The Rubinshteinic Meditations on Salvation
- Mr. Tomasio Rubinshtein
- Mar 1, 2022
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 8
(Directory on Religion: How Religion and Democracy Struggle)
(Philosocom's directory on death: https://www.philosocom.com/post/defining-death)
The Rubinshteinic Meditations on Salvation
There is only one way and that is your way. There is only one salvation and that is your salvation...What is to come will be created in you and from you. Hence look into yourself. Do not compare. Do not measure. No other way is like yours...You must fulfill the way that is in you. -- Carl Jung
Three things are necessary for the salvation of man: to know what he ought to believe; to know what he ought to desire; and to know what he ought to do. -- St. Thomas Aquinas
How Suffering is Intertwined With Salvation
To simply define salvation, it is a hope for better days. It is a hope for a better state of affairs that hopefully will be permanent. A reality where much of our current suffering is reduced. For some, it is hope for redemption. For others, it is the desire to be forgiven for one's misdeeds.
Either way, the common for all of these specific variants of salvation, stems from the desire to suffer no more. To be liberated from one's pains, and to grow instead into what can, subjectively, be defined by the self, as a life worth living.
Whatever life is worth living, always has to fall on the beholder, on the individual, experiencing life. Salvation, therefore, is a personal journey, and it is a journey whose part of it is necessarily internal.
For each person, there is his or her own "Tikkun" in life. That "Tikkun" can be seen as the reason for one's existence purpose. Once you are aligned with yourself, with no guilt or shame, it is only then when you can understand what you should do in order to attain your own salvation, against the odds of circumstance's tyranny.
I find the concept of salvation to be sad, because for salvation to be desired by a man, the man has to suffer first. It's like it comes from the desire to leave this realm for good in favour of a worthier realm.
Salvation in Existentialism
This is why, in the religious sphere, salvation often has to do with the afterlife, AKA, with a world better than this one, external of it. Salvation also assumes that we are needed to be freed of something which confines us to something, like to a chain, or to a loop. It is something philosophers like Nietzsche would disapprove of, instead advocating to loving life so much, you would desire repeating the same life time ad-infinitum.
Philosophers like Nietzsche and Albert Camus would seek salvation from the concept itself of salvation. Albert Camus would tell you to imagine Sisyphus happy, and to embrace not a world external to this world, but this very world we all live in.
In other words, for the existential, continental philosophers, those who rival the cold analytic philosophical trends, true salvation lies in embracing this world.
Salvation in Humanity's Religions
“Real salvation begins when you realize that the real savior is yourself!” -- Mehmet Murat ildan
Judaism and Christianity assume that there is a need for a particular person to, so to speak, "suck" the sin out of all humanity permanently by suffering great trials and tribulations. These two religions glorify one's sacrificial suffering for the greater good.
In Christianity, you have Jesus Christ. The legendary Son of God, who is claimed, wholeheartedly, to carry the sins of humanity on his shoulders, and be crucified for it, too, by the brutal, oppressive Roman Empire.
In Judaism, you have the lesser demon, who is a half demon, half angel, known as Azazel. Azazel would be personified in sacrifices, and would symbolize the sins of many. Upon the sacrifices of Azazel the scapegoat, many of humanity are then freed and forgiven for the very sins they may atone for, in the Day of Atonement.
In religions, salvation is marketed as a reward in favour of loyalty to one's faith. You are expected to be loyal to your faith from all your heart, and in return you shall be rewarded, mainly in the afterlife.
Salvation Subverted in Corruption
It is still unclear to me, however, why would someone who "lives in sin" deserves to be burned in hell. That's a horrible thing to believe in, for otherwise relatively petty things. I see heaven and hell in that way, as a form of "carrot and stick". I also view such polar ideals as the grounds for coercive control of the masses.
In Christianity there are the 7 deadly sins:
The Humane Aspect of the "Deadly Sins"
It appears that, in some religious contexts, it is sufficient to be overly proud of oneself, to be greedy, to be lazy, and so on, to deserve eternal damnation in the deep fires of hell.
However, regardless of the splendid solutions offered by religion, it is still difficult to prove that such "sins" are indeed horrible.
Is it that bad to use rage/wrath to create passionate work?
Is it that bad to seek much money in a world where capitalism reigns supreme, and where countries are also businesses?
The answer in my opinion, is a a big "NO". I think true sins are expressed in being truly evil. As a philosopher, I see these "deadly sins" as entirely humane and thus worthy to be regarded as legitimate. I think that, as long as we are good and not evil in our conduct, we shouldn't be concerned of seeking salvation for these humane traits.
Finally, on The Forbidden Fruit
Eat the fruit and you can have the desires of your heart. It's not evil, it's noble and good. You'll be praised for it. -- Orson Scott Card
What is known as the Original Sin, from the Genesis book of the Old Testament. The idea of wanting to try something despite being told not to, is apparently too severe a sin. A sin so severe it made Adam and Eve fall from grace.
in Genesis, The Forbidden Fruit came from the tree of knowledge between good and evil. This is considered a forbidden fruit because it is this very same knowledge, granted from that tree, is what separated the humans, Adam and Eve, away from God.
The eating of that fruit wasn't necessary. However, what that fruit granted these biblical humans was knowledge.
And to quote Ecclesiastes 1:18.
A lot of human wisdom leads to a lot of sorrow. More knowledge only brings more sadness.
Knowledge is power. And the idea of power is simple... Power corrupts, and power corrupts absolutely.
Thus, it is the very pursuit of knowledge, and the very knowledge attained, that can make us feel so-ever bittersweet. For in great power, comes great responsibility.
And the tragic tale of knowledge is that can change you forever, to the point that you will never be entirely satisfied.
And philosophy is the epitome of frustration. Philosophy is the epitome of dissatisfaction. Philosophy is a social risk. You cannot philosophize if you are not depraved of the very same things that compel you to philosophize.
And if you end up alone, as many philosophers did throughout history, your only salvation is in your own death.
Otherwise? Otherwise you must keep on the path of wisdom. For once you get into it, and into it very well, there might be no way back for you. Beyond temporary respites, you have no saviors, besides a lover, perhaps?
"To be a philosopher is to have already died and become immortal. Now you are the walking dead. A zombie. Everyone thinks you are alive, though a little strange. But the truth is that long ago you died and became immortal." -- J.S., 2017
I have ate many, many forbidden fruits in my life-time. There is no one to save me but my own acceptance of my chosen fate.
I will always want to rectify this world through Philosocom Article Empire.
I enjoy this despair. For this despair is my own savior. It gives me hope to always rectify the indefinite flaws of our world.
My ultimate salvation is in death. I, however, have no desire to die.
Instead, I prefer to use the concept of death, to live. After all, it is within my very own mortality, that I can keep on honing my mastery in philosophy, and use it not for power, not for evil, but for good.
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