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This is http://www.essayz.com/a9112211.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.} ========================================================== %GOD REQUIRE JUSTICE MERCY HUMILITY CONTROL ACHIEVE 911221 In Amos' famous question regarding what God requires of us, the focus is only upon justice, mercy and humility. Amos did NOT focus upon ACHIEVEMENTS. If we are preoccupied with proper achievements, we are likely to ignore questions of justice and not treat others with mercy; and when we succeed we are likely to lack humility. If we fail, we are likely to lack self esteem and take out our frustrations upon others whom we feel caused our failure. Amos did NOT focus upon KNOWLEDGE. If we are preoccupied with the accumulation of knowledge and/or its validation, we are unlikely to demonstrate a balance between acquiring knowledge and justly making use of our knowledge in our relationships with others who need mercy in their relationships with us. If we are preoccupied with knowledge, we are unlikely to be humble about all that we come to know. Amos did NOT focus upon PRESCRIPTIONS. If we are preoccupied with prescriptions which define what is good and what is evil (what must be done and what must not be done), then we are unlikely to treat justly those who do not conform to our sense of what are the proper prescriptions. Having eaten of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, we will not be likely to treat others with mercy, or to relate to others with true humility. Amos did NOT focus upon CONTROL. If we are preoccupied with being in control and/or with who is in control, our lives are bound to be full of conflicts pertaining to the kind of control, techniques of control, and resentment over control. People who are preoccupied with issues of control, are rarely truly concerned with mercy and rarely demonstrate true humility. Amos did NOT focus upon KNOWLEDGE of THE TRUTH. If we are preoccupied with being sure about what statements are true statements, we are unlikely to treat with justice or mercy those people who honestly disagree with our definitions of what statements are beyond question true statements; we will lack humility. We will question any true presence which is not one of our "true" statements or logically and systematically derived according to our logic from our "true" statements. Amos did NOT focus upon any INSTITUTION. If we are preoccupied with the survival of and with respect for any institution, we are unlikely to be merciful towards any people who are not properly preoccupied with the institution's survival, and who do not demonstrate unquestioned respect for the institution. Such non- conformists are unlikely to find justice in the courts of the institution which they do not respect of conform to. Amos did not focus upon the maintenance of any TABOO. When we are motivated and guided by taboos, we are unable to participate in open and honest dialogue about violations of the taboos, for the taboos require us to reject and alienate those people who call our taboos into question. Taboos do not leave room for justice, mercy or humility. Amos did not focus upon PERFECTION. Any intense effort to be perfect or to achieve any kind of perfection, must logically sacrifice honesty with self and others; for there is no other way to achieve the sense of perfection which perfectionists seek. Perfection cannot be achieved without an intense effort which sets aside concerns about justice, mercy and humility. Perfectionists are preoccupied with imperfections in themselves and others; and so they cannot be true to themselves or others in the presence of any imperfections which demonstrate the futility of their intense effort. Amos did not focus upon STANDARDS of ACCEPTABILITY. When we are preoccupied with conformity to standards of acceptability, we are more interested in the standards and conformity to them, than in open and honest dialogue with other people; and so we sacrifice intimacy in the interest of conformity to the standards with which we are preoccupied. We cannot accept ourselves or others into open and honest dialogue, if we and/or they do not conform properly to the current standards for acceptability; and so we cannot relate to each other with justice, mercy, and/or humility. Amos did not focus upon ENJOYMENT or HAPPINESS. When we are preoccupied with enjoyment or happiness, we chase ends of rainbows which recede from us as we try to approach them, and in our frustration we run over anybody who happens to be in the way. We then cannot see that justice, mercy or humility are prerequisites to truly joyful relationships with others in which we may find meaningful enjoyment and happiness in honest intimacy. It is helpful TO NOT foci on human preoccupations which are notable BECAUSE OF their absence following Amos' question. (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy) ==========================================================