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 %SEEK SALVATION MUTUAL EXCLUSIVE EXTREME GIFT SAFE+940414
 %DICHOTOMOUS AFFIRM DENY DENIAL SECURITY DEFENSIVE 940414

    Often we  differ  from  each other in  how we seek  to
achieve  our  own  isolated  salvations  through  mutually
exclusive dichotomous extremes such as:

    1.  Affirmation-of, versus denial-of some insight,
  perception,     experience,    value, ideal,
  truth, relationship,  person,  attitude,
  assumption,  approach, way, etc.

    2.  Compulsive     preoccupation with,   versus
  intense indifference towards  the-same-as (or the-
  opposite-of) whatever it is that is the focus of
  somebody else.

    3.  Great pain, versus the avoidance of all pain.

    4.  Compulsive eating, versus compulsive fasting.

    5.  Winning all at others' expense, versus losing all
  to others' advantage.

    6.  Intensely abusive victimization, versus playing
  the role of helpless victim.

    7.  Arrogant self-righteousness, versus false guilt
  and shame.

    8.  Compulsive secretiveness, versus compulsive
  telling everybody all that we have to tell.

    9.  Compulsive judgmental     legalism, versus
  apathetic emotional indifference.

    10.  Cynicism, versus gullibility.

    11.  Objectivity, versus reflexivity.

    12.  Wealth, versus poverty.

    13.  Control, versus impotence.

    Preoccupations  with  such  dichotomous  attempts   to
achieve  salvation  lead  to  both  personal  and communal
disintegration through alienation, deception,  dishonesty,
mis-communication,   non-communication,  mis-understanding
and mis-interpretation---regardless of which pole of  each
dichotomy participants may specialize in.

    Salvation  is  not   achieved   through  any  form  of
dichotomization.  Salvation is a gift accepted and through
which  we  find we can transcend  our  special  alienative
dichotomy,  and  we find we are no longer preoccupied with
either pole  of our special alienative dichotomy.

    We find it hard to accept such a threatening gift; for
we worship the  chosen poles of our many dichotomies, even
if  we  sometimes  oscillate   back   and  forth   between
opposite poles.      We   insist  upon  achieving  our own
special  alienative  salvation  in our  own  futile  ways;
because we want to get the  credit for achieving  our  own
special alienative  salvation. We do not want anybody else
to get any of the credit for our alienative  salvation and
so we  cannot accept the unconditional gift of the freedom
to  be safely vulnerable in  open and honest intimacy---no
matter who offers the gift of Love.

    We  are  prone to ridicule,  reject and crucify  those
integrative  people  who  do accept the gift of Love   and
so live in its open and  honest  ways free of manipulative
dichotomies---for by being honest they threaten to  expose
our  collusive games  of  mutual  self  deception.    Such
honesty and integrity cannot be tolerated!    They must be
brought under the control  of  proper rules,  regulations,
prohibitions,  judgments and punishments in order that law
and  order  be  maintained  in  conformity  to  our   will
presented on God's behalf!

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