Some of us are not free to be believers. We are sometimes driven to sell our soul to that which the people call God (in exchange for heaven). But those whose belief yields heaven also sell their souls to the same buyer, however unknowingly. Belief is a filthy business intellectually speaking, so this in a way is fair. But the elightened man is unjustifiably defiled. His lot is the most tragic. Seeing the price of heaven, he abstains. Such a man gives a divine gift to a handful of those around him. The price he pays to give this gift is damnation. Such men should be venerated, regardless of what petty vices they may entertain.
I know you are hitting at something. But, your statements appear to be contradictory of known values. Ignorance seems to be one of my greater attributes.
Naahhh, why venerated? No human should ever be put on a pedestal in the first place. Tends to screw them up. Enlightenment is in the eye of the beholder. Zealot would consider himself enlightened because he wants to roast blasphemers all the time in order to cleanse the human gene pool for god. At any rate , how can your soul be damned if you don’t hold that belief? It can’t happen. well, unless you talk to Zealot.
Venerated by whome? Because everyone is venerated by someone. Those considered evil by christians are supported by those of other faiths. Likewise the so called enlightened man, who gives this so called gift to others. What is the gift? damnation? abstinance? truth? Whatever it is it is still weighted by the people he is offering the gift to, just as people will weight the so called gift of heven that christianity provides. All your offering here is point of perspective. Not to mention the doubt that must be cast on this so called enlightened man. I have no reason to belive he is enlightened at all