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5.16 Does God need a "blood
atonement"?
"And again he entered into Capernaum after some days;
and it was noised that he was in the house. And straightway
many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room
to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he
preached the word unto them. And they come unto him,
bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And
when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they
uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it
up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the
palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. But there was certain
of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,
Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive
sins but God only? And immediately when Jesus perceived in
his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said
unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy
sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy
bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man
hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick
of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed,
and go thy way into thine house. And immediately he arose,
took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch
that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We
never saw it on this fashion."
Mark 2:1-12
As seen in chapter one, when Paul came with his new and
innovative ideas on how to improve upon the message of Jesus
(pbuh), he began by dropping specific commandments. This
continued until he decided that his alleged "visions" were
sufficient authority to completely discard all of the
commandments which both prophet Moses as well as prophet
Jesus (pbut) both observed very strictly throughout their
lives. The fact that both of these prophets are well known
to have spent their lives commanding their followers to
uphold these laws and commandments is casually brushed aside
by "St. Paul." His "visions," we are told, are higher in
authority than the commands of Jesus (pbuh) during his
lifetime.
Once Paul was finished nullifying the law of God through
Moses and Jesus and simplifying the religion for them he
began to get many converts. This is because his
"Christianity" only required "faith" and no actual work
(Romans 3:28). But faith without work was too flimsy a
concept to build one's whole way of life around. Paul needed
a stupendous and monumental event to have faith
IN order for his claims to be accepted by
anyone. Thus the original sin and the atonement were
born.
Paul claimed that God Almighty had created mankind
inherently sinful and as inheritors of "the sin of Adam." He
claimed that this hereditary burden was so great that the
creator of all of the heavens and earth, and yes, the
creator of the concepts of sin and forgiveness themselves,
could not forgive this sin. This, in Paul's estimation, was
beyond God's capabilities. Paul preached that the only way
the creator of the heavens and the earth and everything
in-between could forgive this sin was to have his sinless
"only begotten son" beaten, spat on, stripped, whipped, cut,
humiliated, and finally killed in the most gruesome and
drawn-out way known to man at the time; by hanging on the
cross, and thus becoming a curse upon mankind.
"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law,
being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed
[is] every one that hangeth on a tree"
Galatians 3:13:
Only then would God be able to forgive this sin.
However, if we were to read the words of Jesus (pbuh) in
Mark 2:9 we would find that Jesus (pbuh) informs us that for
him to tell a man that his sins are forgiven is much easier
than to cure a paralytic and cause him to walk, and since
Jesus (pbuh) had the power to cure paralytics, therefore, he
demonstrates to us that forgiving sins is much easier for
him.
However, we already know that God Almighty the "Father"
of all believers
"And call no [man] your father upon the earth:
for one is your Father, which is in heaven"
Matthew 23:9
We further know that God Almighty is greater in power
than all humans, inluding Jesus:
"..my Father is greater than I",
John 14:28
Finally, we know that Jesus (pbuh) gets his power from
God:
"I can of mine own self do nothing...,"
John 5:30
"Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of
Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and
wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you,
as ye yourselves also know:"
Acts 2:22
So it stands to reason that what is easy for Jesus (pbuh)
is trivial and inconsequential for God Almighty Himself.
Thus, if Jesus (pbuh) can forgive sins with the utmost ease
simply by uttering the words "your sins are forgiven you,"
then it is well within the ability of God Almighty Himself
to do the same simply by willing it, even without uttering a
word. Indeed, we can even read in the Bible:
"Who [is] a God like unto thee, that pardoneth
iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of
his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because
he delighteth [in] mercy."
Micah 7:18
"Nevertheless, He (God), [being] full of
compassion, forgave [their] iniquity, and destroyed
[them] not: yea, many a time turned He His anger
away, and did not stir up all his wrath. For He remembered
that they [were but] flesh; a wind that passeth
away, and cometh not again."
Psalm 78:38-39
"I, [even] I, [am] he that blotteth
out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not
remember thy sins."
Isaiah 43:25
Well, how then does God Almighty forgive our sins? Is He
able to simply say "you are forgiven" to those who turn to
Him in repentance or must He first sacrifice a sinless
individual before He can do this? To get the answer let us
read the Bible:
"It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the
evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return
every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their
iniquity and their sin."
Jeremiah 36:3
"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous
man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he
will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will
abundantly pardon."
Isaiah 55:7
"I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity
have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions
unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.
Selah."
Psalm 32:5
"By mercy and truth iniquity is purged..."
Proverbs 16:6
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall
humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from
their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will
forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
2 Chronicles 7:14
"But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he
hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which
is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall
not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath
done he shall live. Have I any pleasure at all that the
wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: [and] not
that he should return from his ways, and live? But when the
righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and
committeth iniquity, [and] doeth according to all
the abominations that the wicked [man] doeth, shall
he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not
be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and
in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. Yet ye
say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of
Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? When
a righteous [man] turneth away from his
righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them;
for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. Again, when
the wicked [man] turneth away from his wickedness
that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and
right, he shall save his soul alive. Because he considereth,
and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath
committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. Yet saith
the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O
house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways
unequal? Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel,
every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent,
and turn [yourselves] from all your transgressions;
so iniquity shall not be your ruin."
Ezekiel 18:21-30
"To do righteousness and justice [is] more
acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice."
Proverbs 21:3
"For I (God) desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the
knowledge of God more than burnt offerings."
Hosea 6:6
"Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, [and]
bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with
burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the LORD be
pleased with thousands of rams, [or] with ten
thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn
[for] my transgression, the fruit of my body
[for] the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O
man, what [is] good; and what doth the LORD require
of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk
humbly with thy God?"
Micah 6:6-8
"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."
Isaiah 1:11-18
This is indeed the teachings of Islam. In the Qur'an, we
are told that mankind were created to inhabit the earth.
When Adam and Eve were first created, they were allowed to
abide in the garden. However, soon after they ate from the
tree and God sent them down to earth. Once Adam realized his
error he was remorseful and repentant, however, he was the
first man. He did not know how to repent or how to seek
forgiveness. So, God Almighty provided him with a revelation
teaching him how to ask for God's forgiveness. Adam did so
and God accepted Adam's repentance. God did not mandate
gruesome and torturous blood sacrifices of the sinless or
anything else. He simply forgave Adam's sin. We can read
this story in the Qur'an:
"And We said: O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in the
Paradise, and eat from it freely with pleasure and delight
wherever you will, but do not approach this tree or you both
will be of the wrongdoers. But Satan made them slip
therefrom (the Paradise), such that he expelled them from
that in which they were. And we said: Decend, all, with
enmity between yourselves. On earth will be a dwelling place
for you and an enjoyment until a time. Then Adam received
from his Lord words (of revelation), and He pardoned him.
Verily! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. We said: Decend,
all of you, from hence; but whenever there comes to you a
guidance from Me, then whosoever follows My guidance, there
shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve. But
they who disbelieve and deny our revelations, such are the
dwellers of the Fire. They shall abide therein forever"
The noble Qur'an, Al-Baqarah(2):35-39
"Say: O My slaves who have been prodigal to their own
hurt (through excessive sin)! Despair not of the mercy of
Allah. Verily Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is the
Oft-Forgiving, the Most-Merciful."
The noble Qur'an, Al-Zumar(39):53
Anas ibn Malik narrated in Mishkat Al-Masabih the
following:
"Allah's Messenger (pbuh) stated that Allah said, "O
Son of Adam, as long as you supplicate to Me and have hope
in me I will pardon you in spite of what you have done, and
I do not care. O Son of Adam, if your sins were so numerous
as to reach the lofty regions of the sky, then you asked My
forgiveness, I would forgive you, and I do not care. O Son
of Adam, if you were to meet Me with enough sins to fill the
earth, then met Me, not associating anything with Me (in
worship), I shall greet you with it's equivalent in
forgiveness.'"
Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi. And Ahmad and Al-Darimi
transmitted it from AbuTharr.
For more on this topic please read Section
1.2.3.20.
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