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    %POWER LIMIT BELIEF FAITH PERSONAL COMMUNAL FIX 910316

     The    consequences   of   a   procedure,     ritual,
relationship,     intimacy,     operation,     drug   use,
manipulation,    violence,  war,  or other action  depends
significantly  upon  the belief of  the   participants  as
individuals and as members of  an interacting community.

     The consequences  of  human  relationships  cannot be
predicted on  the basis of purely objective considerations
which  can  be analyzed scientifically.   The  beliefs  of
those involved play  significant,  even if not  completely
determinative  roles.     Thus  no  medical procedure  has
consequences   which  can    be     determined     through
purely    scientific considerations.   No religious ritual
is  effective  apart from  the belief  of those  involved.
The  consequences  of  intimate   human  relationships are
not    predictable    apart  from  consideration   of  the
beliefs  of   the   participants; neither  are  they fully
determined  by  the beliefs of  the  participants.     The
consequences of a medical operation or the  use  (legal or
illegal)   of drugs depends  critically upon the belief of
the  participants  as individuals,  and as members   of  a
community  of faith in the operation or  use.  The outcome
of  a manipulation,  occasion of violence or war cannot be
determined  by the initiators because the outcome  depends
upon the beliefs of all persons affected.

     The  role  of  beliefs  in  outcomes  is  of  such  a
character that  no   persons   can   control  outcomes  of
human initiatives;  whether they be objective, subjective,
personal,  communal,  intimate,   sexual,    manipulative,
medical,   religious, spiritual, ritualistic,  scientific,
technical,  or of some other   sort.    The  outcomes  are
not   determined   by considerations  apart from  beliefs,
or by  beliefs  apart from  other considerations.  Beliefs
are  often dashed.   On the  other hand beliefs often play
unrecognized   important roles,    and outcomes which have
depended critically  upon beliefs    may   be   attributed
to   purely   objective considerations;   in keeping  with
an  unrecognized exclusive set of beliefs which have their
own hidden consequences.

     There    is   often  confusion  about   the  relative
importance of beliefs in comparison to other factors which
influence the outcome  of human initiatives.   Some people
tend to believe  that   outcomes   depend  primarily  upon
the  strength  of beliefs,    and that  strong beliefs can
overcome  all  other factors.    They manage  to  perceive
events to be in keeping with  their  beliefs,  and tend to
ignore evidence to  the contrary.   Other  people  tend to
believe   that   outcomes depend  primarily  upon  factors
other  than  their  beliefs.  They  perceive   that  their
beliefs   are   usually   fulfilled  according  to   their
expectations;  and they do not see  the role  which  their
beliefs have played in leading them  to their perceptions.

     Some   outcomes  are  impossible  regardless  of  the
beliefs  of people   who  believe that they  are possible.
The  reliable  patterns of natural physical processes  are
quite reliable,   and   outcomes  which  are  inconsistent
with  them   are impossible.   Those who believe that such
reliable   patterns  of    natural   processes   may    be
changed    through    human  initiatives,      continually
illustrate   the   reliability   of  such    patterns   by
demonstrations  that  outcomes   which   are  inconsistent
with  them do not occur  in  reality;    even though  they
may occur in the vain imaginations  of  some hearts.

     Some    outcomes   are  impossible  because  of   the
beliefs   of  those  who believe them  to  be  impossible.
Through lack  of  faith  some  people  do not try to do or
to   accept  what others  have demonstrated is possible or
acceptable.   In some cases the primary need,  is the need
to  believe   that  an outcome of belief  is  possible  or
acceptable.

                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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