What is the point of salvation? And, how can anyone other than ourselves give it to us?

If salvation means the saving of the soul from sin and it does, than that soul is the only one who can do the saving. It is the only one who can do the real forgiving. Many people seek salvation from others, namely a god or gods or through another person’s approval, but too many people forget to ask themselves for forgiveness; I think many of us do this because we fear we cannot save ourselves. Or we fear we cannot be saved, that we are not worthy of saving. Too many people do not know how to forgive. Far too many attach religious connotation to sin.

Simply put a sin is something in contrary with common sense. Of course, there are further definitions and explanations of sin, but in my opinion it need not be any more complicated than that. There is a lot to say for the generalization in this instance; it makes things quite clear. To force finite details and rules only creates loop-holes. People live for these! And, I think, that is why the idea of sin is so divided. Most of us are born with an innate sense of right and wrong. Many of us lose this, quite quickly, and too few act on it.

Society has done a great job of over-complicating sin, as it does most things, leaving it all mucked up. Religion and moral righteousness are guilty too. All in told, sin has been blown out of proportion. By attaching a moral code to something, like sin, you laden it with a system of expectations and beliefs. And, that is where the confusion lies. That is what breeds controversy and scandal. It also creates limits. It puts conditions in place that have no grounds to be there. And, it offers no guarantee.

In contrary with common sense may seem vague, or in need of great analysis and deconstruction, but it does not. Nor does it require any lengthy discussion. Life is meant to be simple: live, grow, experience, learn. A sin in its rawest, truest and most basic form is nothing more than a mistake, in my opinion. A sin is a blunder. Several sins: blunders. This is not to minimize the effects of people doing wrong; I think those wrongs deserve different more telling names and definitions, so they do not get mistaken for something minimal.

We learn from our mistakes or, at the very least, we should try. Only we can truly and wholly forgive ourselves. It is not wrong nor is it fruitless to turn to your god or gods for salvation; however, it can be misguided and quite often is done out of fear, if not for other inappropriate reasons. People believe if someone else – something more powerful than themselves – can forgive them, they can and will be saved. Your salvation, that forgiveness you seek, is your responsibility and can only come about when you forgive yourself. Even if that other forgives you, declares you saved, and you believe it with every fibre of your being, you absolutely cannot be so if you still hold yourself in guilt-ridden regard. That feeling will stay with you no matter where you go, until you allow yourself to be free of it. Unfortunately, no one can take that away from you. In this instance only you can do the work necessary to save your soul.

You will find forgiveness within yourself.