[I've never written an essay like this before and I actually like how it came out, even if I don't necessarily think the quality is very high. Enjoy.]
Original Sin
"But how can we be born with it?" asked Owen. "We didn't do anything wrong!"
"We are cleansed of the original sin when we are baptized, Owen. If you live your life in Jesus' footsteps and follow his teaching, you will meet him in heaven after you leave this life." replied Fr. Patrick notably frustrated.
It wasn't the first time that Owen had questioned his teachers, even at the young age of 6. He would often be punished for insolence during his daily religion lessons, which wasn't surprising considering he went to a Church school renowned for its strictness. He pressed on, however, his inquisitive nature disallowing him from simply accepting all he was told, like all his classmates did. There was one particular thing he could never accept though, the original sin. How could God who is a supposedly merciful and loving creator curse humanity with pre-existential sin?
"Why do you believe everything written in the Bible?" Owen once dared to ask the ancient Fr. Patrick one day when he was 10. This got him the most severe caning he had ever endured. From that day on, Owen swore to never stop asking questions and that he would find out why.
"What of all the children born in non-Christian communities?" he would ask in his late teens during his High School religion lectures. He was made fun of by his peers for having religion as an advanced subject and he couldn't bring himself to make friends within his course because he hated them all for sitting there and accepting everything. Couldn't they think for themselves? How could they just sit there and be insulted? Why didn't they ever ask any questions? As far as he was concerned, they were all being told that they were born sinners and the only way to salvation is blind faith in a glorified and uncommunicative magician who everyone is afraid of. So afraid that they answer children's prying questions with corporal punishment.
He became a professor of theology. His lectures in the small University in which he taught were suffering from worse attendance every semester. He became more fixated with the concept of the original and unavoidable sin as time passed, which greatly contributed to the aforementioned attendance problem. With all his available resources and research, he couldn't understand why humanity subjects itself to religion in general, but Catholicism remained his main focus. It got to the point where his remaining students complained to the Dean about his irregular lectures; his rambling during said lectures; and the fact that they could never finish the syllabus because all he would really talk about was the Genesis. He was completely obsessed.
His last lecture was by far his most memorable, so much so that it had been transcribed word for word: "It's clear to me now, I finally understand. I am no longer a non-believer for, through my studies, I have been converted. I know now why God created us; why we all must believe in Him blindly and why we have to fear Him.
"I asked one question too many yesterday evening while praying for the first time in over 30 years." Here a single tear ran down his cheek as he spoke to his 4 remaining students.
"I asked Him why He created us and He told me that He was lonely. I asked Him why He makes us suffer constantly, He told me that it was because He was jealous of our love and friendships. I asked Him why He decided to talk to me now, and He told me it was because He knew I had no hope left. Finally, I asked Him why we are born into sin and why we must always fear Him and repent for everything which He tells us is wrong." At this he abruptly left the class.
His suicide note was found nailed to the crucifix which he was nailed to himself. All it said was, "Now I know." He lived alone in his apartment with no real friends or family to speak of. Nobody has managed to explain how he crucified himself, but nobody is willing to ask too many questions about it either.
[Judge me.]
