This is http://www.essayz.com/a9608161.htm Previous-Essay <== This-Essay ==> Following-Essay Click HERE on this line to find essays via Your-Key-Words. {Most frequent wordstarts of each essay will be put here.} ========================================================== %COLLUSIVE TRUTHS FALSE RITUALS LAWS RULES COMMANDS+960816 %ELEMENTS ESCAPE LIBERATE FREEDOM RECOVERY DETACH+960816 %DISHONEST DISINTEGRATION DOUBLE BIND TRAP SIN EVIL+960816 %SYSTEMATIC RELIGIOSITY TECHNOLOGY GOD'S JUDGMENTS 960816 A collusion is a game of mutual self deception played by two or more people according to tacit rules which do not exit. Excommunication and worse is the punishment for violating the collusive "rules" which do not exist; for telling the real truth about collusive "truths" which are not true; for telling the real truth about collusive "falsehoods" which are really true; and for articulating the collusive "rule" which says that it is against the collusive "law" to openly and honestly articulate the provisions of collusive "rules", "commandments", and "laws" which do not "exist". It is difficult to think and talk clearly about the elements of collusions---because the purpose of collusions is to play games of mutual self deception. A few definitions which are as clear as possible may be helpful. Here words put in quotation marks are flagged to indicate that the words are to be understood as collusive words. The words in quotations have an apparent meanings to participants in collusions which correspond to the usual meanings of the words---but those meanings are misleading and/or confusing in the eyes of people of integrity who can see what is going on within the collusion. 1. A collusive "truth" is a tacit "statement" or "belief" which is regarded by participants in a collusion as reliable, true, valid---even though it is not reliable, true or valid. A collusive "truth" is not really true; it is usually false, not valid, misleading, or confusing. You may not be able to be sure just what it is. You cannot rely upon it. You cannot rely upon it to be really false. But according to the collusive "rules" you must regard a collusive "truth" as "gospel truth", "important", "reliable", "required", etc. 2. A collusive "statement" is not made overtly; it is made tacitly, silently, between the lines, by innuendo, etc. 3. A collusive "belief" is never acknowledged by participants in collusions because according to the "rules" of the collusive game of mutual self deception it is against the "rules" to overtly defend a collusive "belief" --- for then its dishonesty might be exposed. 4. The collusive "gospel" is the collection of collusive "truths", "statements", "beliefs", etc. with the collusive "promises" that they will bear desirable fruit. 5. That which is collusively "important" is one of the collusive "priorities"; i.e., hiding an element of the collusive "gospel" from honest view and analysis, even though doing so leads to personal and communal disintegration. 6. That which is collusively "reliable" is that the elements of the collusion will not be exposed as lacking integrity and as leading to personal and communal disintegration. 7. That which is collusively "required" is that all collusive elements be respected and not be talked about. 8. That which is collusively "false" is in fact really true, clear, reliable, honest, etc.---but it must not be clearly recognized as such. That which is collusively "false" is really true --- but is regarded by participants in a collusion as "false", "uncertain", "doubtful", "confusing", "befuddled", etc. 9. A collusive "ritual" is not an evident ritual recognized by participants in a collusion; it is a tacit pattern of behavior and/or lack of appropriate behavior which is supportive of the collusion. A collusive "ritual" is not evidently required or participated in. Participants in collusions will deny that their collusive "rituals" are required and will deny that they participate in collusive "rituals". 10. A collusive "law", "rule" or "commandment" is a tacit injunction of a collusion which "does not exist" and is "not enforced". To participants collusive "laws", "rules" and "commandments" are invisible. Participants do not consciously know that such injunctions are operative in their lives; for it is against the "rules" for them to consciously know. By their nature collusions are not objective realities, they are reflexive realities. Thus, they cannot be confirmed by scientific and/or objective means. Collusions are essentially reflexive realities which can be known only through "participation". But, collusions' participants are "required" to not know that they are participants! In what sense, then, can collusions be real? Collusions are real in the sense that many of us live on the edges of some collusions; at the fuzzy boundaries of some collusions. We are not entirely in as participants; and not entirely free of the effects of collusions. There are no clear boundaries between participants and non-participants. Dichotomous thinking is common, but many of us are not entirely dichotomous in our thinking and are able to acknowledge that boundaries are often blurred; fuzzy. When we engage in creative fuzzy thinking we are able to recognize that we are living on the fuzzy edge of some collusions whose "rules" we are vaguely aware of in some confusing way. Thus we can violate the "rules" of some collusions and see, describe, articulate and talk about some of the collusive "rules" which "do not exist". By so doing we can gradually free ourselves of collusions and escape from their disintegrative effects. We can come to recognize the disintegrative ideas, ideals, values and principles which are operative in collusions --- as we gradually are liberated from them by being true to ourselves and each other about the elements of the collusions. Collusions become even more difficult to deal with when they are wrapped in the vestments of a highly respected group of religious leaders. How are followers of respected addictive/collusive religious leaders to distinguish between the collusive "truths" which their leaders present as the "words of God" on the one hand; and the still small voice of the Practice of the Presence of God via the Holy Spirit in the manner of Brother Lawrence? The following suggestions may be helpful. 1. In private spend time alone in prayer seeking integrity and honesty as the foundations of personal and communal integrity---to become and be whole and healthy. 2. Beware of systematic religiosity---for God is Love, not the supreme leader of any systematic religion. Systems empower technocrats, not lovers. 3. Look for fuzzy distinctions---where dichotomous religious leaders ask you to see and seek clean cut distinctions. 4. Look for paradoxical truths which are complementary to each other---where dichotomous religious leaders point to contradictions between their collusive "truths" and real truths. 5. Look for the obvious truths which dichotomous religious leaders carefully avoid calling attention to--- for fear that such truths will expose their duplicity. 6. Share your deepest insights and perceptions with a few most trustworthy intimate friends---who will be willing and able to nurture and clarify your insights and perceptions as you together seek honesty and integrity as the foundations for being whole and healthy. 7. Consider that the men for whom the great religions of the world are named were non-conformists--- and beware of the religious leaders who claim to be disciples of those non-conformists---when they ask that the followers of such non-conformist religious leaders be conformists in ways which are not faithful to the creative founders of the great religions of the world. (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy) ==========================================================