Central Fla. Religious Leaders Offer Perspectives On Getting Into Heaven
Imam Muhammad Musri of the Islamic Society of Central Florida is one of more than 47,000 Muslims in Central Florida."The name Allah is the personal name of God," said Musri. "You are Marla. I am Muhammad, and he is Allah. That's his name."Local 6's Marla Weech asked how a person gets into heaven?"To get to heaven, God has to show his mercy and it's a grant," Musri said. "It's a gift."Musri said that everything you do good, God automatically multiplies it by 10 chances to get to heaven."At the end of life, God is going to sum up our life experiences, like school, and give us our report card and say, 'This is your transcript of what you have done,'" Musri said.So, Weech asked if Muslims believe that their way is the only way to heaven."Any human being who believes in God (and) does good deeds, is going to make it to heaven, regardless if they are Muslin, Jew, Christian or other," Musri said. "There is nothing for granted. No Muslim, regardless of how educated, religious, righteous they are, they can never claim, 'I'm going to Heaven; I know for sure.' It's not up to us anyway; it is up to God."The Rev. Miguel Gonzalez of the Catholic Diocese was also asked how a person gets to heaven?"Well, in our tradition, in our faith, as Catholics, we believe our entry into heaven is through baptism," Gonzalez said. "Baptism is the doorway. Sacraments are encounters with the living Christ because we believe he is with us and he is present. So, that is why with baptism, through that gift, we die with Christ but we rise with him. We are reborn."Gonzalez said that because of baptism, people are members of the body of Christ and called to live and practice what the Lord has handed down to us through the Apostles."That's why we are also called to go out to all the world and reveal this Christ to all those we come in contact with," Gonzalez said. "Baptism is the doorway that is going, because again, sacraments are an encounter with the living Christ because we believe he's among us (and) he is present. So that's why baptism through that gift we die with Christ and we rise with him, we are reborn."Gonzalez said faith alone is not "it," Weech reported."You have to manifest that faith also through work. Faith without work is dead. So, the Lord also said in the gospel, when you fed the hungry, when you clothed the naked, when you visited the prisoner, when you did these things to the least of my brothers, you did onto to me. So, that is definitely the ticket when we go before the Lord.""Is that the only way?" Weech asked,"According to my belief as a Catholic, yes," Gonzalez said.For more information, visit The Catholic Diocese or the The Islamic Society of Central Florida.Tuesday, Local 6 will present Jewish and Protestant views on Heaven.Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.







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