For it is beyond doubt that there is nothing which more…
““For it is beyond doubt that there is nothing which more shocks our reason than to say that the sin of the first man has rendered guilty those, who, being so removed from this source, seem incapable of participation in it. This transmission does not only seem to us impossible, it seems also very unjust. For what is more contrary to the rules of our miserable justice than to damn eternally an infant incapable of will, for a sin wherein he seems to have so little a share, that it was committed six thousand years before he was in existence? Certainly nothing offends us more rudely than this doctrine; and yet, without this mystery, the most incomprehensible of all, we are incomprehensible to ourselves. The knot of our condition takes its twists and turns in this abyss, so that man is more inconceivable without this mystery than this mystery is inconceivable to man.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Human beings struggle to accept that original sin makes all guilty, an idea that feels both impossible and unjust, yet it underlies our sense of moral mystery and self‑understanding.
In simple terms: We find it hard to accept inherited guilt because it seems unfair and incomprehensible.
Key Takeaway
Question the fairness of inherited guilt.
Themes
theity
theology
philosophy
Mood
conflicted
thoughtful
Type
theological
philosophical
When to use this quote
- Legal debates
- ethical education
- personal reflection
- theological study
Key Concepts
Original sin
justice
mystery
Questions to Reflect On
- Is guilt inherited or earned?
- How does this belief shape moral behavior?
A Different Perspective
The doctrine may ignore individual responsibility and modern ethical views.