[asa] Confessional Statements and TE Views

I'm curious how TE's who are part of a confessional tradition understand
their confessions with respect to original sin. For example, if you're
Anglican, CRC, or Lutheran, and a TE who accepts human evolution, can you in
good conscience assent to your confessional statements concerning original
sin (below)? Is there a tradition within protestant confessional churches
of some flexibility in personal interpretation of the confessions?
(Obviously I'm betraying my very low-church evangelical roots here).

For example, the 39 Articles (Anglican / Episcopal) say:

*IX. Of Original or Birth-Sin.
*Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam, (as the Pelagians do
vainly talk;) but it is the fault and corruption of the Nature of every man,
that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam; whereby man is very
far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to
evil, so that the flesh lusteth always contrary to the Spirit; and therefore
in every person born into this world, it deserveth God's wrath and
damnation. And this infection of nature doth remain, yea in them that are
regenerated; whereby the lust of the flesh, called in Greek, p¢vnæa sapk¢s,
(which some do expound the wisdom, some sensuality, some the affection, some
the desire, of the flesh), is not subject to the Law of God. And although
there is no condemnation for them that believe and are baptized; yet the
Apostle doth confess, that concupiscence and lust hath of itself the nature
of sin.
The Belgic Confession (CRC) says:

 *Article 16*

*The Doctrine of Election*
We believe that—
      all Adam's descendants having thus fallen
      into perdition and ruin
      by the sin of the first man—

The Augsburg Confession (Lutheran) says:
*Article II: Of Original Sin.*

*1]* Also they teach that since the fall of Adam all men begotten in the
natural way are born with sin, that is, without the fear of God, without
trust in God, and with *2]* concupiscence; and that this disease, or vice of
origin, is truly sin, even now condemning and bringing eternal death upon
those not born again through Baptism and the Holy Ghost.

*3]* They condemn the Pelagians and others who deny that original depravity
is sin, and who, to obscure the glory of Christ's merit and benefits, argue
that man can be justified before God by his own strength and reason.

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Received on Fri Jan 18 20:02:53 2008