The Original Sin Theft: How Augustine Imported Persian Dualism into Christianity

The Western Guilt Complex Is Persian

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“In Adam’s fall, we sinned all.”
— New England Primer (1687)

“There is no concept of ‘original sin’ in Judaism.”
— Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, Jewish Literacy (1991)

Introduction: Christianity’s Core Psychological Control

Original Sin — the doctrine that all humans inherit guilt from Adam’s disobedience and are born spiritually dead, incapable of good without God’s grace — is the foundational psychological framework of Western Christianity.

It teaches:

• You are born broken
• You are inherently sinful
• You cannot save yourself
• Only the Church (through grace/sacraments) can fix you

This doctrine does not exist in pre-Exile Judaism.
It does not exist in the Hebrew Bible.
It was invented by Augustine in the 4th-5th century CE.
And he imported it from Manichaeism — a Persian dualistic religion he practiced for 9 years.

This is not interpretation.
This is documented, historical fact.

PART I: ORIGINAL SIN DOES NOT EXIST IN JUDAISM

What Genesis Actually Says

Genesis 3 — The “Fall” story:

• Adam and Eve eat from the Tree of Knowledge
• They are expelled from Eden
• Death enters human experience
• NO mention of inherited guilt
• NO mention of spiritual corruption passed to offspring
• NO concept of humanity being “born in sin”

What Jewish Tradition Actually Teaches

From Jewish scholarship:

“There is no concept of ‘original sin’ in Judaism. Judaism teaches that man enters the world free of sin, with a soul that is pure.”
— Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, Jewish Literacy (1991)

“The idea of original sin is alien to Jewish thought.”
— Rabbi Louis Jacobs, The Jewish Religion: A Companion (1995)

Key Jewish principles:

1. Each person is responsible for their OWN sins (Ezekiel 18:20)
2. Humans have yetzer ha-tov (good inclination) AND yetzer ha-ra (evil inclination) — both present, both natural
3. Repentance (teshuvah) is always possible — no inherited guilt blocking it
4. Children are NOT guilty for parents’ sins (Deuteronomy 24:16)

What Pre-Exile Texts Say (Before 586 BCE)

ZERO references to:

• Inherited sin from Adam
• Spiritual death passed down
• Inability to do good
• Need for divine grace to overcome inherited corruption

What they DO say:

Ezekiel 18:20:

“The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son.”

Deuteronomy 24:16:

“Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin.”

Jewish teaching: Each generation starts fresh. Sin is individual, not inherited.

PART II: WHERE AUGUSTINE GOT IT — MANICHAEISM

Who Was Augustine?

Augustine of Hippo (354-430 CE)

• Born in North Africa
• Became a Manichaean at age 19
• Remained a Manichaean for 9 years
• Converted to Christianity at 32
• Became Bishop of Hippo
• Created the doctrine of Original Sin (c. 412-430 CE)

What Is Manichaeism?

Manichaeism — founded by Persian prophet Mani (216-276 CE):

• Blend of Zoroastrianism (Persian dualism), Christianity, Buddhism
• Core teaching: Cosmic dualism — eternal battle between Light (spirit/good) and Darkness (matter/evil)
• All matter is inherently evil — including the human body
• Spirit/soul is good but trapped in evil flesh
• Sexual desire is evil because it creates more matter (children)
• Salvation = escaping matter, returning to light

From Encyclopedia.com:

“The way in which the two principles are represented is reminiscent of the two spirits, or mainyus, in the original Zoroastrian concept. Spenta Mainyu and Angra Mainyu are opposites in all things (Yasna 30.3–6), and their choice between good and evil, between asha (‘truth’) and druj (‘falsehood’), is also prototypical of the choice that must be made by humankind.”

Manichaeism is Zoroastrian dualism with Gnostic overlay.

Why Augustine Joined

From Reasons to Believe (2021):

“Augustine had questions about the problem of evil, especially evil’s relationship to God… In his mind, Manicheans provided a better explanation to the problem of evil through its dualism… Manichaeism’s view concerning cosmic evil and strife in the world (a type of fatalism) allowed Augustine to justify his own sinful tendencies (especially sexual) as actions beyond his personal control.”

Translation: Augustine struggled with sexual desire and guilt. Manichaeism told him: “It’s not your fault — matter is evil, your body is evil, you’re trapped in darkness.”

The 9-Year Immersion

Augustine was a committed Manichaean from age 19-28:

• Studied their cosmology deeply
• Became a “Hearer” (lay believer serving the Elect)
• Defended Manichaeism publicly
• Recruited others (including his friend Alypius)

He absorbed their core premise:
The human condition = spirit (good) trapped in flesh (evil), unable to escape without divine intervention.

PART III: HOW AUGUSTINE IMPORTED IT INTO CHRISTIANITY

The Conversion (386 CE)

Augustine left Manichaeism and converted to Christianity at age 32.

But did he leave Manichaeism behind?

From Kenan Malik’s analysis:

“Displaying the deep-seated terror of pleasures of the flesh that he had discovered in Manichaeism, and that had already become woven into the Christian tradition, Augustine believed that Original Sin was passed down the generations through the very act of sexual intercourse.”

NO. He brought Manichaean dualism with him.

The Doctrine Takes Shape (412-430 CE)

Against the Pelagians:

Pelagius (British monk) taught:

• Humans CAN choose good without divine grace
• Adam’s sin affected only Adam
• Each person starts morally neutral
• Free will remains intact

Augustine OPPOSED this violently. He wrote:

“On the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins” (412 CE) “On Nature and Grace” (415 CE) “On the Grace of Christ and Original Sin” (418 CE)

Augustine’s counter-teaching (now called “Original Sin”):

1. Adam’s sin corrupted ALL human nature
2. Guilt is inherited through sexual reproduction
3. Concupiscence (lustful desire) is the vehicle of transmission
4. Every human born = spiritually dead, morally incapable
5. Only God’s grace can overcome this inherited corruption

The Sexual Obsession

From Augustine’s writings:

“Sexual desire is the ‘daughter of sin’, and ‘whenever it yields assent to the commission of shameful deeds, it becomes also the mother of many sins.'”

“Jesus alone is without sin because ‘the Virgin conceived without this concupiscence’… Every human who ‘comes into being by natural birth is bound by original sin’, their soul degraded, their moral faculties befuddled, and their will to do good corrupted, the result of ‘lust’s darkness’.”

This is pure Manichaeism:

• Sex = evil
• Physical reproduction = transmission of evil
• Matter/flesh = inherently corrupt
• Spirit trapped in darkness

Augustine repackaged Manichaean dualism as Christian theology.

PART IV: THE TIMELINE OF THE THEFT

The pattern:
Zoroastrian dualism (1500 BCE) → Manichaeism (3rd century CE) → Augustine (4th-5th century) → Christianity (official doctrine)

PART V: THE CONFESSION — SCHOLARS ACKNOWLEDGE IT

Catholic Sources Admit Manichaean Influence

Catholic Encyclopedia (MANICHAEISM):

“As the theory of two eternal principles, good and evil, is predominant in this fusion of ideas and gives color to the whole, Manichaeism is classified as a form of religious Dualism.”

From Reasons to Believe (Christian apologetics site):

“An odd blend of materialism and dualism, Manichaeism taught that the world was dominated by two co-eternal and opposed principles, one benevolent (Ormuzd: ‘light’), and one malevolent (Ahriman: ‘darkness’)… Manichaeism’s view concerning cosmic evil and strife in the world (a type of fatalism) allowed Augustine to justify his own sinful tendencies (especially sexual) as actions beyond his personal control.”

The Real Church of God:

“This pagan religion [Manichaeism] influenced Augustine in his formulation of the original sin doctrine.”

Academic Consensus

Dr. Elaine Pagels (Adam, Eve, and the Serpent, 1988):

“Augustine’s interpretation of Genesis broke with centuries of Jewish and Christian tradition… His doctrine of original sin was largely his own invention.”

Kenan Malik (Book in Progress on Moral Thought):**

“Displaying the deep-seated terror of pleasures of the flesh that he had discovered in Manichaeism, and that had already become woven into the Christian tradition, Augustine believed that Original Sin was passed down the generations through the very act of sexual intercourse.”

The consensus: Original Sin = Augustine’s innovation, influenced by 9 years as a Manichaean.

PART VI: BEFORE vs. AFTER AUGUSTINE

Eastern Orthodox Christianity REJECTS Original Sin

Eastern Orthodox teaching:

• Humans inherit mortality from Adam, NOT guilt
• Each person sins by their OWN choice
• No inherited guilt
• No transmission through sex
• Baptism symbolizes new life, not guilt removal

Why the difference?
Because Eastern Christianity was not dominated by Augustine’s Manichaean-influenced theology.

PART VII: THE CONSEQUENCES — 1,600 YEARS OF GUILT

What Original Sin Created

1. Psychological Control

• You are born broken → You need the Church to fix you
• You cannot save yourself → Only grace (via sacraments) works
• The Church controls access to salvation

2. Sexual Shame

• Sex = transmission of sin
• Bodies = corrupt/evil
• Celibacy = spiritually superior
• Western sexual neurosis

3. Total Depravity (Protestant development)

• Humans are “utterly depraved”
• Every thought/action tainted by sin
• Self-loathing as virtue

4. Infant Baptism Urgency

• Unbaptized babies = condemned
• “Limbo” invented to solve this
• Fear-based compliance

The Persian Roots

What is this actually teaching?

Manichaeism (Persian dualism):

• Spirit (good) trapped in matter (evil)
• Physical body = prison of darkness
• Sexual reproduction = creating more evil matter
• Salvation = escape from flesh

Original Sin = Manichaeism with Christian terminology

PART VIII: THE IRONY — JUDAISM NEVER TAUGHT IT

What Jews Actually Believe About Adam

From Jewish tradition:

Genesis 3 = moral awakening, not fall:

• Eating from Tree of Knowledge = gaining moral consciousness
• Becoming “like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen 3:22)
• Expulsion from Eden = entering moral responsibility
• This is GROWTH, not corruption

No inherited sin:

• Each person judged by their own deeds
• Repentance (teshuvah) always available
• Yom Kippur = annual reset
• No need for vicarious atonement

Children are born pure:

• “Tahor” (pure) — not sinful
• Develop moral agency as they grow
• Bar/Bat Mitzvah = assuming moral responsibility

The Christian Claim vs. Jewish Reality

Original Sin is a Christian invention, foreign to Judaism and imposed retroactively on Genesis.

PART IX: WHY THIS MATTERS

1. Christianity’s Core Premise Is False

The entire Western Christian framework:

• Born in sin → Need salvation → Church provides it

Is built on a doctrine that:

• Doesn’t exist in Judaism
• Wasn’t taught by Jesus
• Was invented by Augustine
• Was imported from Persian Manichaeism

2. The Psychological Damage Is Massive

1,600 years of teaching:

• You are born broken
• Your nature is corrupt
• You are inherently evil
• Sexual desire is sinful
• Your body is shameful

Result: Western guilt complex, sexual neurosis, self-loathing as virtue

3. The Persian Pattern Repeats

Zoroastrianism (dualism) →
Manichaeism (Persian-Gnostic blend) →
Augustine (9 years as Manichaean) →
Original Sin doctrine →
Western Christianity →
2.4 billion people

Once again: Persian theology, with the source hidden.

4. Jewish-Christian Divide Becomes Clear

Why don’t Jews accept Jesus?

Not because they’re “blind” or “hardened” — because Christianity teaches doctrines foreign to Judaism:

• Original Sin (doesn’t exist in Judaism)
• Vicarious atonement (unnecessary if no inherited guilt)
• Inability to do good without grace (contradicts Torah)

Christianity diverged from Judaism by importing Persian concepts Jews never accepted.

CONCLUSION: THE GUILT IS STOLEN

Original Sin:

• NOT in Genesis
• NOT in Judaism
• NOT taught by Jesus
• INVENTED by Augustine (4th-5th century)
• IMPORTED from Manichaeism (Persian dualism)
• IMPOSED on Christianity as dogma

The Western guilt complex = Persian dualism rebranded.

You are not “born in sin.”
Your nature is not “corrupt.”
Sex is not “the transmission of evil.”
Your body is not “a prison.”

These are Manichaean (Persian) ideas that Augustine could not shake after 9 years of indoctrination.

The fire never went out.
It just became guilt. 🔥

References

Primary Sources

Augustine’s Works:

1. Confessions (397-400 CE) — Autobiographical account of Manichaean period
2. On the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins (412 CE)
3. On Nature and Grace (415 CE)
4. On the Grace of Christ and Original Sin (418 CE)
5. Against Two Letters of the Pelagians (420 CE)

Jewish Sources:

1. Hebrew Bible: Genesis 3, Ezekiel 18:20, Deuteronomy 24:16
2. Telushkin, Rabbi Joseph. Jewish Literacy. William Morrow, 1991.
3. Jacobs, Rabbi Louis. The Jewish Religion: A Companion. Oxford, 1995.

Church History:

1. Council of Carthage (418 CE) — Condemned Pelagianism
2. Council of Orange (529 CE) — Confirmed Augustinian theology
3. Council of Trent (1546 CE) — Codified Original Sin as dogma

Scholarly Works

1. Pagels, Elaine. Adam, Eve, and the Serpent. Random House, 1988.
2. Malik, Kenan. “A Book in Progress [Part 4]: Augustine, Human Nature & Original Sin,” Pandaemonium, 2011.
3. Catholic Encyclopedia. “MANICHAEISM” entry. www3.nd.edu/~afreddos/courses/264/manicheism.htm
4. Encyclopedia.com. “Manichaeism: An Overview.” www.encyclopedia.com
5. Reasons to Believe. “Exploring Manichaeism: St. Augustine, Part 3,” 2021. reasons.org
6. Real Church of God. “Is There ‘Original Sin’?” rcg.org

Additional Sources

1. Wikipedia: Manichaeism, Augustine of Hippo, Original Sin
2. New World Encyclopedia: Manichaeism
3. Fr. Dwight Longenecker. “St Augustine: Hammer of Heretics,” 2020.

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#OriginalSinIsStolen | #AshaPrevails

The guilt is Persian.
Augustine imported it.
The West internalized it.
The fire never went out. 🔥