如果没有神的救赎,单有神的审判,犯罪嫌疑人就没有任何指望获得新生。认罪与否都会有相同的结果。认罪只能使审判过程容易一点,不认罪将迫使法庭进一步取证、例证和举证,使定案延后。不管怎样,在法庭取得足够证据后,最终都会得到同样的结果。例如,一个犯罪嫌疑人杀了人,按法律应是死罪。该人认罪是死,不认罪也将会被判死罪。这种无救赎的审判只能按人的行为审判,体现公义。然而,神是全能、全知、圣洁、公义和慈爱。没有救恩的神,就不可能体现神的慈爱。不能集全能、全知、圣洁、公义和慈爱于一身的神,就不是真神。以下举两例来进一步说明。
1、伊斯兰教:古兰经(Qur’an)是一神论,讲神(阿拉)有创造、有审判、有复活,但是否定耶酥曾为人类而死。把耶酥说成是被造的,与亚当一样出于泥土[1],与诺亚、亚伯拉罕、摩西[2]-[3]、大卫、索罗门等[4]一样的一位先知。说耶酥并没有死在十字架上,神(阿拉)用了一位与耶酥相象的替身将耶酥换下,死的是那位替身[5]。由此,从根本上否定了救恩的可能性。没有人死过,就等于无人预备过赎价。即便犯罪嫌疑人悔罪又认罪,他也无处获得自己的赎价。如果神因为犯罪嫌疑人悔罪又认罪就宽恕或赦免他,神的公义就不是完全的。如果神按公义审判,神就不应宽恕人,也就无法体现慈爱。所以,没有救赎的审判只能是按人的行为审判,体现神的公义。人只能努力多做善事,少做恶事,以求审判后少受苦刑。由于人人都会犯罪,人人也就无法消除对来世的苦刑的恐惧。可是人人又盼望神宽恕自己的罪,即盼望神徇私情,放弃公义。可见,神和人都处于矛盾中。
2、佛教:佛经不讲创世,讲轮回。讲善有善报,恶有恶报;善因善果,恶因恶果。善者得三善道:天道、人道、阿修罗道。恶者得三恶道:畜生道、饿鬼道、地域道。人因为受三毒烦恼(贪、瞋、痴),死后进入三恶道。人死了为什么会变成饿鬼?贪心没断;人死了为什么会堕地狱?瞋恚(即怨恨、愤怒)没断;人死了为什么会变成畜生?愚痴所致。什么叫愚痴?就是没有智慧。这个惩恶扬善的力量来自于佛法,体现佛法的公义。什么是佛法?佛既觉、悟,法为真知正见,佛法也就是人感悟到的真知正见。人原本具有这些真知正见,不过很可惜全被贪瞋痴及妄想给遮住,所以不能显现使用。修行即是复归原本。
从佛经教义来讲,善有善报和善因善果没有问题。问题出在恶有恶报和恶因恶果上。如对杀生来讲,虽然杀生是怨怨相报,但是,当他受果报时,他是不会想到我前世杀他,今天我应该被他杀害。前生我吃他的肉,今生我的肉也应该供养他。如果能这样想,业债偿清那就没事了。假如他不是这么想,怀恨在心,你今生杀我,我来生一定还要杀你。这怨怨相报就没完没了,且仇恨必定愈积愈深,这才是真正最可怕的。其实,这种教义将人推进了对立的矛盾中,使人无所适从。当你接受今生被杀的恶果是你前生杀他的恶因时,你就不得不承认你前生杀他的恶一定会在今生得到恶报,被他所杀。也就是说,若你在前生不曾杀过他,今生由于你的新恶而杀他,你就不得不承认你今生杀他的恶一定会在你来生得到恶报,被他所杀。这个在来生杀你的他一旦不是你今生杀的那个他,杀人这个恶就会延续下去,没有尽头。人可以尽量少犯恶,但却做不到不犯恶。结果是,恶会象滚雪球一样愈滚愈大。有产生恶的机制,却无消除恶的机制。
与此同时,许多佛教徒还错误地相信观世音菩萨能赦免人的罪,拯救人的灵魂。然而,在整个佛经教导中,从未提到观世音菩萨曾为人类预备过救恩。既然如此,观世音菩萨就不会拥有赦罪的权柄。如果观世音菩萨有赦罪权柄,他的慈爱就含有溺爱的成分,那就会使佛法无法体现完全的公义。
[1] Qur’an Aal-E-Imran 59 (Yusuf Ali's Translation): The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: "Be". And he was.
[2] Qur’an Aal-E-Imran 84 (Yusuf Ali's Translation): Say: "We believe in Allah, and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in (the Books) given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets, from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another among them, and to Allah do we bow our will (in Islam)."
[3] Qur’an AL-AHZAB 7 (Yusuf Ali's Translation): And remember We took from the prophets their covenant: As (We did) from thee: from Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus the son of Mary: We took from them a solemn covenant:
[4] Qur’an An-Nisa 163 (Yusuf Ali's Translation): We have sent thee inspiration, as We sent it to Noah and the Messengers after him: we sent inspiration to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob and the Tribes, to Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and solomon, and to David We gave the Psalms.
[5] Qur’an An-Nisa 157-158 (Yusuf Ali's Translation): That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah";- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not. Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise;