Is Disobedience The Original Sin?

ORIGINAL SIN is an essential truth of the faith, says the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It is the reason why God had to become man, suffer, die and rise again to save mankind.

Had the first man and woman not committed Original Sin, we would all have been born in Paradise.

Because of Original Sin, man was thrown out of Paradise. And with that came suffering and death. (Genesis 3:16-24)

Now, some ask: What is The Original Sin? What is this sin that started it all?

Many say it was "disobedience" and for good reason: God commanded the first man and woman to not eat the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. (Genesis 2:17) Despite that prohibition, they still ate the forbidden fruit. (Genesis 3:6)

The first man and woman disobeyed God.

So, was disobedience the Original Sin?

No.

Disobedience was only an offshoot of The Original Sin, which was pride.

Pride was and is the very first sin of man. Pride is The Original Sin.

To understand this, let us read the events that led to the fall of man.

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Genesis 3:1-6

"Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’”

But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate."

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From the start, the devil (serpent) wanted to test or explore any weakness in man. He did this through distortion and deception. Genesis 3:1 did say that the serpent was "crafty."

God created man perfect, innocent yet rational. One top of that, He gave man free will and allowed him to think and decide for himself. This is in part the essence of man being in the "image and likeness" of God. (Genesis 1:26-27)

It was through this innocent, rational nature that the devil began his attack on man.

In Genesis 3:1, the devil asked the woman: "Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

Take note, the serpent distorted the command of God.

When God made His first command to man in Genesis 2:16-17, He said: “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”

God told man that he “may freely eat of every tree of the garden.” The devil reversed this saying: “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

In God's command, He told man to avoid only the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Notice how the woman responded to the serpent's question. She said: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’”

God never prohibited the first man and woman from touching the forbidden fruit. Wittingly or unwittingly, the woman added to God's command.

The Creator gave an order and she put in her own "command."

The devil saw this and saw that she was trying to play God. And it was there that the serpent focused his attack.

In Genesis 3:4-5 the devil said, “You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

These words echoed in the woman's ears: “... When you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God.”

“You will be like God.”

At that moment, the woman saw the tree as "good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise."

The serpent's words tickled her desire: "You will be like God."

She would no longer just be a creature. She would be "like God."

The creature was desiring to become like the Creator.

Pride had crept up in her.

It was this pride that prompted her to take the fruit and eat it. "And she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate." (Genesis 3:6)

Because of pride, man and woman disobeyed God.

It was pride that started it all.

Pride was and is The Original Sin.