If You Pay the Penalty
What follows from that choice
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If you pay the penalty for guilt yourself, then several things follow:
the standard is never clearly defined
assurance is never possible
failure always remains a threat
guilt is managed, not removed
This places the burden entirely on you.
The question becomes: Is this rescue—or lifelong probation?
Did you know?
Did you know?
When you become responsible for paying your own moral debt, the weight never truly lifts. You can try harder, do better, or punish yourself emotionally, but none of it removes guilt. It only manages it.
If you are the one who must meet the standard, you can never know where the standard actually is. You can never be certain you’ve done enough. One failure can undo years of effort. Your conscience keeps resurfacing because nothing has actually been forgiven.
A system where you pay the penalty sounds empowering, but it ultimately traps you. It offers effort, not freedom. Burden, not peace. Endless striving, not forgiveness.
The real question becomes: Do you want a life where guilt is endlessly managed—or a life where guilt is actually removed?
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