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  %NOT OK RELIGIOUS LEADER TRANSACTION ANALYSIS SIN 960316

     Many religious leaders  have gained power  to control
those people who have trusted them and followed them. Such
power is gained by promoting religious doctrines which say
that people are NOT OK;  saying that people are spoiled by
original  sin  over which they have no control and need  a
FIX.   If  the followers  are NOT OK---and  the  religious
leaders are custodians of religious FIXES which the NOT OK
people are told that they need, then the religious leaders
have  the power to manipulate and control those who  trust
them.

     Many   religious   leaders  have   encouraged   their
followers to be addicted  to  their  religious FIXES;  for
such addictions seems  to  empower the religious  leaders.
Since  religious  leaders  are  dealing  with  matters  of
ULTIMATE CONCERN  and  with visions  of  ETERNAL  LIFE  in
states of DAMNATION or SALVATION; they are in positions to
wield UNLIMITED POWER.

     Power  corrupts,   and   unbalanced   power  corrupts
absolutely.  Religious leaders who exercise far more power
than those who trust them---are ultimately  tempted  to be
arrogant and  to abuse their unbalanced  power.   They are
tempted and yield to the temptation to exercise unbalanced
power in  personal  relationships of  unbalanced power and
vulnerability.   They have  taken  advantage of people who
have   been    economically    vulnerable,   theologically
vulnerable,     psychologically   vulnerable,     mentally
vulnerable, and sexually vulnerable.

     Religious leaders  who are preoccupied with doctrines
which teach people  that they are NOT OK and so need  of a
religious  FIX---rarely find it possible to  believe  that
they themselves  who have  great power are NOT BETTER than
others who are really NOT OK.  There must be gradations in
being NOT  OK,  and those religious leaders who  have  the
greatest  knowledge and power must be among are the  BEST,
BETTER  than all those people who best exemplify being NOT
OK.

     Thus  many religious leaders have become addicted  to
the exercise of  religious power to manipulate people  who
have been imbued with the conviction that they are  really
NOT OK. By  exercising their power in addictive ways  they
encourage  others  to be addicted to the  RELIGIOUS  FIXES
which they sell for a price; much to their own advantage.

     Human  transactions can be analyzed in terms of  many
forms  of transactional analysis;  e.g.,  as by Thomas  A.
Harris  in  his  book "I'm  OK---You're  OK".     Such  an
analysis seeks to re-establish some balance as regards the
exercise of power in inter-personal relationships.  If the
conviction that people are in some essential way NOT OK is
central  to  the life of any family,  community,   school,
church,  religion or community---that conviction  is bound
to  poison   the  relationships  between people who  share
and/or tolerate that conviction.   It is important to find
some way to promote and respect true humility  in open and
honest  relationships  wherein   people  share  their  own
experiences openly and honestly.  It is dis-integrative of
personal and communal integrity  to  manipulate each other
in   authoritative  transactions  based upon  abstractions
which are not grounded in the open and honest articulation
of  the   personal experiences of whoever is  offering the
articulation.

     Religious   theories  and  doctrines  which  are  not
grounded  in  and  revealing  of  people's  own   personal
experiences  openly  and  honestly shared---are  religious
theories  and  doctrines which  are almost sure to be used
and  abused  by  addictive,   manipulative  and  collusive
religious leaders who know not the harm which the  inflict
upon  the  least of their followers---of whom they  expect
and demand much.
                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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