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                    %OPPOSITE EXTREME COMPLEMENTARY 930310

     Salvation is  to  be  found  in  a  way,   not  at  a
destination.  Believing that salvation is to be found at a
destination misleads us.   If we believe that salvation is
to  be  found  at  a  destination  keeps  us  from finding
salvation in any way.

     The way  in which salvation may be found is a  narrow
way  between  contrasting extremes which often seem  to be
opposites to each other and in conflict with  each  other.
The  contrasting extremes often seem to us to be cliffs on
either side  of the valley of the shadow  of  death,   and
salvation  seems to be on the top of the plateau on either
side of the valley of the shadow of death.  We seek to get
to  the top of either plateau as the essence of  salvation
at the right destination.    In so seeking we fail to find
salvation  in the way which goes through the narrow valley
of the shadow of death.

     Many  people   seek  salvation  through  threats   of
excommunication  as punishment for failure to:   (1)    Do
what is required to achieve salvation, or, (2) Avoid doing
what  is  prohibited  and  must be avoided if  one  is  to
achieve  salvation.    Such  people seek  salvation  as  a
destination, which it  is not.   In seeking salvation as a
destination they  attempt  to  use  the  technologies  of:
punishments,   threats,     violence,     excommunication,
alienation,    estrangement,    dishonesty,     deception,
confusion,  ambiguity,  control,  authority,  laws, rules,
regulations,  morality,  ethics, systematics,  judgements,
rejections, condemnations, and similar  means  as tools to
reach salvation as a destination.

     Because salvation  is not a destination,  no  set  of
tools can be used  in  any  technological way to reach the
destination.  The kinds of tools which people are prone to
use  as  means  to salvation,  in reality create  the high
cliffs on each  side of the narrow valley of the shadow of
death, and make the way of salvation exceedingly narrow---
as people perceive the plateaus on each side of the way as
the  desirable  places to reach;  the destinations of  the
trip to salvation.  People choose contrasting destinations
and  are in conflict with each other over the  contrasting
ideals and values which they believe will lead them to the
contrasting destinations which  are mirages of the way  of
salvation.   Thus people fail to see the way of  salvation
for  what  it  is;   and try to climb out  of  the  way of
salvation in order to get to the coveted destination.

     Salvation  may  be enjoyed in the  way  of  salvation
which lies  in  the  narrow valley of the shadow of  death
which seems to lie between the high plateaus where  people
feel that they have arrived  at  salvation;  and engage in
unresolved   conflicts  with  contrasting  people  of  the
opposite plateau.   As fundamentalists they  heighten  the
contrasts  between their opposing plateaus to  make  their
own plateau appear the better in their own  eyes,  and the
opposite plateau to appear more lowly.  They seek to avoid
any  conflict  resolution which would lower the  contrasts
and bring both plateaus down to the level of the valley of
the shadow of death from which they seek to escape.

     The way of salvation lies in the narrow valley of the
shadow  of  death which lies between the high  plateaus of
principled conflicts  between fundamentalists who seek  to
build their plateau on the highest principles, values, and
ideals which they can find in their traditions.  They pick
principles,   values,   and ideals which will heighten the
contrast between themselves and the people on the opposite
plateau;  in an effort to prove that they have reached the
plateau of salvation.  They live in endless conflict which
must  be  maintained to sustain the illusions  which their
games of mutual self deception create.

     The way of salvation does not lead to any  particular
destination which is the essence of salvation.

     The  way of salvation does not lead to any particular
kind of conformity which is the essence of salvation.

     Salvation does not lie at any particular  destination
or in any particular kind of conformity.

     Salvation  may be enjoyed in the narrow valley of the
shadow of death which lies between opposing cliffs at  the
edges of the high plateaus of the high principles, ideals,
values  which are regarded as the means to salvation known
as  a  particular  destination;   and as the means  to the
knowledge of the difference between good people  and  evil
people.     Those high principles,  ideals and values when
they are used as the means to salvation create the  narrow
valley  of  the  shadow of death wherein salvation  may be
enjoyed as the way to liberty.

                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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