Editing Original sin (section)

====Anti-Pelagianism====
Augustine articulated his explanation in reaction to his understanding of [[Pelagianism]] that would insist that humans have of themselves, without the necessary help of God's grace, the ability to lead a morally good life, thus denying both the importance of baptism and the teaching that God is the giver of all that is good. According to this understanding, the influence of Adam on other humans was merely that of bad example, thus, original sin consists in ''imitation'' of Adam. Augustine held that the effects of Adam's sin are transmitted to his descendants not by example but by the very fact of generation from that ancestor (''propagation''). A wounded nature comes to the soul and body of the new person from their parents, who experience ''libido'' (or "concupiscence"). Augustine frequently cited Romans 5 to refute the [[Pelagianism|Pelagian]] theory of imitation.<blockquote>But observe more attentively what he says, that “through the offence of one, many are dead.” For why should it be on account of the sin of one, and not rather on account of their own sins, if this passage is to be understood of ''imitation'', and not of ''propagation?'' But mark what follows: “And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift; for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the grace is of many offences unto justification.” [Romans 5:16] Now let them tell us, where there is room in these words for ''imitation''. “By one,” says he, “to condemnation.” By one what except one sin? [...] That person, therefore, greatly deceives both himself and others, who teaches that they will not be involved in condemnation; whereas the apostle says: “Judgment from one offence to condemnation,” [Romans 5:16] and again a little after: “By the offence of one upon all persons to condemnation.” [Romans 5:18]<ref>[https://ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf105/npnf105.x.iii.i.html ''A Treatise on the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins, and on the Baptism of Infants'', Book 1, Chapters 15 and 21.]</ref></blockquote>Augustine's view was that human procreation was the way the transmission was being effected. He did not blame, however, the sexual passion itself, but the spiritual concupiscence present in human nature, soul and body, even after baptismal regeneration. This was because, according to Augustine, sexual desire is only one—though the strongest—of many physical realizations of that spiritual libido.<ref>[https://ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf102/npnf102.iv.XIV.16.html ''City of God'', Book 14, Chapter 16], cf.''De continentia'', Chapter 8; ''Contra Julianum'', Book 6, Chapter 19; Book 4, Chapter 14; ''De Trinitate'', Book 12, Chapter 9; ''De Genesi contra Manicheos'', Book 2, Chapter 9.</ref>{{sfn|Schmitt|1983|pp=97}} Christian parents transmit their wounded nature to children, because they give them birth, not the "re-birth".<ref>[https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf105/npnf105.xv.iv.xlv.html ''On Original Sin'', Chapter 45.]</ref> Augustine used the [[Cicero]]nian [[Stoicism|Stoic]] concept of passions to interpret Paul's doctrine of universal sin and redemption. In that view, sexual desire itself as well as other bodily passions were consequences of the original sin, in which pure affections were wounded by vice and became disobedient to human reason and will. As long as they carry a threat to the dominion of reason over the soul, they constitute moral evil, but since they do not presuppose consent, one cannot call them sins. Humanity will be liberated from passions, and pure affections will be restored only when all sin has been washed away and ended, that is in the [[resurrection of the dead]].{{efn|name=De civitate Dei}}{{sfn|Brachtendorf|1997|p=307}}