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This is http://www.essayz.com/a9306081.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.} ========================================================== %PRESENCE CONTROL REBEL DEFENSE RESIST PARALYZE+930608 %COOPERATE COORDINATE DIALOGUE LISTEN TALK VISIT 930608 In the presence of controls we often rebel, become defensive, resist and are prone to paralysis. In the presence of controls we are not as creative, cooperative, communicative, or coordinated as we can be when we are not distracted by controls. When people try to control us we tend not to be as open and honest with them as when people do not try to control us. People who try to control us do not know us and do not come to know us at all well. They remain ignorant of our deepest experiences, emotions, perceptions, desires, aspirations, hopes, beliefs and convictions. Alienation rules and evil relationships prevail. Tragic disintegration progresses, but little which is of value does. When we try to control other people they tend not be be as open and honest with us, as when we do not try to control them. We do not know and do not come to know people whom we try to control. We remain ignorant of their deepest experiences, emotions, perceptions, desires, aspirations, hopes, beliefs and convictions. Alienation rules. Alienation rules and evil relationships prevail. Disintegration progresses, but little which is of value does. It is not only people who may control us in disintegrative ways. We may be controlled by disintegrative: paradigms, ideals, values, rules, regulations, taboos, requirements, prohibitions, injunctions, etc. We cannot enjoy meaningful lives in isolation, in alienation, in estrangement. Cooperation, coordination, listening, and all forms of open and honest dialogue are essential to the enjoyment of meaningful lives. Meaningful and satisfying lives cannot be achieved in unilateral ways. They cannot be achieved through control. Only through balanced mutuality can they be enjoyed. What religions focus upon these truths? In the absence of cooperation, coordination, listening and the various forms of open and honest dialogue---there cannot be enjoyment of meaningful lives. In the presence of controls there tends to be little cooperation, coordination, listening, and few forms of open and honest dialogue---and so little enjoyment of meaningful lives. Such absence is often characteristic of alienative religions. Ultimate concerns, ideals and values which do not take these realities of life into account are disintegrative; they are not worthy of respect, support or worship. Yet they are often respected, supported, and worshipped. Often they lead people into idolatrous relationships which are disintegrative, alienative, and evil. Addiction which is active in an individual tends to be activated in a community which does not understand and know how to deal with the individual's addiction in non- addictive ways. Addiction which is active in a member of a family, organization, school, church, religion, community, or nation tends to be activated in the members thereof who do not understand and know how to deal with addiction in a non-addictive way. Addictions image back and forth between the systemic features of a community within which addiction may be a dominant factor, and the characters of the individual members of the community within which addiction may be a dominant factor. Addiction can be transcended only when the imaging back and forth is openly and honestly dealt with. Scriptures as text are understood and have meaning only in how a community relates to the scriptures and how members of the community relate to each other in the light of the community's understanding of the scriptural texts. Scriptures do not have an absolute "objective" meaning which is independent of the personal and communal interpretations which members and communities give to the texts of the scriptures. The interpretation of scriptures is a reflexive, not an objective process. It is dishonest to pretend that the interpretation of scriptures transcends the reflexive processes within the community of interpretation. Such pretense is part of an addictive reflexive process in which members of a reflexive community play games of mutual self deception. Absolutizing scriptures as objects of worship is an idolatrous addictive "fix" which fixes nothing; and contributes to the promotion of alienation, insecurity, defensiveness and evil relationships which undermine personal and communal integrity. (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy) ==========================================================