• Musings over the Christian concept of Salvation

    I have often read about the Christian belief that Jesus died for humanity's sins. Frankly speaking, it sounds illogical to me. Really, what does this mean? Does this mean that Christian's sins have already been forgiven, or that they would and "should" be forgiven whatever they do? Does this mean that Man is not accountable for his deeds and that religion or life, as a whole, is that meaningless? Does this mean that a Christian can rape or murder, or the do the greatest evil without being accountable for this? Indeed Allah is is the most Compassionate, and is the most Forgiving, but this does not mean that I am allowed to do whatever I like just for the idea that Jesus had "died for my sins", which is not true (and as Jesus was neither crucified) To say such a claim is a denial to the fact, as Christians do believe (and which soundscontradictory) aboutlifebeing a passage towards eternal life.  Like Muslims, Christians do believe in life as passage towards eternity, but saying again that Jesus died for the sins of humanity would render us "unhuman" , and at the same time claiming that life is a passage towards eternity renders the notion of life itself bare and meaningless. "Life as a passage towards eternity" implies that life is a struggle for eternal blessing. Throughout the course of their lives, believers can make sins, but most of the time with the idea of paradise and hell in mind, they can also repent and struggle to correct the weaknesses of their human nature. The awareness about their being "responsible people" makes them struggle, not only for fogiveness, but most of all for being better people. Like any other human being, I can make mistakes in my daily life, but my awareness of the fatality of such deeds puts me in a kind of struggle against "theinnate humanlonging forsin".Only such struggles against lies, backbitting, anger reactions, and so many other bad deeds in human nature makes me feel a responsible person. These struggles are engendred within the believer most of all by the idea of Hell and Paradise. This is what really makes meaning to our "passage towards eternity", but just bearing in mind that Jesus (may God bless Him) has "died for my sins" would annihilate my struggle for perfection and would make "my passage" meaningless. Against such idea, I say that I am the only accountable for my evil deeds, and that Paradise is not that easy as Christians claim, but I have to struggle for it. I begin from the principle that I am not saved, but I have to save myself. Only this could make my "passage" a real story of struggle. However, while trying to understand to concept of salvation in Islam, one should not mistake that Paradise is a choice, but most of all a struggle backed up by the forgiveness and compassionofGod.

                                                A. Siham

    « Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) revealed in old scripturesThere is no compulsion in religion »

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