Quote:
Originally Posted by taki
I'm wondering why anyone would think that we as a people need saving. what we need to to take responsibility for our actions and grow and learn from them. That is salvation.
|
Taki,
Most religions don't consider Salvation as relating to our lives on Earth, but the idea of an afterlife. Salvation would theoretically result in going to Heaven (Nirvana, the Elysian Fields, Valhalla, the "good" place, etc.).
If one believes in an afterlife (which the overwhelming majority of people do), then one has to be concerned as to its nature. Although there are many faiths, with many definitions of afterlife, most can be classified into one of four camps which are:
- The afterlife is the same for everyone. Faiths that believe in this fashion don't have the concept of salvation, and even atheists can be put into this group (their concept is that there is no afterlife, or that the afterlife is simply decomposing after being buried). A sub-class of this is the idea that everyone "goes to the same place" in the afterlife, but will have different (but positive) experiences there depending on their acts while alive.
- The afterlife is for those who achieve Salvation, and the remainder cease to exist. The idea is that there is no "bad place" (e.g. Hell, Hades, Gehenna, etc.), instead you either survive to the afterlife or not.
- The afterlife can be "good" or "bad"; which one a person experiences depends on certain criteria (generally actions or beliefs while alive). Most faiths follow this belief. It makes a certain logical sense if one views faith as participation in a conflict between "good" and "evil".
- The afterlife can be "good", "bad" or "neutral" (sometimes with the possibility to move from the neutral to either the good or bad experiences). For example, the idea of Purgatory is a neutral afterlife where one spends time atoning for sins while alive to finally achieve Salvation (admittance to Heaven).
In my question referring to salvation, I was really referring to the common idea in most faiths that one can eventually have a "good" afterlife (e.g. go to Heaven, Nirvana, achieve Enlightenment, go to Valhalla or the Elysian Fields, etc.).
Certainly, taking responsibility for our actions and learning and growing from them is good in this life, but are you saying that this is how you believe one gets to "Heaven"?
-- Jeff