Which statement best reflects Tan's view that humans are inherently flawed?

• A. All human beings have sinned and are fallen people
• B. Emotional pain is never related to spirituality
• C. The dark night of the soul is purely physical
• D. There is no concept of sin in Tan's view

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is how Tan understands human nature as inherently imperfect. Saying that all human beings have sinned and are fallen expresses a universal, built-in flaw in humanity—moral imperfection that applies to everyone, not just a few individuals. This aligns with Tan’s emphasis on fallenness as a fundamental aspect of the human condition.

The other statements don’t fit because they either detach suffering from spirituality, reduce a spiritual crisis to physical terms, or deny the very concept of sin. Emotional pain being unrelated to spirituality ignores the common link between moral struggle, suffering, and spiritual life. Describing the dark night of the soul as purely physical dismisses its spiritual dimension. Claiming there is no concept of sin contradicts the idea of universal fallenness.