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%PRIORITY ULTIMATE IDEALS VALUES IDOLATRY GOD FOCUS+951007
  %ULTIMATE CONCERN HOLY SACRED RELIGIOUS INTEGRITY+951007
  %PERSONAL COMMUNAL MOTIVE GUIDE BEHAVIOR RELIABLE 951007

     It  is important for us to recognize that many ideals
and  values  which motivate and guide human  behavior  are
often disintegrative---they are not ultimately reliable.

     Some ideals and values are more reliable than others.
The  fact that people are often motivated and guided by  a
particular ideal  or  value  and so  engage  in tragically
disintegrative   thoughts   and  behaviors---is  a   clear
indication  that  that  particular ideal or value  is  not
worthy  of ultimate concern;  it is not an ultimate  basis
for  setting priorities.   Ultimately important ideals and
values   will   not   lead  to   personal   and   communal
disintegration.

     DISCIPLINE  is  not an ultimately reliable  ideal  or
value---because being disciplined by a dictator,   tyrant,
addict  or  codependent manipulator leads to personal  and
communal disintegration.

     OBEDIENCE,   FAITHFULNESS and LOYALTY are  echoes  of
DISCIPLINE---not ultimately reliable for the same reasons.

     LAWS, COMMANDMENTS, RULES, REGULATIONS, PROHIBITIONS,
PRESCRIPTIONS, PROSCRIPTIONS and TABOOS are not ultimately
reliable  guides because in real life they regularly  lead
people  into  patterns of thought and behavior  which  are
judgmental,    condemnatory,     alienative   and   so are
disintegrative of personal and communal integrity.

     PERFECTION   and  STRIVING  FOR  PERFECTION  are  not
ultimately reliable ideals and values---because they  lead
people  to  be dishonest about their achievements  and  so
into   disintegrative  collusive  games  of  mutual   self
deception.

     HOLY  SCRIPTURES and interpretations of them are  not
ultimately reliable ideals and values---because there have
been many "holy wars"  engaged in by disintegrative people
who have focused intently upon them.

     RELIGIOUS  INSTITUTIONS  are not worthy  of  ultimate
concern  and  respect---because they have  regularly  been
corrupted  when  they  have  been held  up  as  worthy  of
ultimate respect and because of the concentration of great
amounts of unrestrained power within them.

     SCIENCE,  TECHNOLOGY and their EXPERTS are not worthy
of  ultimate  concern and respect---because they have  led
the world to the brink of global disintegration.

     No  focus of human attention which leads people to be
indifferent  to the personal and communal  integrities  of
diverse   individuals   and  communities---is  worthy   of
ultimate concern, respect, worship or attention.  Any such
focus is  bound---by how it focuses attention  upon narrow
concerns  and  away from  integrative  considerations---to
lead  to  personal and communal disintegration.   No  such
focus is worthy of ultimate concern,  respect,  worship or
attention.
                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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