Me: summing things up: Like all things in this physical universe, salvation and perdition are a dualistic polarity creating a choice of paths that can be taken leading to eternal joy and happiness or to eternal horrific suffering. According to traditional Christian dogma there are only these two paths and their destinations are final unless the grace of God intercedes and then there can be some sort of redemption and a rescue from the path of perdition. However, once a person has died and entered into hell forever there is no possible redemption? Hmmm!
These are pretty strict and fatalistic ideas I would say. Fortunately, even though many great theologians have spent their lives thinking and writing about these outcomes in great detail they have made no progress because of an inability to hold a paradox and a primary initial error in thinking. I say fortunately because in my view they have been so wrong. The error is actually very simple and the error would naturally lead to this fatalistic conclusion. The error is thinking that we are separate from God or Spirit and have to either earn our salvation through good works, hard effort, and piousness or fall prey to the temptations of carnal desires and lose our access to be with God in heaven wherever that might be located.
So, the false premise leads to a false conclusion. What an incredible waste of time this has been for humankind! Let’s look a little closer. It doesn’t take much imagination to see that what they are saying is nonsense. If you remember your Sunday school from childhood or if you remember your catechism in the Catholic faith you heard over and over again that God is everywhere, eternal and infinite. Well, that sounds nice. We also learned that God made us to know, love, and serve him. Now we are into some dubious territory. What does it mean to serve him? Notice the emphasis on “HIM” a masculine term, the guy with the beard. This old guy with the beard always has been around so obviously he had no mother or father. He is the father but what happened to the mother? Oh, he had a son, but no daughter? Who did he have the son with? No mention of that. Oh well. Looks like this universe is a pretty masculine place. Oh, the son had a mother, Mary, but she was not married to God, the father? So confusing.
Anyway, I digress. Back to how to serve “Him.” Somehow, I get the uncomfortable feeling that serving is not going to be fun, like going for miles on my knees praying for forgiveness. For what? For being bad. What is bad? OH! Lusting and thinking of naked women or, perhaps if I was gay or female, handsome men. Oops, can’t do that. That road leads to perdition, losing my soul. None of that. The Father does not seem to like sex but then he created everything including sex. So confusing. What to do? It seems quite impossible to please this father. And damn it, (oops, bad term) where is the nurturing mother?
The theologians: Sorry, not there. But God loves us because he made us out of himself but we are not in him, of him, or with him.
Me: Where the hell, (oops, other term needed) where in tarnation is he? He is everywhere but not in me. How can that be?
The theologians: Well, we are just too low vibration and sinful for God to be in us.
Me: But didn’t he make us? Well, I guess he makes bad things.
The theologians: No, that’s Satan that makes bad things.
Me: So Satan made us?
The theologians: No, but we have original sin.
Me: Where did that come from?
The theologians: From Satan, the evil snake that seduced Eve to eat the delicious apple and evilly seduced Adam into eating it too and they were banished forever from happiness and joy and had to get clothes to cover up their genitals. ,
Me: Wow. Crazy. So, you mean the whole fashion industry is evil and of Satan?
The theologians: Well, no.
Me: But at least there is now mention of a woman, but she was bad, but God made her but he is not in her. So confusing again. I guess delicious apples are off the menu. Along with naked women and naked handsome men. Can’t enjoy life too much can we? Well then, where did the snake come from? From God? No? So, the snake is the opposite of God but God made everything and is everywhere but not in the snake because she is bad? Uh, I can’t follow very well. The whole thing is making no sense to me.
The theologians: Well, that’s because you are too stupid to understand these sacred things. Leave it to us to decide what makes sense or not.
Me: “Okay, if you insist. I am going to AI and try to see if I can find some answers there. Have you heard? AI is the new God. It has answers to everything and is everywhere these days. Sounds kinda like God.
Here is what AI says about Salvation and Perdition;
AI: “Salvation and perdition are fundamental theological concepts in Christianity representing the opposing eternal destinies of the soul: Salvation brings eternal life and union with God, while perdition denotes ultimate ruin, damnation, and separation from God. Salvation is achieved through faith and grace, while perdition is the result of unrepentant sin and defiance of God, with “sons of perdition” specifically referring to those who knowingly rebel against divine power, such as Judas Iscariot and the Antichrist.”
Me: Uh! Thanks, I think. Well, this suggests that separation comes from being bad but I was taught that we were originally bad so there is no escape.
Theologians: That’s right You are doomed.
Me: What about being saved?
Theologians: Good luck Bozo. The cards are against you. Stop defying God and thinking about naked women and handsome men and there might be a tiny possibility.
Me: Okay I think I need to consult AI again. How do I get saved? And from what? The snake?
AI: The “5 R’s of Salvation” in Christianity aren’t universally fixed but generally focus on the process of turning to God, often including Recognition (seeing your sin), Remorse/Repentance (turning from sin), Receiving/Reconciliation (accepting Christ’s grace), Renewal/Regeneration (new life in Christ), and Restoration/Restitution (making amends and living righteously).
Me: So, I’m supposed to recognize sin in myself but not recognize God within me because that would be blasphemy, even though God created me. Back to AI again, I guess.
AI: Key Aspects of Salvation and Perdition
- Salvation: Defined as being saved from the consequences of sin, restored to divine favor, and assured eternal life. It is often seen as a gift of grace received through faith.
- Perdition: A state of final, irreversible loss and punishment. It is often described as the eternal outcome for evil or the refusal to repent, sometimes referred to as hell or the second death.
- The “Son of Perdition”: A specific, intense title referring to those who have witnessed God’s power but consciously chose to turn against it, specifically applied to Judas and the Antichrist.
- Free Will: Many perspectives, particularly within Christian theology, emphasize that perdition is a result of a personal, willful choice to refuse God’s grace, allowing individuals to choose their own destiny.
The concept of perdition is often seen as a necessary counterpart to salvation, highlighting the gravity of moral choices and the reality of divine judgment.
Me: Okay, thanks AI. I was confused before but you have straightened me out here, I think. God is everywhere, infinite and eternal. God created everything including me. But I am bad because of the snake woman and need God to forgive me for being bad so I can possibly find joy and happiness but it doesn’t look too promising. I am somehow powerful enough to choose against God by having fun and then I will be separate from God forever even though God is everywhere eternally and infinitely. Got it. Makes a whole lot of sense.
Is it possible you’ve got something wrong there? God is everywhere, so God is in me, around me, and me inside God. But I can defy this great being and be where God is not. Separate forever. Is that right? Uh!
This is a catastrophic error because it sabotages everything I know to be true. I am in God, of God, with God and God is in me, with me, as me. I don’t have to earn God’s love because God’s love is free, not transactional. I can never not be with, in, and of God. That is logic and it applies here.
And furthermore, God is not a bearded Guy exclusively but she is also my mother, my sister, my brother, and all my relations. We can’t be separate, ever. Ha! So there.