Original Sin
The Roman Catholic Church is a false religion and a false church. Another reason for this is their teaching on original sin, which is actually not a biblical concept. And a lot of Christians are confused on what this phrase actually means. When the Roman Catholic Church says they believe in original sin, they are not simply saying that we all have a sin nature and that we are all sinners. They are actually teaching that we are all born guilty — and therefore you need infant baptism to wash away that original sin.
The verse they use for this is Romans 5:12: "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." Of course, we are all sinners, and therefore we deserve the second death and we need to be saved. That part is true. But the Catholic conclusion — that babies are born guilty and need baptism to wash that guilt away — is not what the Bible teaches.
If you go back to the Old Testament, when David's baby son died, David said: "I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me." The idea is that his son went to heaven, even though he was not baptised. Why? Because babies, although they are not saved, they are safe. They are not held accountable for their sin. But once you reach the age of accountability, things change. The Bible clearly says in John chapter 3 that Jesus told Nicodemus: "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." We need to be born into God's family.
Even Paul the Apostle made this statement in Romans 7:9: "For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died." Paul is saying that before he reached the age of accountability he was spiritually alive. Why? Because young children and babies are safe. But once they reach that age they are held accountable for their sins, and then they need to get saved.
The Bible does not teach that babies are guilty and will go to hell or purgatory if they die. The Bible actually teaches that as a baby you go straight to heaven, but one day you will reach that age where you need to get saved. Why? Because we are not born guilty — but we are born sinners. And eventually you are going to be held accountable for that sin.
So the concept of original sin as the Catholic Church teaches it — that babies are born guilty and must have that guilt washed away through infant baptism — is not a biblical concept. Therefore the Roman Catholic Church is a false religion and a false church.
Pastor Matthew Stucky
