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+<p>In an age dominated by Moral Relativism and Free Examination of
+Conscience, it is common for us to avoid the topics of Sin and Hell, or
+even to deny them, adopting instead the heresy of Universalism - i.e.
+that everyone's soul will share in the Beatific Vision which is Heaven.
+However, this is not the teaching of the Holy Catholic
+Church<sup><a href="#r1" >[1]</a></sup>, nor is it remotely
+scriptural.</p>
+
+<blockquote>
+	"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is
+	easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For
+	the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and
+	there are few who find it."<br />
+	- <i>Gospel According to St. Matthew</i> 7:13-14
+</blockquote>
+
+<p>For those in communion with the Church, in other denominations, or
+even other creeds, it may be said that this comes from a place of
+charity, if attempting to comfort others who are still very much
+enslaved to their sins, or from an earnest desire to love God, which
+they currently cannot fully realize due to being enslaved to their sins.
+This is not, of course, an excuse for the error incurred, but rather
+something we should keep in mind. Although perhaps the greatest effect
+this has is on those who are irreligious, or who were religious but then
+scandalized by this truth.</p>
+
+<p>There are many irreligious who have a false conception of what Sin
+truly is - I myself having been one of them - and as such are
+scandalized by the implications of this false conception. The error
+being that Sin is simply that which God blames us for. For although "Sin
+is before all else an offense against God, a rupture of communion with
+him"<sup><a href="#r2" >[2]</a></sup>, this is not because God has
+chosen arbitrary rules which He wants us to follow - in other words, as
+a tyrant. God does not impose rules on us for Himself, but rather for
+our own good. This is because Sin, although it comes about by <i>doing
+bad things</i>, it is truly something real that has an actual effect on
+our Immortal Souls. That is to say, "[Sin] wounds man's nature and
+injures human solidarity."<sup><a href="#r3" >[3]</a></sup> As such, Sin
+is not something that God incurs upon us, but something real and
+objective that we incur upon ourselves with the Freedom which God, in
+His infinite Love &amp; Mercy bestowed upon us, His creatures.</p>
+
+<p>Once we understand this true concept of what Sin is, we begin to
+better understand the true meaning of other Dogmas &amp; Doctrines of
+the Church which, without this understanding, are difficult to believe
+of an All Loving God, as is ours. The first of which being the concept
+of Original Sin.</p>
+
+<p>Knowing therefore that Sin is not God blaming us for our deeds, but
+rather a very real effect that is incurred on our very souls when we act
+against our Nature (in the philosophical sense of the term), the concept
+of Original Sin begins to clarify. Original Sin is not God blaming us
+for the Sin of Adam. Rather, the Church teaches:</p>
+
+<blockquote>
+	"Although it is proper to each individual, original sin does not
+	have the character of a personal fault in any of Adam's descendants.
+	It is a deprivation of original holiness and justice, but human
+	nature has not been totally corrupted: it is wounded in the natural
+	powers proper to it; subject to ignorance, suffering, and the
+	dominion of death; and inclined to sin - an inclination to evil that
+	is called 'concupiscence.'"<br />
+	- <i>Catechism of the Catholic Church</i> § 405
+</blockquote>
+
+<p>That is, Original Sin is a real and actual effect upon all Men's
+souls, just like personal sins. It is not that God wants us to be
+afflicted by Original Sin, it's that we are. It's not that God blames us
+for Adam's Sin, but rather that his sin (the Original Sin), being that
+first sin to separate Man from God, had a real spiritual effect on all
+of his descendants, of which we are all a part. In fact, contrary to God
+blaming us, He wishes to save us from not only the Original Sin of Adam,
+but from all our sins. We incurred upon ourselves the evils of Sin, and
+God in His Infinite Mercy &amp; Love chose freely to give us a path to
+Salvation by means of Jesus Christ, His Son, our Lord. Through Him, and
+only through Him are we able to free ourselves of the evils of Sin -
+both original and personal.</p>
+
+<p>This brings us to the final point for this article, being Salvation
+&amp; Damnation. Because of Original Sin, from the very moment of our
+conception - which is to say the moment we come into being - our
+destination is Hell. There is no sugar-coated way of expressing this. It
+is not that God wants us to go to Hell, but rather He wishes for all Men
+to be saved. It is precisely for this reason that He gave us the means
+to be saved through Jesus Christ, these being the Sacraments of Baptism,
+Confession, and the Eucharist. As such, we see that it is not God who
+puts us in this state of Sin and disorder. Rather, He is the one who,
+despite our disobedience and offenses against Him, provides each and
+every one of us, freely, with the means to be free of Sin. He wants our
+Salvation! But He does not force us to be saved.</p>
+
+<p>When speaking about Salvation &amp; Damnation, we're truly speaking
+of Heaven &amp; Hell. And something that is important to note is that
+the defining characteristic of Heaven is that it is to be in full
+eternal communion with God; while the defining characteristic of Hell is
+that it is a complete and eternal separation from God. God is not going
+to force us to be with Him for all eternity if we do not want it. So if
+we choose freely to reject God and the Salvation He offers, He is not
+going to force it upon us. As such, truly, Christ's Sacrifice on the
+Cross is a universal sacrifice for all Men, but not all Men choose to
+accept and assume the consequences of His Sacrifice.</p>
+
+<p>This is all I will go over for today, but there is at least one
+question that could remain after all this, which is what happens to
+those who, not through their own volition, but simply by circumstance or
+scandal, never received the Sacraments necessary for Salvation? I will
+not go over this now, since I've already touched on a lot of things and
+this article is getting rather long, although I may write about it in
+the future. However, in the meantime, you can simply read what the
+Catholic Church Herself has to say on the matter by reading paragraphs
+846-848 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.</p>
+
+<label id="r1" >[1]</label> <i>Catechism of the Catholic Church</i> §
+1035<br />
+<label id="r2" >[2]</label> <i>Catechism of the Catholic Church</i> §
+1440<br />
+<label id="r3" >[3]</label> <i>Catechism of the Catholic Church</i> §
+1872