Public outcry as singer Phyllisienne Brincat links disability to ‘original sin’

Brincat, known for being a religious fanatic, was a guest on the TVM show Popolin which discussed religious topics on Wednesday evening.

Host Quinton Scerri asked Brincat about some link between illness and original sin she had mentioned earlier off-camera.

Brincat repeated her argument on air that according to the word of God, humanity became cursed when Adam and Eve brought sin into the world.

Illness was a result of that, she said, and went on to also linking disabilities to original sin.

“God created us perfect and not to die. I had a sister who had Down Syndrom … from the sin of Adam”, she said.

On Thursday, Brincat stuck to her argument which she claims was the truth according to the Bible.

Original sin is a term found nowhere in the Bible. However, in religious doctrine, it is associated with the taking and eating of the apple in the Garden of Eden.

The doctrine states that human beings do not commit this sin but are born into a state of sinfulness after contracting it from the Fall of Adam and Eve.

‘Blatant case of hate speech’

Inclusion Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli described the statement as “disgusting” and stigma fuelled by “religious fanaticism” that hurt many people.

The Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD) has strongly condemned Brincat’s “appalling comments”.

It said such “blatant case of hate speech” only worsened the stigmatisation that people with disabilities were already facing on a regular basis.