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    %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)  
                                                                                                                               
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