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 %RELIGIOUS LEADER TEACHER GOD SAVIOR DISCIPLE EVIL+950918
%FOCUS ATTENTION CONFLICT RESOLUTION ALIENATION SIN+950918
 %SCRIPTURE METAPHYSICS ULTIMATE REALITY TRUTH DUTY 950918

     Many religious  teachers and scriptures have been the
focus  of  human  attention.   Many  sincere  people  have
focused  their  attention  according  to  their  differing
understandings of  religious leaders and  scriptures---and
have engendered much conflict,  misery, tension, violence,
alienation  and destruction.   Those who are  in  conflict
with  each  other  often  claim to  be  in  possession  of
ultimate truth, power, authority,  knowledge and wisdom---
about  the  nature  of ultimate reality  and  the ultimate
source  of all truth,  power,  authority,   knowledge  and
wisdom.

     We can know religious leaders by the fruits of  their
followers;   not  by any supernatural confirmation of  the
ultimate   truth  of  their  teachings,   scriptures   and
metaphysical  assertions about God,  heaven,  sin,   evil,
damnation,  salvation,  etc. Human conflicts over all that
transcends  human  experience are conflicts  which  always
bear bitter fruit.    We will do well  and be well when we
focus more modestly upon our own experiences  and are true
to ourselves and to each other about our own experiences.

     People  who focus attention upon negative aspects  of
life  usually lead negative lives which are disintegrative
and destructive of personal and  communal integrity.    It
is  not possible to focus attention upon negative  aspects
of life and thereby promote positive living.

     People  who focus attention upon positive aspects  of
life usually lead positive lives which are integrative and
promote  personal  and communal integrity.     It  is  not
possible  to focus attention upon positive aspects of life
and thereby promote personal and communal disintegration.

     It is not helpful to be dishonest about our  negative
experiences:  to mis-represent them,  to repress them,  to
mask  them,   to  hide them,  etc.    Such  dishonesty  is
disintegrative of persons and communities.   To be  honest
about our negative  experiences  does not necessarily make
them  ultimately real and powerful.  Many of our  negative
experiences  are the results of mistakes,   ignorance  and
misleading ideals and values.   We need to recognize  such
mistakes, ignorance and misleading ideals and values---and
all the negative experiences to which they lead.   We need
to  trace  from our negative experiences to  whatever  has
lead us to experience life so negatively.

     Often we have experienced life negatively because  we
have   approached  life  full  of  negative   assumptions,
beliefs,  convictions,  preoccupations and attitudes about
ourselves  and  about  each other.    We  become  negative
prophets who live in ways which lead to the fulfillment of
our  negative expectations.   The fact that  our  negative
expectations are fulfilled is no proof that we are in tune
with the ultimate nature of reality---it is proof that  we
have  much  to  do with how we experience  reality  as  we
expect it to be.

     If  we try try to eliminate evil in alienative  ways;
we promote  alienation  which  is  the  essence   of  evil
relationships among misled people.

     If we fixate upon evil in efforts to transcend it; we
become alienated from the people whom  we  regard as being
tainted with evil.

     If  we fixate upon perfection as a way  to  transcend
evil;  we become alienated from the people who we discover
not to be perfect---including ourselves.

     If  we  fixate upon ultimate definitions  of  virtue,
goodness,   and salvation in efforts to achieve them;   we
become  alienated  from people (including ourselves)   who
fail to fulfill our ultimate definitions.

     To   the   extent  that  we  are   preoccupied   with
dichotomous distinctions in our efforts to be distinctive;
to   that   extent   we  become  fragmented,    alienated,
disintegrative  and  miss the mark of  being  truly  human
beings.

     To  enjoy  being truly human beings we need to  focus
upon  being truly humane as we do justly,  love mercy  and
walk  humbly  with each other in the PRESENCE of all  that
transcends our limited conceptions of reality.

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