In Reply to: Re: Serious about this question...(To George, Donny) posted by George on March 12, 2003 at 09:39:50:
Christianity claims that when Adam and Eve voluntarily subjected themselves to Satan in the Garden, a spiritual change occurred in them that rendered them incapable of the full spirit-to-spirit fellowship with God that they had enjoyed before (We call this "the fall"). Like a genetic flaw, this characteristic is passed from generation to generation until something is done to reverse it or heal it. It's not that fallen people lose all capacity for doing good; it is that even at our best, we are incapable of absolutely pure motives in any area of life. The good we do is always tainted by self-interest.
Since we were unable to save ourselves from this condition, God took upon Himself the responsibilty to set about turning things around for us. However, since the fall took place through a man -- Adam -- redemption must also take place through a man. So God came into the earth as a man -- Jesus, the "Second Adam" (Ro. 5, 1 Co. 15). What Jesus did, both in His ministry to the sick and oppressed, and in His suffering, death and resurrection, He did because God was with Him "to destroy the works of Satan" (Acts 10:38;1 John 3:8). When we believe in Jesus, accepting His sacrifice on our behalf, a transformation occurs, called the New Birth or the New Creation, which restores us to our original place with God (Jn 3:16; 2 Co. 5:17).
So the question, with regard to other religions, is not whether or not they have some ability to teach people to restrain themselves and to be good, but whether or not they can accomplish what is finally needed, the restoration of the human spirit to God's image.