This is http://www.essayz.com/a9202261.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.} ========================================================== %TABOO BLOCK TALK SHARE EXPERIENCE INTEGRATION LOVE 920226 We cannot integrate our true experiences into our communal life if we are perpetual victims of alienative taboos, collusions, addictions and codependencies---which block open, honest, intimate talk about our real personal experiences. We cannot learn from our true experiences if we are victims of alienative taboos, collusions, addictions and codependencies---which block open, honest, intimate talk about our real personal experiences. Our experiences include mistakes, joys, frustrations, desires, hopes, expectations, pleasures, fears, anxieties, achievements, rejections, acceptances, alienations, isolations, envy, jealousy, resentment, anger, rage, etc.; on our part, and on the part of others. If because of our alienative taboos, collusions, addictions and codependencies we cannot learn from them, and integrate them into our communal lives---then we are stuck in hell. We are fools if we think that our hell is the way to heaven! To get out of our hell we need the healing of knowing the truth of the roots of our alienative taboos, collusions, addictions and codependencies. The roots are more likely to be found in our dysfunctional families of our childhoods, than they are likely to be found in truly integrative ideals and values; or in God's Holy Word, Will or Commandments. Our alienative taboos, collusions, addictions and codependencies block true dialogue, faith, hope, love, justice, mercy and humility; they do not block evil, violence, alienation, estrangement, or other forms of personal and/or communal disintegration. If our theories, laws, commandments, rules, regulations, books, written words, injunctions, do's, don'ts, shoulds, shouldn'ts, doctrinal statements, formal statements of belief and their like---are regarded as so ultimately important as to justify the blockage of open and honest intimate talk about our true personal experiences; then we are stuck in hell and do not know it. Salvation has to do with learning the truth about the consequences of our disintegrative beliefs, assumptions, doctrines, theories, laws, commandments, rules, regulations, books, written words, injunctions, do's, don'ts, shoulds, shouldn'ts, formal statements of belief and their like; which we too often worship as if they were God Herself. God cannot be contained in, or controlled by us, through our uses of such things. We cannot truly serve God by being ultimately preoccupied with and/or concerned about with such things; either in worship or in rejection of them. Salvation is not achieved by us. Salvation is not achieved by our uses of any tools, whether those suggested above or others. Attempting to achieve salvation through any means is disintegrative. Salvation is a gift which we may enjoy if we are willing to accept it on its own unconditional terms when it is offered to us by God through others. So long as we try to place conditions upon salvation, we cannot accept it or enjoy it; and God through us cannot offer salvation to others. So long as we cling to our dishonest collusions, addictions and codependencies as tools for achieving salvation; so long we cannot accept salvation when salvation is offered to us as an unconditional gift, and so long we cannot be God's means for offering the gift of unconditional salvation to others. (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy) ==========================================================