by Andrea Brooks

Created on: May 24, 2008   Last Updated: August 06, 2010

Salvation is something everyone, whether they realize it or not, is searching for. We are all searching for someone to save us, a spouse, a mom, a dad, or a friend. Someone to save us from ourselves. The only way to salvation is to realize that no one can fix us, not even God. He gave us free will. The only way we can be saved is to decide, to change the way we think. Jesus was a great man. Perhaps, he was the son of God, but we are all God's children. So, to walk on dangerous waters, Jesus is our brother. We are heirs with him. The power to live or to die lies with us. We are accountable. I know the belief is that Jesus died for our sins. No, Jesus died because of our sins. Jesus' death and ressurection is an example to us of the life we are.

On a different note, I don't believe that Christianity is the one true religion. There are so many valid spiritual paths. I am a firm believer in the many paths that lead to the same destination. I believe in only one God. There is only one source of everything, and we are all the source. I was once a very good Christian, who had a problem with the notion that Jesus was the only way to salvation. So I rationalized it as being a Christian by default. I would often quote Matthew 25 as my argument.

As I grew spiritually, and after the towers fell I realized that religion was a very divisive force and that something was wrong with the notion that my religion was the one and everyone else's religion wasn't. Not only was it wrong it was dangerous and deadly. After all, what made me so special to be born a Christian when the child on the other side of the world was born a Buddhist. If the Christian view of salvation held true, that little girl would be damned to hell unless someone told her about Jesus. What kind of a God would do that to a child? My God wouldn't do that. Jesus wouldn't do that.

Christianity is a valid path as long as one doesn't become too self righteous. Which is hard considering the goal of most Christian churches is to gain converts. I think that Christianity is one of the only religions that is trying to make everyone believe as they do, but they don't even believe as they do. There are so many variations that it can make a person want to just scrap it all and become a pagan or something. A better thing to do is maybe practice meditation.

I believe that salvation is an illusion because it isn't necessary. What is necessary is awareness. What is necessary is changing your mind. The realization that your actions cause other actions. That you are accountable. That you have the power to create or alleviate suffering. That you lay down your life for a friend. That is necessary if a person is to enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus can help you get there. So can Buddha, and so can you.

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