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 %EXPERIENCE EXISTENTIAL AUTHORITY FRUITS KNOWLEDGE+961225
 %DOCTRINE COMMANDMENT PROHIBITION PRESCRIPTION SIN+961225
     %RENOUNCE EVIL IMMORALITY DEFINITION INTEGRITY 961225

     Often   people  argue  over,   and  are  in  conflict
regarding  authoritative   statements  which  have  become
detached    from  personal  descriptions  of   the  actual
experiences  of known humans.     In such situations power
conflicts  are   common.  People are seeking  to   be   in
control.   Their dialogue is fruitless  because  they  are
not    deliberately     seeking  personal   and   communal
integrity for each other.   They are not   describing  and
seeking  to  understand  their  own personal   experiences
in  terms of seeking  personal  and communal integrity for
each other.

     We  may assess authoritative statements in  terms  of
how the statements  help or hinder people who are honestly
seeking  personal and communal integrity for  each  other;
i.e., in terms of the integrative or disintegrative fruits
as revealed by honestly described personal experiences.

     In  the absence of honest descriptions of the  fruits
of authoritative statements  which  have  been  offered in
various contexts  and  situations---there  are bound to be
power    conflicts   which   degenerate   into    coercive
manipulations, collusive games of  mutual self deceptions,
violence,  terrorist attacks and "holy" wars.   While such
conflicts  are  usually  rooted in the highest ideals  and
values  of  the  participants,   those  ideals and  values
do   not guarantee  that  the  fruits  of  the   conflicts
will   be personal   and/or  communal  integrity  for  any
of    the  participants.        Participants   are     not
intentionally   seeking   either  personal   or   communal
integrity.      They let other considerations dominate  in
disintegrative ways.

     It  is helpful to assess authoritative statements  in
terms  of  how  well  they help  people  who  are  seeking
personal and communal integrity for each other;  including
the  least of their neighbors.    It is helpful for people
to  describe their own personal experiences which indicate
whether  or not a particular authoritative statement leads
people to enjoy personal and communal integrity;  or leads
people to suffer personal and communal disintegration.

     People who are preoccupied with some particular kinds
of   authoritative   statements  are  often  involved   in
destructive kinds of behaviors.   Their preoccupations and
authoritative  statements represent disintegrative ideals,
values, ideas, assumptions, attitudes and beliefs.  People
who are preoccupied with conformity and issues of  control
are  often associated with disintegrative behaviors.    We
need to describe and understand how that association comes
about.

     People  of integrity are usually associated with open
and  honest  descriptions  of their own  most  meaningful,
significant  and integrative personal experiences.    They
describe  how  they  have  approached  opportunities   and
challenges---in regards to attitudes, assumptions, ideals,
values  and beliefs---and describe the outcomes  of  their
efforts.    They make generalizations which are based upon
honestly  offered  personal experiences and  reports  from
other like people.

     Often  people  of integrity offer descriptions  which
indicate  that other people's authoritative statements  do
not  merit respect in terms of the personal experiences of
the people  who  are  most  closely  associated  with  the
authoritative  statements.   Often in such situations  the
people  who  are  most  actively  promoting  authoritative
statements engage  in  coercive  manipulations,  collusive
games  of  mutual  self deceptions,  violence,   terrorist
attacks and "holy"  wars.   Their authoritative statements
are  clearly  not  integrative in any sense  which  merits
respect.
                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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