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FIRST Previous This-Report Next-Report ENDS FIRST scr-x53.htm scr-x54.htm scr-x55.htm ENDS The links above let you view this whole set of reports. Sample ESSAY TEXT

Sample ESSAY TEXT

%ESSENCE OF VIOLENCE 840603 The essence of violence is the violation of the integrity of that person, creature, or thing which is violated. Through violence that which was whole becomes less whole, less integrated, less inter-connected both internally and externally. Thus violence occasions alienation and guilt. The person who is guilty of violence thereby becomes less whole and so also experiences the consequences of violence as a reduction of integrity. Violence is a two edged sword which violates the integrity of the violent one as well as of the victim. A person can not be whole, have integrity, without freedom of choice. To be a whole person involves the freedom to freely consider and chose from among alternatives. To be deprived of that freedom to freely consider and chose is to be violated. To have that freedom expanded is to be loved. To learn to promote integrity through the experiences of such love is to grow in wisdom. To learn to engage in violence through such freedom is to be damned. To reduce violence people should pray for the integration of personal and communal integrity. The essence of prayer is the search for a union of personal and communal integrity. Communal prayer is an essential part of the search for personal integrity. All prayer is an essential part for the union of the personal and the communal search. If any important aspect of private and communal life is ignored in the private and communal search for integrity, then that search is incomplete and still lacks integrity, completion. Thus prayer is the search for the way to integrate all of life into prayer in the way which Love reduces violence through the integration of all of life into a meaningful whole. Those who seek through prayer to integrate do not seek to control others to achieve integration. Ownership and control are not integrative, part of Love. Taboos are not enforced through alienation by lovers praying for integration. (c) 1997 by Paul A. Smith in "Search for Integrity and Honesty" (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)