There is a widely accepted viewpoint among secularists (and some “Christians” too) that in my opinion has its roots in Pelagianism. It is related to the sociopath, psychopath, and other interesting trail theories. The idea basically says that man’s sin is a result of his environment, or the bad influence of society. In other words, you’re not responsible for you’re actions; it was your bad childhood, etc.
Pelagius was a 4th century heretic who said that sin is not inherited from Adam, as traditional Christianity taught, but that it is a result of the bad influence of people around you. Augustine was one of the major opponents of Pelagius, and succeeded in showing the church the error of that viewpoint from the Bible. The Bible clearly teaches inheritance of sin and total depravity. (See 1 Cor. 15:22, Gen. 6:5, and many more)
This viewpoint has influenced many things, including the public school system. The mentality behind the institution of public schools was that by forcibly putting a child into a “good” setting, they could change the child and create a perfect world without sin. Change the environment, and you’ll change the kid. It obviously didn’t turn out that way. (Ever heard of Columbine?)
This idea plainly contradicts the doctrine of total depravity that is proven by the second. Which one of us can truly say honestly without his conscience being killed that he does not sin? Even when you isolate a child with no outside, “corrupting” influence, he will still be a sinner when you look at him the next time. Toddlers disobey their parents when they don’t even understand what that means. The idea of a utopian society is completely faulty.
Many of the frivolous lawsuits, murderer defenses, and criminal excuses today come from this mentality of, “I’m not responsible,” and, “It was the neighborhood I grew up in.” Hence, criminals are pardoned, murderers declared insane, and bad people excused. Those pleas are just convenient excuses invented by modern man in rebellion against God.
Sin comes at birth from Adam as a characteristic of being human. If you’re not sinful, you’re not human; that’s the sad truth for man since the fall. There’s only one way out of the judgment of God for sin, and that’s through Christ.
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