Wednesday 29 May 2019

The Meaning Of Salvation Examined Within The Beliefs Of Significant Religions

By Steven Fox


The Meaning of Salvation is an important concept in all the major world religions. Although they may differ to some degree regarding how this state may be accomplished, its attainment remains the central theme and goal of most followers.

Dictionaries define salvation as being delivered from harmful or difficult circumstances, destructive, evil or ruinous forces, or loss. Media organizations may use the word in connection with somebody or something being the salvation of a certain economic or political problem after difficult monetary or political times. Used in the context of a discussion about faith, it refers to being delivered from a sinful state and the consequences of sin.

Islamic tuition from the Koran teaches that salvation can only be obtained through devoted worship of God. Belief in God must be absolute and total as must obedience of the prescribed teachings. Theologians also prescribe that together with absolute belief a desire to be repentant and submit completely to the merciful will of Allah is fundamental.

The doctrine of the Buddhist faith see salvation as being able to reach a position of Nirvana. This is probably best understood by imagining being able to reach a position of sublime and total peace, or as Buddhists followers will say, to become the Buddha. Reaching the state of Nirvana prescribes that a follower must adhere in personal lifestyle according to the teachings of the Noble Eight-fold Path. This approach includes believers relation to his or her natural environment. Dominating the Eight-fold Path is a thorough understanding the concepts dealing with suffering as explained in the Four Noble Truths.

Salvation for Christians is embedded in the belief in and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and that the incarnation, persecution and death of Jesus, through crucifixion, as related in the Bible, took away the sins of believers and made possible an eternal life in heaven in union with God the Father. Fundamental to this is the realization that mankind is inherently sinful. Forgiveness and redemption is there for all who truly believe and confess, but that this is granted through grace, not through acts or deeds, and that Jesus paid the price to atone for the sins of the faithful.

The history of Judaism overlaps and is mixed up with that of Christians. The Jewish faith did not recognize Jesus and his teachings on the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. The idea that God could appear in human form was also rejected by the Jews many of whom see salvation as being delivered from exile. Deliverance is a common theme throughout Jewish theology and is believed to be attained more through observing high moral standards and ethics as laid out in the verses of the Torah, particularly the Ten Commandments.

Dating back a lengthy three and a half thousand years BC, Hinduism is the oldest organized religion on earth. Interestingly the beliefs and prescripts of the Hindus have undergone an evolution over this period resulting in it frequently being referred to as a living religion. The doctrine relating to salvation has also changed as the faith evolved. Referred to as Moksha, the belief is that the process of repeatedly being reincarnated through life and death is halted when an individual reaches a point of completeness. This final state is seen as the ultimate for Hindus as it implies one being at one or in union with God.

Whilst doctrine and methods of worship do vary, the main religions on the planet appear to be pursuing similar objectives.




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