Saturday, May 12, 2012

Original Sin or Original Goodness



The facts about 'Original Sin' 87

20 arguments regarding the doctrine of 'original sin'

Background
According to the explanation of this doctrine, Adam (bpuh) sinned when he disobeyed Allah and ate from the forbidden tree. According to the Christian theology, the following eight doctrines branch off the 'original sin' principle:
1.    All Adam's descendants inherit his sin, which means that all human beings are born with this original sin.
2.    For God's justice to be achieved, a price must be paid as a penalty for every sin that has been committed, in order for that sin to be wiped out and the individual to be forgiven.
3.    The only way to wipe out sin is shedding of blood, and according to Paul, "without the shedding of blood there is no remission" (Hebrews 9:22).
4.    But this blood must be perfect, sinless, and incorruptible.
5.    Christians believe that Jesus alone could pay the infinite price of sin, because they believe that his blood is perfect, sinless, and incorruptible, and he is the alleged son of God, the infinite God. 
6.    Christian theology says that Jesus shed his holy sinless blood, suffered indescribable agony, and died to pay for the sins of people. This concept is known in Christian theology as 'Atonement' . 
7.    Christians believe that nobody can be saved (attain salvation) unless he or she accepts Jesus Christ as his or her redeemer (saviour). In other words, salvation is restricted to those who believe that Jesus was willingly crucified and killed on the cross, and shed his blood as a price of that sin. Acceptance of this doctrine is the only way to attain 'salvation'. 
8.    Otherwise, everyone is condemned to suffer eternally in hell because of hislher sinful nature and originally inherited sin from the father of humankind, Prophet Adam.
The doctrine of original sin can be divided into six distinct parts:
1)   The factuality of the existence of original sin.
2)   Humanity's inheritance of the original sin.
3)   The belief that God's justice requires a penalty of blood which must be paid against that sin.
4)   The belief that Jesus has paid the price for the sins of all humankind by sacrifice of his blood, through his 'death on the cross' .
5)   The rationality of 'God's sacrifice' dogma. 
6)    The salvation from sin (original and newly attained) is only possible for those who believe in his vicarious sacrifice.


Analysis
The arguments against these six parts of the dogma of 'Original Sin':

Argument against the first part, the factuality of the original sin:
1.    There is no conflict between what the Qur' an says and the Christian theology that Adam committed a sin when he ate from the forbidden tree. However, Allah says in the Qur' an that Prophet Adam (bpuh) repented after that and submitted himself completely to his Lord, and consequently he was forgiven by Allah for the sin he committed. This is a tenet of Islamic belief and is mentioned in three different verses in the Qur'an (2: 37, 7: 24 & 20: 122). Based on Adam's repentance and Allah's acceptance of his repentance, the sin of Adam was not inherited by the children of Adam, nor did it require the suffering and death of Jesus Christ (or of anyone else) to be forgiven.
Argument against the second part,
'all human beings inherited Adam's sin':

2. The doctrine of the inherited sin has no support in the words of Jesus. 
3) Indeed, Jesus himself regarded children as innocent and pure, and not born in sin. This is clear from his reported saying:
"Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for such is the Kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." (Mark 10:14-15) 
4) The doctrine of the inherited sin implies that all people after Adam and before Jesus were born with original sin and died with original sin, and all of them will be rust into Hellfire, because they did not even know of this dogrra, and thus could not profess it! 
5) The doctrine ofthe inherited sin has no support in the words of the prophets who had come either before him or after him. If it was required by God, then they would have told their people about it and taught them to believe in it, because all prophets were sent to guide people to the way of paradise and warn them from sins and hellfire. 
6) All prophets taught that every human being is accountable for his/her own sins, and hence children will not be punished for the sins of their fathers. Allah says in the Qur' an,
The bearer of burdens will not bear the burden of another. (Qur'an 53: 38).
He also says,
Every soul will be a pledge for its own deeds.] (Qur'an 74: 38)

7) Sin, as it says, is not inherited, but it is something which a person acquires for himself/herself by doing what s/he should not do or not doing what s/he should do. Rationally considered, it would be the height of injustice to condemn the entire human race for a sin committed thousands of years ago by the first parents. Sin is a wilful transgression of the Law of Allah. The responsibility or blame for it must lie only on the person committing it, and not on his or her descendants. It is the height of misanthropy to consider it. How unreasonable and hard-hearted a person can become by believing that every baby is sinful at birth!
8) Saying that the original sin committed by our father Adam was inherited through humanity goes against the attribute of mercy which Allah attributes to Himself.
With this, the creed of the inheritance of original sin has no room whatsoever in Islamic teachings.

Argument against the third part: 'blood penalty'
The third part of the original sin doctrine says that God's justice requires that a price must be paid for the sins of humankind (original and otherwise) and that if God were to pardon (forgive) a sinner without punishment, it would be a denial of His justice.

The response to that has two points:

9) This view reflects complete ignorance of two of Allah's attributes, namely mercy and forgiveness. To elaborate, if Allah finds some real good in you and sees that you are sincerely repentant, having a real urge to conquer the evil within you, then Almighty Allah will forgive your failings and sins, out of His loving mercy and forgiveness.
10) The God we worship (Allah) is the Most Strong and Most Rich, and no one can harm Him. Consequently, if He prescribes a law and demands obedience, then it is not for His own benefit to abide by it, but for the benefit of humankind. If we disobey Him then we are the losers, not Allah. If He punishes a person before death for his/her faults and sins, it is not for His own satisfaction or compensation, but in order to check evil and purify/reform the sinner, which is out of His mercy. Bearing these facts in mind, claiming that Allah's justice requires a price to be paid for the sins of others is not valid.

Argument against the fourth part of 'original sin':
Jesus was sacrificed for humanity

The fourth part of the original sin doctrine says that Jesus paid the penalty for all sins (the original sins and any others) by sacrificing his blood on the cross of Calvary. The response to this proposition has ten points:
11.The Christian concept of salvation has no support in the words of Jesus (peace be upon him). It is not historically correct to say that Jesus had come to die willingly and deliberately for the sins of all humanity. Actually, the present form of the Bible testifies that he did not wish to die on the cross. (See Mark 14:36)
12. Indeed, the Bible points to the fact that God (Allah), not Jesus, is the ultimate saviour, "You may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after Me. I, I am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Saviour." (Isaiah 43: 10-11)
13. To punish a man who is not guilty for the sins of others is the height of injustice, harshness and lack of mercy, which cannot be attributed to the Almighty.
14. Rationally, we cannot accept that the suffering and death of one man can wipe out the sins of others. It is similar to a father, for example, removing one of his good teeth to relieve the pain of his child's bad tooth. Hence, the idea of crucifixion is false and illogicaL
15. Jesus (like all prophets) was sent to convey a message and to be an example for his followers during his time on earth, and not by deliberately dying for them on the cross or offering his blood for their sins.
16. Allah mentioned in the Qur' an that He is the Most Merciful and Most Compassionate; he forgives the sinner from any sin no matter how bad once the sinner repents. He may even forgive the sinner who did not repent, according to His will, mercy and favour.
17. The concept of atonement is false because it indirectly encourages people to sin, since their sins will be wiped out through someone else once they believe in him! Further, if someone died for another person's sins, what is the point of adhering to good and forbidding evil?
Argument against the fifth part, the 'sacrifice' of Jesus  
18. Christian doctrine states that Jesus was crucified by the administration of the Roman governor of Jerusalem, Pontius Pilate, with the cooperation of certain Jewish leaders. 88  However, the Qur'an explains that Jesus (peace be upon him) did not die, but Allah raised him up when they attempted to kill him. Allah replaced him with another person who looked like him, and in fact, it was this person that was killed. To this day, however, Christians believe that Jesus was killed on the cross. Allah says in the Qur' an:
And they said: We killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, Messenger of Allah, but they did not kill him or crucify him, but that is how it appeared to them. Verily, those who disagree with this matter are in doubt; they have no knowledge of it and they follow speculation. They certainly did not kill him. Certainly, Allah raised him up; Allah is Almighty and All-Wise.~ (Qur'an 4: 157-158)
19. Another proof that Jesus was not killed and is still alive is that in Islamic teachings there is clear evidence indicating the second coming of Jesus (peace be upon him) before the Final Hour. He will come back to correct the misconception which people have developed about his personality and his mission. According to a statement by Prophet Muhammad (Blessings and peace be upon him), he will stay for forty years, which will be the happiest years of life on this earth. At that time, those who had misconceptions about him will correct their misconception and believe in him as a messenger, not as the 'son of God' or as God incarnate. It is narrated by Abu Hurayrah (one of Prophet Muhammad's Companions, may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (bpuh), said: «By the one in whose hand is my soul, it will not be long before the son of Mary descends amongst you, a just judge and ruler. He will break the cross and kill the swine and abolish the tribute paid by Jews and Christians. Money will be so plentiful that no one will accept it. At that time a single prostration will be better than this world and everything in it.» 89 Abu Hurayrah then said, "Read if you wish (the following verse of Qur'an):

And verily there is no one from among the people of the scripture/" except that he will believe in him before his death and on the Day of resurrection he will be a witness over them. (Qur'an 4: 159)"91

This ends the answer on the fifth part of the doctrine.

Argument against the sixth part: salvation only possible via belief in Christ's vicarious 'sacrifice'
20. The Bible itself contradicts the notion of "Original Sin". In this regard, the Bible says about the dispute concerning the original sin: "The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labour." (I Corinthians 3:8)

Original Sin and Atonement from an Islamic Perspective

Islam declares that:
.:. People cannot transfer their responsibilities to saviours or saints. Each person's redemption and salvation depends on his or her own deeds.
.:. Forgiveness of sins (salvation) can only be attained through repentance to Allah and sincere and persistent efforts to fight off evil and do good. Allah forgives the faults and sins of those in whom He sees real goodness and those who have turned away from their sins and reformed themselves - without punishing them or any other person on their behalf.
In numerous verses in the Qur' an and statements of Prophet Muhammad (bpuh), it is mentioned that those who repent are granted forgiveness from sins; furthermore, their sins are to be replaced with an equivalent reward, and ~there shall be no fear upon them, neither shall they grieves.
In many verses of the Noble Qur'an Allah Almighty calls on people to repent sincerely.
Declare [0 Muhammad] to My slaves that, truly, I am the Oft- Forgiving, the Most Merciful, and that My Torment is indeed the most painful torments(Qur'an 15: 49-50)
Here Allah invites the sinners to repent; regardless of the magnitude of their sins, He will forgive them. At the same time, He warns those who do not repent that no punishment can be compared to His punishment.
He also says,
 Say: O My slaves who have transgressed against themselves [by committing evil deeds and sins], do not despair of the Mercy of Allah; verily, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. And turn in repentance and obey Him before the torment comes upon you, when you will not be helped.
(Qur'an 39: 53-54)

See how beautifully, soundly and logically the Book of Allah, the Qur' an, addresses the issue of sinning and atonement. It must be noted that Islam teaches that this Islamic approach to the subject was revealed in all divine messages, including the message of Jesus Christ. May peace and blessings be upon him and all the prophets.

Conclusion
By maintaining the concept of original sin, the entire notion of justice in Christian theology becomes flawed. Having analysed the six tenets of this doctrine and the arguments against them, the structure of the whole principle of 'original sin and atonement' is shown to be false, because it has no support either in revealed sources or in logic, but rather only in the ideology of the Christian Church.

Courtesy : Majed S. Al-Rassi ( Islam is your BirthRight)
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Original Sin


The concept of original sin is completely foreign to Judaism and Eastern Christianity, having achieved acceptance in only the Western Church. Furthermore, Christian and Islamic concepts of sin are virtual opposites with respect to certain nuances. For example, there is no concept of “sinning in the mind” in Islam; to a Muslim, an evil thought becomes a good deed when a person refuses to act upon it. Overcoming and dismissing the evil thoughts which forever assail our minds is considered deserving of reward rather than punishment. Islamically speaking, an evil thought only becomes sinful when fulfilled.
            Conceiving good deeds is more contrary to the base nature of man. Since our creation, if not bound by societal or religious restrictions, humankind has historically dined on the banquet of life with lust and abandon. The orgies of self-indulgence that have carpeted the corridors of history envelop not only individuals and small communities, but even major world powers which ate their fill of deviancy to the point of self-destruction. Sodom and Gomorrah may top most lists, but the greatest powers of the ancient world—to include the Greek, Roman and Persian empires, as well as those of Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great—certainly bear dishonorable mention. But while examples of communal decadence are innumerable, cases of individual corruption are exponentially more common.
         

   So, good thoughts are not always the first instinct of humankind. As such, the Islamic understanding is that the very conception of good deeds is worthy of reward, even if not acted upon. When a person actually commits a good deed, Allah multiplies the reward even further.
            The concept of original sin simply does not exist in Islam, and never has. For the Christian readers, the question is not whether the concept of original sin exists in present day, but whether it existed during the period of Christian origins. Specifically, did Jesus teach it?
            Apparently not. Whoever dreamt up the concept, it certainly wasn’t Jesus, for he reportedly taught, “Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14). We may well wonder how “for of such” could be “the kingdom of heaven” if the unbaptized are hell‑bound. Children are either born with original sin or are bound for the kingdom of heaven. The church can’t have it both ways. Ezekiel 18:20 records, “The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.”
            Deuteronomy 24:16 repeats the point. The objection may be raised that this is Old Testament, but it’s not older than Adam! If original sin dated from Adam and Eve, one wouldn’t find it disavowed in any scripture of any age!
            Islam teaches that each person is born in a state of spiritual purity, but upbringing and the allure of worldly pleasures may corrupt us. Nonetheless, sins are not inherited and, for that matter, not even Adam and Eve will be punished for their sins, for God has forgiven them. And how can humankind inherit something that no longer exists? No, Islamically speaking, all of us will be judged according to our deeds, for “man can have nothing but what he strives for” (TMQ 53:38–39), and “Who receives guidance, receives it for his own benefit: who goes astray does so to his own loss: no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another . . .” (TMQ 17:15). Each person will bear responsibility for his or her actions, but no infant goes to hell for being unbaptized and burdened with sin as a birthright—or should we say a birthwrong?

www.LevelTruth.com by Dr. Lawrence Brown (Doctor of Divinity DD ) 

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The Original Sin (part 1 of 2)  [Thedeenshow]


Description: Is humanity guilty for the sin of Adam? The Christian and Islamic concepts of sin, repentance, and sacrifice compared.

“…No person earns any (sin) except against himself (only), and no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another…” (Quran 6:164)
“The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.” (Deuteronomy 24:16)
None can reject that in these two verses, the first from the Quran and the second from the Bible, is an allusion to the same meaning: that the Just God will never punish people for the sins of others.
Christianity alleges that God created humans to live eternally in Heaven, and that when Adam ate from the tree from which he had been forbidden, God punished him through death and banishment from Heaven. They further assert that as death was inherited by his progeny, so too was the sin of their father, which was a permanent stain on the hearts of humanity, never to be removed except through a sacrifice so great that it would oblige God to forgive humanity. This sacrifice would be nothing other than the sacrifice of God himself, incarnate in His “son” Jesus. Therefore Christianity deems all of humanity as damned to Hell for the sin of Adam from which they could never be cleansed, except through the belief that God became incarnate and died for Adam’s sin, ritualized as Baptism, through which Christians are ‘born again’ into the world, but this time free of sin. So we see that the theory of ‘Original Sin’ forms the basis of various Christian beliefs, from the crucifixion of Jesus to the concept of salvation and savior from Hell. It forms the very basis for the mission of Jesus himself.
So the questions arise, is humanity guilty for the sin which Adam committed by eating from the tree he was forbidden? Must we all repent from that great sin? In what way is one to repent? And if so, what is the fate of those who did not?
Islam strictly promotes the notion that the punishment of sins will only be faced by those who commit them. Sin is not a hereditary trait or ‘stain’ passed to one’s progeny one generation to another. All people will be accountable to what only they themselves did in this life. Therefore, even though the Quran mentions the sin of Adam and how he was banished from the Garden, it places no responsibility on the shoulders of his progeny. None of the Prophets before Jesus were known to have preached this concept, nor were any other beliefs or rituals based upon this belief. Rather, salvation from Hell and attainment of Paradise was achieved through the belief in One God and obedience to His commandments, a message preached by all prophets, including Muhammad, may God praise him, as well.
The Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful
As for the sin of Adam, the Quran tells us that he repented for his sin. God revealed to him words with which to repent, which he then accepted from him.
“Then Adam received Words (of forgiveness) from his Lord, and he accepted his repentance. Verily, He is the One Who repeatedly accepts repentance, the Most Merciful.” (Quran 2:37)
Through God’s acceptance of Adam’s repentance, Adam was cleansed of the sin which he committed. God in the Quran repeatedly ascribes to Himself attribute of mercy and forgiveness. He also mentions that from His Names are The Oft-Forgiving, The Most Merciful, the Accepter of Repentance, and others, all of which emphasize the All-Encompassing Mercy of God. Even to those who have sinned much and may lose hope in the forgiveness of God, He says:
“Say: ‘O My slaves who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of God, indeed God forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.’” (Quran 39:53)
If a person sins, all they need to do is truly repent from their heart, and they will find God Ever Merciful. Adam did sin, and the sin did stain his heart, but it was removed through his repentance. The Prophet Muhammad said:
“Indeed if a believer sins, a black spot covers his heart. If he repents, and stops from his sin, and seeks forgiveness for it, his heart becomes clean again. If he persists (instead of repenting), it increases until covers his heart…” (Ibn Maajah)
Even if we were to say that Adam did not repent, that stain is not passed on to further generations. Therefore, we see that God does not need any physical sacrifice in order to forgive sins, and that no sin is too great for His Mercy; to say so would be to ascribe deficiency to His Excellence and Perfection. The Prophet Muhammad relates to us that God said:
“O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great at it.” (Al-Tirmidhi)
God says in the Quran in regards to sacrifice, that it is the intention of the person when offering the sacrifice which is of importance, and not the actual sacrifice itself.
“It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches God, but it is piety from you that reaches Him...” (Quran 22:37)
If we were to implement this verse in regards to the original sin and God incarnate sacrificing himself in order to forgive all of humanity, we see that even without seeking repentance for Adam’s sin, God forgave human beings due to His Own Sacrifice. Could He not have forgiven them without such a sacrifice?
It is also mentioned in the bible:
“To what purpose (is) the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? Saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; (it is) iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear (them). And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

Footnotes:
Apol., I, Ixvi.
Isaiah 1:11-18

The Original Sin (part 2 of 2)

Description: The Wisdom behind the sin of Adam, the fate of the innocent, and the basis of the theory of original sin.

The Divine Will of the Perfect God
So Adam sought forgiveness for His sin, and God accepted it from Him. Another crucial point which must be mentioned is that God created humans with a free will, and He knew that humanity would sin. For this reason, no human is expected to be perfect, but rather, God knows that they will sin. What is expected from humans is that they repent from their sin. The Prophet, may God praise him, said:
“All children of Adam repetitively make mistakes, but the best of those who make mistakes are those who repent.” (Ibn Maajah)
The Prophet also said:
“By Him in Whose Hand is My soul (i.e. God), if you did not commit sins, God would do away with you and come with a race which committed sins. They would seek forgiveness from God and He would forgive them. (Saheeh Muslim #4936)
So here we see that it was in the Great and Wise plan of God that Adam sin and that God forgive him for that sin, and to say that Adam went against the Universal Will of God by sinning is a blasphemy against the All Encompassing Knowledge, Power, and Will of God. Christianity goes so far as to say that God even repented from the creation of humans! May God be free from all defects people attribute to Him. In Genesis 6:6, it says to quote:
“And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart”
To agree to this would mean that Adam did something which was out of the Will, Power, and Knowledge of God, and that God regretted His creation of humans. God is All-Perfect and so are His deeds, and there is no defect or shortcoming in them; He does nothing except with total and complete perfection and wisdom. Islam in no way agrees to this belief and, as we mentioned, all of what occurred in the story of Adam was within the perfect plan of God. The Prophet said:
“Indeed God put everything into its proper measure fifty thousand years before the creation of the heavens and the earths.” (Al-Tirmidhi)
God mentions in the Quran what took place between the angels when He announced the creation of humans, and from this we see that it was known to God and part of His Great and Divine Plan that humans would sin. God says:
“And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels: ‘Verily, I am going to place (mankind) generations after generations on earth.’ They said: ‘Will You place therein those who will make mischief therein and shed blood, - while we glorify You with praises and thanks and sanctify You.’ He (God) said: ‘Indeed I know that which you do not know.’” (Quran 2:30)
It is also clear from these verses that God did not create humans as immortal, and that death was prescribed for them from the beginning of their creation. As for the consequences of the sin of Adam, which was his extradition from the Garden, this was felt by those to come after him and this is only natural. If one was to become drunk and have a car accident, and some of the passengers die, the sin of driver effects the passengers in their death, but that does not mean that the passengers are to be held to account for the sin of the driver.
The Innocent
Another question which must be dealt with is the fate of those who came before the claim that God became incarnate and sacrificed himself for the sins of humanity, as well as the fate of those who were not baptized, as baptism is the rite which all Christians must perform in order to be cleansed of Original Sin. In Christian belief, all humans previous to the incarnation of God, including the Prophets and infants usually regarded as sinless, are not free from the Original Sin of Adam, and therefore cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven, As Augustine said: “Do not believe, nor say, nor teach, that infants who die before baptism can obtain the remission of original sin.” Only until recently, non-baptized infants were not buried in consecrated ground because they were believed to have died in original sin.
Also, we know that the verse in the Apostles’ Creed, “… and (Jesus) descended into Hell”, is said to mean that Jesus descended to Hell to free the righteous souls who were there due to the sin of Adam. This leads us to believe that all those before the coming of Jesus are in Hell, even if they were from the righteous. Paul mentioned this himself in Galatians:
“… a man is not justified by the works of the law ... for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” (Galatians 2:16)
Here it is clear that adherence to the commandments of God is not enough for salvation, even for those before Jesus. This also holds true to all those who have not received the message of Christianity. We must ask; why did not the Prophets before Jesus call to this notion of original sin? Did they lie when they said that it was enough to Worship One God and obey His commandments to achieve Paradise? Why did not God come and free humanity from sin at the time of Adam so that the righteous and others would not be in Hell due to his sin? Why are infants, humanity before Jesus, and others who have not heard about Christianity, held accountable for a sin they never committed, nor have knowledge about how to remit themselves from it? The truth of the matter is that the notion of “Original Sin”, as many others, was one introduced by Paul and later expounded on by Christian scholars and councils.
“The Old Testament says nothing about the transmission of hereditary sin to the entire human race… the main scriptural affirmation of the doctrine is found in the writings of St. Paul…”
This concept though, was expounded by Augustine of Hippo, one of the most prominent Christian scholars in History. The basis of this concept is that “the deliberate sin of the first man (Adam) is the cause of original sin.” The Second Council of Orange (529 C.E.) declared, “One man has transmitted to the whole human race not only the death of the body, which is the punishment of sin, but even sin itself, which is the death of the soul.”

The concept of original sin is one which has no basis in previous scriptures regarded as divine by Christianity. None of the Prophets before Jesus were known to have preached this concept, nor were any other beliefs or rituals based upon them. Rather, salvation from Hell was achieved through the belief in One God and obedience to His commandments which was preached by all prophets, including the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, may God praise them.

Summary
In Islam, the key to salvation is the belief in and worship of the One True, Unique and Perfect God and obedience to His commandments, the same message brought by all Prophets. Islam preaches that a person must work righteousness and avoid sin to attain Paradise, and that if one sins, that they seek repentance for it from their heart. Through this and the Mercy and Grace of God, they will enter Paradise. Islam does not deem that all those before the advent of Muhammad are doomed to Hell, but rather that each nation was sent a prophet by the same One God, and it was upon them to follow His commandments. Those who have not heard of the message are not held liable to follow Islam, and God will deal with them with His Perfect Justice on the Day of Judgment. Infants and children of both Muslims and disbelievers alike are in enjoyment in Paradise upon death. Due to the infinite Justice of God:

“No one laden with burdens can bear another’s burden. And We never punish (people) until We have sent (to them) a Messenger (to give warning).” (Quran 17:15)



Footnotes:
King James Version.
De Anima (III).
The creed based on the Catechism of the Council of Trent.
Merriam-Webster’s Encyclopedia of World Religions. P.830. 1999, Merriam Webster, inc.
De Nuptiis et Concupiscentiâ, II, xxvi, 43
Enchiridion Symbolorum, Heinrich Joseph Dominicus Denzinger. n. 175 (145)





 Or perhaps we are meant to be distracted from this Gospel  passage J in which  Jesus reminds us that  it is God Alone who forgives sinners:

‘Then  his  lord,  after  that  he  had  called him, said  unto him,  O  thou wicked servant, I for- gave  thee  all that  debt, because thou desiredst me. Shouldest not thou also have had  compas-sion  on  thy  fellow servant, even as I had  pity on  thee?  And  his  lord  was wroth, and  deliv- ered  him  to the  tormentors, till  he should pay all  that  was  due  unto him.  So  likewise shall my  heavenly Father do  also  unto you,  if  ye from   your   hearts  forgive not   every   one   his brother their trespasses.’ (MATTHEW  18:32-35)


In this parable, does Jesus say that he himself will deliver us  over  to  the  torturers if we  do  not  forgive those  who  wrong us,  after  we  ourselves have  been forgiven?Or   does   he   say   that   his   heavenly  Father—our heavenly Father!—will deliver us over  to the torturers if we choose to persist in this hypocrisy? We are entitled to ask: Is this heavenly Father he speaks of the same as, or different than, the Father referenced elsewhere as the  Father  of all the  faithful, the One who  causes  the sun  to rise and  the rain  to fall on all of us?


‘Not  everyone who  says  to  me,  ‘Lord,  Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven_only the one   who    does    the   will    of   my   Father  in heaven.’ (MATTHEW  7:21)



Do the words that the Gospels attribute to Jesus support this theory?
  
‘Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art  in the  way  with him;  lest  at any  time the  ad-versary deliver thee  to  the  judge, and the  judge de-liver thee  to the officer, and  thou be  cast  into  prison. Verily I  say  unto thee, Thou shalt by  no  means come  out  thence, till thou   hast    paid   the    ut-termost   farthing.’(MATTHEW  5:25-26)

Can  this parable of Jesus, so rarely  taught or analyzed in church congregations, be understood as anything other  than  a parable of salvation and damnation? Can ‘prison’ represent anything other  than  Hell? Can the ‘judge’ represent anyone other  than  God? Can  the  ‘adversary’ who  may  hand us over  to the judge  ‘at any moment’ be anything other  than  our own inevitable death? Is  it  really   the  blood   of  the  crucified Jesus  that saves us while  we are on our way to court? Or  J is  what   saves  us  our  own choice to come to terms with the adversary? In   this   parable  of  Jesus,   salvation  lies   in   our decision  to   acknowledge  the   reality   of   our   own impending death, our willingness to ‘settle’ our case before  the  judge  renders a  binding decision that  we know   we  will  not  enjoy.  What  saves  us  is  our  own eagerness to  ‘pay  up’  by  repenting and  doing good deeds in  this  life,  thus  avoiding punishment in  the next.

This  pragmatic submission to  the  Reality  of  the situation we  all face  is, as it turns out, the guiding theological principle of Islam. And it is, to the careful reader of  Q,  Jesus’  guiding theological principle, as well.



We   cannot  seriously  maintain  that   it   is  simple ‘coincidence’  that  Jesus  fails  to  mention the  atoning action  of the  blood  of the  Son of God  in any  of these sayings. Nor  can  we  regard as ‘coincidence’  the  stark  and disorienting fact that not a single word promoting the theology of redemption in Christ’s sacrifice appears in any of the most ancient Gospel  verses. Instead, in  Q [ ‘sayings gospel’ called  Q (from  the  German Quelle, or ‘source’) do appear in Matthew and Luke.] , we  hear  Jesus  rebuking Satan  when Satan tests him by referring to him as God’s son. In Q, we hear  Jesus forecasting the doom of people who  listen  to his instructions for living  and  fail to take action  on  them.  If he  meant to  forecast  the  doom of those  who  fail  to  accept  his  sacrifice  for  mankind, surely  he would have done  so! In Q, we hear Jesus refer to himself as the Son of Adam—not at all the same thing as being the only begotten Son of God. These facts cannot be accidents. They cannot be coincidences. They cannot be happen stance. The early evidence is quite clear. Notions of Jesus’ sacrifice and his  ransom for  all mankind of a human being who was God Incarnate simply were not part of the earliest Gospel. These concepts were added later, long after the conclusion of Jesus’ ministry.

These   influences   betrayed   the original message of Jesus. The influences of those pagan groups, fortunately, appear  to  be  entirely  absent  from  the  early  Gospel passages we  find in Q.

The remarkable thing is that so much of that original theology is still evident in the earliest Gospel verses. Look at the teachings we find  in Q ... and  ask yourself how closely they match  the ‘context’ of Constantine. In Q, Jesus warns us to fear only the judgment of a single God:

 ‘And I say unto you  my friends, Be not  afraid of them that  kill  the  body, and  after  that  have no more  that  they  can do. But I will  forewarn you  whom ye shall fear: Fear him,  which after he  hath killed hath power to  cast  into  hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.’ (LUKE 12:4-5)

 This is identical to the  Islamic  principle known asTaqwa. Compare:
  
‘To Him  belongs all that  is in the  heavens and the  earth.   God’s  retribution is  severe.  Should you then have fear of anyone other than God?’ (QUR’AN 16:52)

 In  Q,  Jesus warns humanity plainly that earthly advantages and pleasures should not be the goal of our lives:
  
‘But woe unto you that  are rich! for ye have  re- ceived your   consolation. Woe  unto you  that are  full!  for  ye  shall hunger. Woe  unto you that  laugh now! for ye shall mourn and  weep.’ (LUKE 6:24-5)

 This  is identical to Islam’s  warning that  we  must not be fooled by the allures of Dunya, or earthly life. Compare:

 ‘The  desire  to  have  increase of worldly gains has preoccupied you so much (that you have neglected the obligation of remembering God)— until you come to your graves! You shall know. You  shall  certainly  know  (about  the  conse- quences of your  deeds). You will certainly have the knowledge of your  deeds beyond all doubt. You will be shown hell, and you will see it with your own eyes. Then, on that day, you shall be questioned   about   the   bounties   (of   God).’ (QUR’AN 102:1-8)

Perhaps just as revealing, Q teaches nothing whatsoever  of  the  Crucifixion,  or  of  the  sacrificial nature of the mission of Jesus ... an intriguing omissionindeAendd!consider the following chilling  words:

 ‘And  I  say  unto you,  that   many shall come from   the  east  and   west,   and   shall sit  downwith  Abraham and   Isaac   and   Jacob   in   the kingdom of  heaven. But  those who  believe they  own  the  kingdom of heaven shall be cast out  into  the  outer darkness. There shall be weeping and   gnashing of  teeth.’  (MATTHEW8:11-12)

There  is context  J and  there  is betrayal. Each  of us must  decide for ourselves which  is which.Those of us who are unwilling to accept the pagan remnants of Constantine as the permanent foundation of our  religious faith  may,  as our  detractors claim, not be ‘real Christians’.Then again  J one never  knows. We may be.
  
The more I looked at the Q sayings, the more impossible it became for me to reconcile the notion of the Trinity with that which seemed most authentic to me in the Gospels. I found myself face-to-face with some very difficult questions:


•   Where in the Gospels did Jesus use the word‘Trinity’?
•   If Jesus was God, as the doctrine of the Trinity claims, why did he worship God?
•   If Jesus was God, as the doctrine of the Trinity claims, to whom was he praying, and why?
    If Jesus(pbuh) was trying to die for the sins of mankind Why he asked God to save him from being killed (Luke
     22:42)?!
    Why he ordered his disciples to buy swords (Luke 22:36)?!
    Why he kept escaping from Jews because he did not want to got killed (John 7:1)?!
    Why he accused Jews for trying to kill him (John 8:40)?!




1 comment :

  1. if one indulge in conspiracy but could not emerge it to actions than that one is innocent ???????

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