Original sin is a self-initiating act because it evidences human free will. If humanity were devoid of free will, it would relegate humankind to living by instinct. A person who lives by instinct might survive for an enviable period, but they will never live a heroic existence. Every hero’s story commences with an unsatisfied and optimistic person venturing out from the comfortable confines of their common day world, facing forces of fabulous power, and fighting a magnificent personal battle. The greatest traditional heroes were warriors whom survived on the battlefield and learned valuable lessons of honor, love, loyalty, and courage. Heroic warriors and spiritual seekers undertook a rigorous quest, an enduring ordeal that enabled them to transcend their own personhood’s shallow desire merely to survive. By enduring hardships, experiencing breathtaking encounters with the physical world, and undergoing a spiritual renaissance, the hero gains a hard-won sense self-discovery, comprehends his or her place in society, and accepts their role as a teacher. A hero is a bearer of light, wisdom, and charity. The hero reenters society and shares their culmination of knowledge by devoting their life to teaching other people.Kilroy J. Oldster
About This Quote
This quote can be interpreted many ways. It could simply mean that original sin is the free will to choose to do something like murder, steal, or start a war - all of which are against God's law. But it could also mean that humans are born with an innate sense of good and evil. This is the meaning I believe the author was trying to convey.
If you are born into a world where murder, theft, and war are normal, wouldn't you be tempted to do the same thing? Wouldn't it be natural for you to want to go down that road? The best way to avoid evil is to not be born into a world where it is normal. If you are born into a world where greed and selfishness are normal, what would you do? The way out of this situation is to rise above your base animalistic nature. The only way to achieve this is by making the right choices in life.
Source: Dead Toad Scrolls
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