It would be easy to turn this question into a straw-man and read into it a presumed contradiction between doing good and being saved. On such a construction, the answer would be that there simply is no such conflict: Doing good deeds IS the way to salvation.
As the Qur’an says: “Do you not see the one who rejects religion? S/he is the one who rebuffs the orphan and does not encourage feeding the poor. Woe unto those who busy themselves in prayer but who are heedless of its meaning. Those who feign religion in order to be seen amongst men, but who will not share so much as a kitchen utensil.”
Perhaps a deeper reading of this question would ask about the actual value or utility of good deeds.
Do I do them simply because they are good? Or do I do them simply because I want to be saved?
Here I think it might be useful to consider that there might be more than one kind of salvation. While we are all familiar with “religious salvation,” I think that “secular salvation” is also a modern reality. This is the salvation we seek from embarrassment, humiliation, loss of reputation, nobody-ness and scorn. Our quest for this kind of salvation is both instinctive and can motivate many more of our deeds than we might like to acknowledge. Of course, we can be socialized to conduct ourselves in a manner that society deems “good,” to the point that doing “bad” offends not only society but our own sense of self.
The problem, however, is that good deeds are not the only avenue to secular salvation. A plagiarized novel, assuming I don’t get caught, can earn me as much glory and somebody-ness as one I actually create. Here we come to the age-old conflict between interest and conscience: What value do I attach to my deeds in the absence of any considerations of secular salvation? And how consistently can/do I maintain this commitment?
From my faith perspective, the issue is not so much the conflict between interest and conscience as it is the fact that the two are so easily conflated. It is simply easier to rationalize the propriety of acts that lead to secular salvation than it is to risk being condemned to secular Hell. In this context, my definitions of “good” (and evil) must maintain a connection with a universe of values and meanings that lie beyond me and my secular reality. And here I return to the Qur’anic reality of the unbreakable connection between good deeds and religious salvation.
And God knows best.
Please e-mail On Faith if you'd like to receive an email notification when On Faith sends out a new question.
Email Me | Del.icio.us | Digg | Facebook
