfulness can be an ever-present worry.  Thoughts about eternal damnation (what if I did something bad and didn’t realize it and therefore haven’t asked God’s forgiveness?) create constant anxiety, and worry that one might spend eternity in hell creates a hyper-vigilance against sin and anything forbidden.  Thoughts and feelings are over-analyzed, and anything that could be categorized as not allowed (i.e. selfish, ungrateful, impatient, etc.) serves as further evidence and confirmation that they are actually bad.  

Difficulty to trust self:

When someone is operating out of the belief that they are inherently bad, anything that comes “from the flesh” (especially feelings) is suspect and can’t be trusted.  For instance, if someone starts to feel apprehensive about how much time and energy is being asked of them to volunteer at church, instead of honoring that apprehension and getting curious about what it might mean (i.e. the realization that one’s time is being taken advantage of, the need to set a boundary, etc.), someone might dismiss that apprehension as selfishness (i.e. “it is selfish of me to not want to serve as much at church”).  The belief that someone tends toward wickedness often leads to the dismissal of very valid thoughts and feelings in the human experience.

Shame:

Shame is when you feel embarrassed or humiliated because you think you did something bad, and start to believe that you are bad.  When someone believes that they are inherently sinful, the natural response is shame.  Chronic shame, or the feeling of being fundamentally flawed, is very connected to the doctrine of original sin.  When someone is experiencing chronic shame, they might feel self-conscious, rejected, worried about failure, and like an outsider.

Believing that you need to be punished and/or don’t deserve good things:

Embracing the belief that you are inherently wicked and need redemption can lead someone to also believe that they deserve punishment and/or that they don’t deserve good things.  If we define ourselves as bad or depraved, it is going to be very difficult for us to act and behave in ways that bring about goodness in our lives because we don’t think we deserve it.  We may even unconsciously act in ways that bring about pain and strife as a way to “atone” for our wickedness.  

What can I do about it?

Though distancing oneself from the messaging related to original sin is a lengthy and complex process, there are some practical things you can do to start rewiring your view of self…

Look for the helpers:

Taking stock of the state of the world can be sobering, and can just serve as more evidence of people’s capacity for evil.  However, I like to remember the quote from Mr. Rodgers:  “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people that are helping.’”  If you look closely at what is going on in the world, you will notice that humans actually have a great capacity for good in the form of compassion, empathy, generosity, and kindness, especially when you focus in on those who are helping in the midst of tragedy, pain, and loss.  

Practice kindness toward self:

Being kind to yourself can take many forms.  An initial step might be to get to know yourself – what makes you happy, your likes/dislike, what you value and what is important to you.  Other ideas might be to challenge judgmental thoughts you have about yourself, to avoid comparing yourself to other people, and to speak to yourself the way you would speak to a loved one.

Practice enforcing boundaries:

Boundaries are limits and rules that we set in relationships.  Setting boundaries may feel scary at first, especially if you were taught that what you think, feel, and need were bad.  But, setting boundaries is a great way to communicate to ourselves that what we need and want does matter and has vaule.  The more you practice setting boundaries, the easier it gets!

Of course this is not an exhaustive list, and there are many other things you can do – therapy being one of them!  If you resonate with any of the above, and/or if you are a survivor of religious trauma or are in the midst of faith deconstruction, I would love to support you on your healing journey.  Reach out today for a free consultation.