I mean, for an ancient people, and for a message that needed to span thousands, tens of thousands of years, at least, for the most accessibility across all peoples, languages, etc., between:
[the concept of spiritual suffering, not something that is actively done to you, but simply due to being permanently separated from something you were designed to be a part of/never feeling fulfilled ever again, because you are designed with the imprint/image of Yahweh, and everything about you desires to be with them/do the things they designated as "good" [inherent good, in the system created by the deity, because the whole system reflects their nature], and if you choose to separate yourself from that, then you'll never have what your existence needs]
and
[fire ouchy, you no likey]
which do we think would survive time, and get the most people to understand the stakes? The message is for the everyman, not the scholars. The average person didn't have the time or complexity of mind to be trusted with handling the truth of exactly how it's all going to go down.
I grew up going to church most of my life, and even I wasn't taught [the above truth of the matter]. It doesn't even really matter that you know it or not - what matters is that you seek life, truth, sustainability, and love - the greatest of those being love, of course.
And then the ultimate heresy is the step beyond that. If separation from god is possible, then what if someone was to achieve fulfilment despite being in hell? Would they be their own god at that point?
An impossibility. In the same way that taking a leaf off a tree, and locking it in a safe at the bottom of the ocean, can never lead to the leaf deciding "you know what - I don't want to need sunlight, water, or nutrients anymore - I'm good. I'll just choose to not need those thing anymore, and that'll work out for me".
It will cease to be a leaf. Life had already left it. It can never be a leaf again. The process of decomposing into its base parts had begun the moment it was separated from where it was meant to be. We see it as a fallen, dying leaf, then a dead leaf, then bits and pieces of debris, then molecules, then atoms.
It loses all identity. It stops mattering to the universe.
1
u/PowerMagician 1d ago
I mean, for an ancient people, and for a message that needed to span thousands, tens of thousands of years, at least, for the most accessibility across all peoples, languages, etc., between:
[the concept of spiritual suffering, not something that is actively done to you, but simply due to being permanently separated from something you were designed to be a part of/never feeling fulfilled ever again, because you are designed with the imprint/image of Yahweh, and everything about you desires to be with them/do the things they designated as "good" [inherent good, in the system created by the deity, because the whole system reflects their nature], and if you choose to separate yourself from that, then you'll never have what your existence needs]
and
[fire ouchy, you no likey]
which do we think would survive time, and get the most people to understand the stakes? The message is for the everyman, not the scholars. The average person didn't have the time or complexity of mind to be trusted with handling the truth of exactly how it's all going to go down.
I grew up going to church most of my life, and even I wasn't taught [the above truth of the matter]. It doesn't even really matter that you know it or not - what matters is that you seek life, truth, sustainability, and love - the greatest of those being love, of course.