Is there such a thing as Salvation?

[Rex]

Is there such a thing as Salvation?

 

[Runt]

Salvation is a human concept that discourages individual responsibility, and is based on a wholly human concept of sin and the need for redemption. No matter how much we ask for forgiveness, the action will not just undo itself. Instead, we must try not to perform the action in the first place, if we believe it is so detrimental that we need to seek forgiveness.

 

[Truthseeker5]

Ask for redemption for the desire to recieve in order to recieve. Thats redemption and we will all have to come to this realisation very soon. When we realise that this is truly the cause of our suffering then we can direct a very sincere prayer for it. If we carry on following our desires then..................................well don't take my word for it just sit back and watch what happens. Lets see where our egoism leads us! If you want to be released from this affliction please see www.kabbalah.info

 

[Green Gaia]

The English word salvation derives from the Latin salus, meaning health. Unitarian Universalists are as concerned with salvation, in the sense of spiritual health or wholeness, as any other religious people. However, in many Western churches, salvation has come to be associated with a specific set of beliefs or a spiritual transformation of a very limited type.

Among Unitarian Universalists, instead of salvation you will hear of our yearning for, and our experience of, personal growth, increased wisdom, strength of character, and gifts of insight, understanding, inner and outer peace, courage, patience, and compassion. The ways in which these things come to, change, and heal us, are many indeed. We seek and celebrate them in our worship.

 

[Truthseeker5]

Among Unitarian Universalists, instead of salvation you will hear of our yearning for, and our experience of, personal growth, increased wisdom, strength of character, and gifts of insight, understanding, inner and outer peace, courage, patience, and compassion. The ways in which these things come to, change, and heal us, are many indeed. We seek and celebrate them in our worship.

So Maize where is all this leading us and for what purpose ? What your preaching is egoism.

 

[Green Gaia]

Egoism refers, in terms of philosophy, to ethical and metaphysical theories in which self-interest is regarded as the principal motivating factor. And so an egoist believes an individual should seek as an end only his or her own welfare. I would not label what I said as egoism, and I'm certainly NOT "preaching" anything. Take what I said as you see fit, I certainly do not feel the need to convince you of it. I answered the question based on my views. But if you want to label it as anything, I would say it is more a humanist view than an egoist view.

 

[painted wolf]

What do I have to be saved from? Thier was no sin in Native philosophy... evil yes, sin no... so thier was no need of salvation.

wa:-do

 

[BruceDLimber]

Greetings!

I define salvation as knowing one's purpose in life and endeavoring to follow it.

(As such, I explicitly reject Runts' claim that it's merely a human invention.)

And I would point out to Painted that salvation is not so much a matter of being "saved from" something as it is ACHIEVING something, specifically the spiritual growth and development that we need to progress both here and in the Next Life!

Best,

Bruce

 

[Runt]

I think, BruceDLimber, that you may have redefined the term "salvation" so that it still agreeds with your own personal belief system, but I've been guilty of the same thing in the past, so I've leave it alone.

However, even if we want to define salvation as "knowing one's purpose in life and endeavoring to follow it", I still think that it is a human invention. Does it exist? I think any purpose that we humans may have, we give to ourselves, and that such a "purpose" is more accurately called a dream or a goal. I do not believe that purpose comes from outside of ourselves; I no more believe in a thinking, plotting God than I believe in destiny, and thus I do not believe that we humans are born with a specific purpose that we are supposed to fulfil during our lives.

So... I do not believe that preordained purpose, or as you want to call it, "salvation", exists. Nor do I believe that the more traditional concept of salvation--the idea of being "saved" from our sins by a supernatural being--exists (mostly because, as I said, I don't believe in God). I do, however, believe that we can be "saved" from committing ill deeds or from the consequences of ill deeds by our own actions and those of other human beings... and through mere chance/circumstance. Similarly, I believe that "salvation" as "purpose" exists, but only if by "purpose" we mean that purpose (or goal/dream) that is given to an individual by society or by the self.

 

[Jaymes]

Salvation in the Judeo-Christian sense of the word? No.

 

[Scott1]

Salvation is a human concept that discourages individual responsibility, and is based on a wholly human concept of sin and the need for redemption. No matter how much we ask for forgiveness, the action will not just undo itself. Instead, we must try not to perform the action in the first place, if we believe it is so detrimental that we need to seek forgiveness.

Well, just remember that your concept of salvation is not the only one.... my salvation has nothing to do with sin or seeking forgiveness... my salvation is not earned by my merit.... my salvation was a gift.

 

[BruceDLimber]

Hi, Runts!

We Baha'is agree with you in that to us, salvation is very much what WE choose rather than something imposed upon us by God!

(And please note that I never mentioned "salvation from our sins"; that is not what I was talking about as we reject original sin, as also does the Bible....)

You are perfectly free to believe what you like, and you'll never hear us object to your choosing your own beliefs, but I must say that like it or not, a few billion people do disagree with your overall take. Perhaps you and I will need for now to concentrate on those areas where we agree.

Regards,

Bruce

 

[niceguy]

I have my own personal definition of salvation. Salvation are the liberation from the haunting feeling of guilt caused by something bad, let call it sin, one has done. This achived by healing the wounds your crime/sin has caused and if this is impossible at least do something to that end. A criminal can, after serving their alloted prison time, voulonteer to counteract crime. This could be done by talking about their experience to warn other from doing it. Other ex convicts are working in organisatons to help other ex convicts return to socity without returning to a life of crime. Here are a link to such an organisation, they are only active in Sweden as far as I know but I guess similar organisations exists elsewhere. http://www.kris.a.se/engelskasidan.htm

 

[njcl]

yes,salvation is being saved by the belief that jesus is the son of god,not much of a 12 labours of hercules there is there

 

[Mister Emu]

Is there such a thing as Salvation?

Yes.

Salvation is the state of being where one is "saved" from the righteous punishment due because of sins committed.

How one attains salvation is disscussed in detail in the New Testament of the Bible.

 

[Ormiston]

I don't believe in sin and I don't believe in "salvation".

 

[EnhancedSpirit]

Before mortality we existed as literal spirit children of our Heavenly Parents. God, our Heavenly Father provided a plan of redemption and a way for us to learn and grow.

At birth we left the pre-mortal existence and passed though a veil of forgetfulness before entering mortality so that we live by faith. We come to Earth as mortals to gain a body and be tested to see if we will follow God, our Heavenly Father's Commandments. Jesus Christ, the only begotten of our Heavenly Father was sent to be our exemplar, to lead and teach us God's plan, to redeem us by atoning for our sins and to break the bands of death by being the first to be resurrected.

In order to be receive salvation, we must repent of our sins, follow the commandments and His example. We must accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Those who were not taught the gospel on earth will be taught in the spirit world where they may accept or reject it.

 

[niceguy]

Imagine that you are a in the school age and you have done something bad so you have been summoned to the principals office to explain yourself. You are standing outside his office and just have to open a door to face him but you do not dare to open that door. So you sit down for a few moments and think about what you have done and what you can do to better yourself. Then when you have thought about the error in your behavior and decided to at least attempt to better yourself you feel a sudden rush of strenght flow through you. You now have the courage to open the door and face the principal.

I belive that salvation comes from acknowledgement that we have done something wrong and a desire to repair the damage we have caused whatever we are able to or not. If we are unable to repair the damage we have caused, then maybe we can instead repair the damage someone else has done instead. It's like when a criminal during their prison time decide to from then on work for good instead of evil. Some comes out and become deeply involved in some religion, others may decide to become social workers or maybe both. That is a way to salvation as I see it, to see the errors in our behavior and honestly try to amend those errors. It doesn't matter if you are able to finish the job, just that you honestly wants to try.

 

[Ori]

I don't know if there is such a thing, if there is then good, but if not, it at least gives people something to aim for.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

I think Salvation has come to mean, for many people, a point of arrival. where they fully understand their destiny and the love of God. You can't have Salvation in the plural. so it is not a question of repeatedly having sins forgiven or repeatedly returning to a Christian life. It is a once and for all, and I think not often achieved.

Terry
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Blessed are the poor in spirit, the kingdom of heaven is theirs.