This is http://www.essayz.com/a9305071.htm         
Previous-Essay      <== This-Essay ==>     Following-Essay
Click HERE on this line to find essays via Your-Key-Words.
{Most frequent wordstarts of each essay will be put here.}
==========================================================
%COMMUNAL CORPORATE INDIVIDUAL SALVATION HONEST LAW 930507

     Often  in religious groups there have been  long  and
heated  debates  regarding  the  nature of  the  means  to
salvation;   but  almost  always it has been assumed  that
salvation by whatever means has to do with individualistic
salvation: i.e., the  salvation  of   individuals  through
communally  contested means  to salvation   pertaining  to
individuals.   Rarely have discussions regarding salvation
pertained  to  communal or corporate behaviors;  except in
regards  to the tendencies for communities  and  corporate
groups to make alienative  judgements and to excommunicate
their  members.   The  roles of communities and  corporate
realities  usually  have to do with damnation,   not  with
salvation.

     It  would be well for us to consider the  possibility
that  communal  and corporate  behaviors,   realities  and
memberships could have far more to  do with true salvation
than  has  been acknowledged,   and  that  individualistic
behaviors might have far  less  to  do with true salvation
than has traditionally been assumed.

     In reality  salvation  has  to  do with being free to
participating   openly,   honestly  and  safely  within  a
community where membership in the community  is not called
into question due to disappointments regarding  the  kinds
and levels  of  conformity   of  individuals  to  communal
expectations.   Thus salvation has to do with communal and
corporate  realities just as much as with  individualistic
realities.  The common emphasis upon individualistic means
to  salvation  is  misleading  and  obscures  many of  the
central issues. It is dishonest to talk about salvation in
exclusively individualistic terms.

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