Are kids born innocent or are they evil according to the Bible?

Question

Are we born sinful thus evil or are we born innocent?

Answer 1

We are not born innocent.  Every one of us is born sinful and actually, we have Adam's sin inherent in us from his genes.  



We are even born spiritually DEAD IN TRESPASSES AND SINS, and only Christ can make us alive (Ephesians 2: 1 & 5) and that's why we MUST be born all over again, if we want to see God's Kingdom (John 3:3)



And, we must be born of water & Holy Spirit if we are to enter it (John 3:5) because, in water baptism, we are baptized INTO Christ's body (1 Corinthians 12: 12 & 13) for as many as receive Him are given the power to become children of God by being born of God (John 1: 12 & 13) so that the Holy Spirit can baptize us into Christ because through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father (Ephesians 2:18)

Answer 2

Only the Western Church believes in the stain of original sin.  The Eastern Orthodox Church does not.  We believe we inherit *the tendency* to sin, not the sin itself.

Answer 3

What is your definition of 'innocent'? What do you call 'evil'? What do you take 'sinful' to mean? Everyone has different ideas about all three words. But, according to the Bible, sin is every deed, word and thought that clashes with God's holiness and righteousness. Clearly, no new-born baby can be guilty of that! There is a certain innocence attached to them insofar as they are utterly helpless, cannot think, speak, or do anything other that that which helps them survive.



As for being "evil according to the Bible", nobody can quote even one verse in the entire Bible that claims new-born babies are "evil". The Bible does speak about "being conceived in sin" (even though father and mother be married and God-fearing). You have to study the Bible to grasp what that means. It does not mean what you are asking.



That's because 'evil' is not a principle in creation, but is taking God's good gifts to turn into weapons against God. No new-born baby can do that!



However, when we observe that every baby will, sooner or later, start to show signs of sin (observe the 'terrible twos' - screaming, stomping their little feet and throwing tantrums to get their own silly, selfish way); we must admit that, internally, something's wrong. Have they inherited something from their sinful parents? Is there a basic flaw in their human nature that means all babies cannot help but sin, sooner or later, and lose the new-born 'innocence' we all acknowledge at a human level? The Bible explains such matters, but the way most people turn this question into a weapon with which to attack Christians and God is a clue as to where the real evil is to be found.

Answer 4

Children are born innocent, and cannot become guilty of anything until they have had time and opportunity to learn what is acceptable and what is "naughty". And they cannot sin until they are old enough to understand morality.

Answer 5

The Bible says children are born innocent.  "?Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven."

Answer 6

This is where I credit Muslims as having the proper take on existence. Muslims believe everyone is born pure and that is the truth. Saying everyone is born impure because of Adam and Eve's sin is a twisted logic that is almost like guilt trapping people into worshipping and would be a real dick move on the Christian god's end. "Yeah. You're all held guilty of a sin that was committed centuries ago by two people whom I created to not know anything other than what I wanted them to know." This is like saying your grandkids should carry the guilt of things you've done before their parents even existed.



It's stuff like that which drove me away from Christianity. The idiocy, lack of logic, lack of reason, the dark reality when looked at from other approaches, and denial about various other things. 

Answer 7

In the Bible, there is a difference between "sin" and "sins".  The first is a force, the second is an act.



Kids are born "innocent."  That means the lack the knowledge to know if their actions are good. bad, or whatever.  They have to learn what is considered to be "good" and what is considered to be "bad."  As such, they are not held responsible by God or society for their actions until they have learned. 



But the Christian faith teaches that within each person is a "nature" or "force" that tends to drive people towards doing what they know is "wrong."  For example, no one has to teach a child to be selfish, or to test the rules to see how much they can get away with.  That "bend" is a normal part of the human nature. And that tendency towards "sin" is what every person inherits from Adam.



So children are born "innocent" - they have no sense of right or wrong and are not accountable for their actions until they get old enough to understand them.  But they are also born with a part of their nature that gravitates towards sin.

Answer 8

Interesting question, interesting usage of words.



Innocent or evil.



Actually a new born child is neither innocent nor is it evil.



A new born child is flesh and therefore is sinful.



Yet this child hasn't actually done anything a person would call evil unless you call 'keeping their parents up every night' - evil.



Infants up and until they get to the 'terrible twos' are little dictators, with their parents satisfyingly their every need.



At the age of 2 infants start to find out they aren't the center of the universe, which brings out their rebellion.



.

Answer 9

Children must be taught right from wrong, and that naughty behavior has consequences, while good behavior is rewarded.

Answer 10

Sin manifests itself in our flesh natures. We are all born in the flesh. That fact makes us all natural born sinners. We have the proclivity to sin from the moment of conception. Newborns cannot yet sin, as they have no such concept. But as they grow, they will sin both by nature and by choice. 









If you are human then you are imperfect, i.e. a sinner. Thats what this means....





Psalm 51:5 — For I was born a sinner— yes, and broken from the moment my mother conceived me.

Answer 11

Paul states that we are born dead in the scriptures having the Adam nature; which Jesus Christ changes... once we are born again.  



This question you ask is so controversial... because of how Jesus Christ viewed and perceived children... plus there are other places where we see the angels behold them in the N.T.  Yet Jesus Christ did speak of who was The Greatest in the Kingdom(Mark 9:33–41; Luke 9:46–50)1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”2Jesus invited a little child to stand among them. 3“Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.I know the above verse pertains to the heart attitude of children... how willing they are to receive Jesus, how they joyfully respond to Him... and His loving devotion to them... and acceptance.  WE should all yearn to have the kind of heart that pleased him - the heart, mind and soul of a little child... - it seems to be that we all are born into a sinful world, which eventually affects us all and our nature fails us. This is why we must turn to Jesus Christ with childlike faith  -Children aren't held accountable... regardless... of what we think.  Once we reach an age of accountability we become responsible in the sight of God for our sinful actions and nature.  

Answer 12

The fact that even infants in the womb are subject to death is proof that all humans are negatively affected by Adam's Original Sin and not naturally suitable for Heaven.

Answer 13

According to the Christian religion, we are all born with Original Sin because of Eve.  Adam and Eve never cheated on each other.   No one to cheat with.  So silly! 

We know Eve was real because we have Christian churches. 

 

Answer 14

The fact of the matter: We are born full of sin, we have original sin passed down from Adam and Eve, so nobody is innocent, We are all guilty of God's law, and only by the grace of God are some saved. I know it sounds terrible but it is a fact, and we have to face the facts, and you either do the will of God or the will of Satan and sin one or the other, we lost free will when we fell from grace in the Garden of Eden, so now we either do the will of God or the will of Satan and sin one or the other, no exceptions, that is why so many people are falling away from the churches and some will come back if they are a true believer of God but most will reject it because they are like Judas who betrayed God The Lord Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. If it would not have been Adam and Eve it would have been your sin because you can't say you have never sinned against God's holy word the bible, So we are all guilty, just by God's laws. That is why we have to be saved by grace, because we fell from grace in the beginning and we must be saved by God The Lord Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior grace in the end, God willing.

Answer 15

All people are born in sin, since Adam was imperfect when he first had children, resulting in sin being genetically passed down throughout the generations. (Romans 5:12 & 14) However, children are still innocent in the aspect that they know nothing of how life works when they are born. This is one of the reasons Jehovah God tells parents to instruct their children in His ways. (Ephesians 6:4; Deuteronomy 6:6 & 7)

Answer 16

We are born innocent under the curse of Adam, making us objects of God's wrath.

Answer 17

Every one is born into a sinful nature according to the word of God.



While babies are vulnerable and should be protected, they are not innocent.

Answer 18

According to the bible, nobody is good, not even innocent babies.



That's the point of the religious scam.



If you're good, you don't need the magic fairy in the sky.

Answer 19

Sin doesn't mean evil. We're all sinful by inheritance, meaning we're imperfect. 

Answer 20

We are all born with orginal sin. If humans are left to their own devices from birth, without any instruction, they aren't going to be natural angels. Any parent knows this (ever hear of the "terrible twos?").  The gravity of their sins, however, are much less than when they develop through the years, and obtain reason. 

Answer 21

Original Sin says babies are born sinful, but the idea of an age of accountability that certain denominations made up says they're innocent.

Answer 22

Corrupt. That's what we all are. We call it evil, especially in English, and that means something really bad, but it wasn't that way in the Hebrew language, evil means a lot of things. But in the question you are asking, babies including us, are corrupt versions of what God made.