Adam, Eve and The Serpent Mark Sarkisian Western Civilization Adam, Eve and the Serpent It is interesting that Catholic theologians (Pelagius, Julian, and John Chrystostom) did not accept St. Augustine belief that Adam's original sin somehow morally corrupted Adam and his descendants. One objection is that if Adam had this much influence, Adam would be like a God. Likewise, Pagels emphasizes the contradictions in scripture on whether or not Christians should be married or single. …showed first 75 words of 1770 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1770 total…beyond their power as if they had caused or deserved their own suffering? The "social control" explanations assume manipulative religious elite that invents guilt in order to dupe a gullible majority into accepting an otherwise abhorrent discipline. But the human tendency to accept blame for misfortunes is as observable among today's agnostics as among the Hopi or the ancient Jews and Christians, independent of religious belief." {Pagels 146} References Pagel, Elaine. (1988) Adam, Eve and The Serpent