This-essay is a9701231.htm which is available at the web-site www.essayz.com. See more notes at the bottom. Previous-Essay <== This-Essay ==> Following-Essay By-Months By-Years By-Words Webs of Like-&-Un-Like ESSAYS <==> Like-&-UN-Like This-One ========================================================== %IDOLATRY ULTIMATE CONCERN SELF SALVATION GROUP+970123 %APPEARANCES REPUTATION ESTEEM PRIDE EXCLUSIVE 970123 Selfishness often hides in disguised forms of behavior which are respected by people who do not recognize that selfishness is entailed in some respected forms of behavior. Religious leaders are often preoccupied with personal salvation and with how their followers will achieve salvation. They seem to be in competition with others over the proper technology for achieving salvation. In religious terms, preoccupations with how to achieve salvation is idolatrous---it focuses ultimate concern upon other than that of God. In secular terms, preoccupation with how to achieve salvation is dysfunctional---it focuses ultimate concern on ways which undermine personal and communal integrity. When people are preoccupied with their own ultimate self-esteem and the self-esteem of members of their "select" group --- they do not function well in dealing with conflicting values and values---or with people who embody conflicting values and ideals. They are prone to focus upon dichotomies which promote and extend conflicts. When people are preoccupied with their personal and group appearances and reputations --- they are not inclined to seek to promote personal and communal integrity; for it seems to them that what counts is only appearances (rather than realities). Preoccupations with personal-salvation, my-group- salvation; self-esteem, team-spirit; personal-reputations, my-group-reputations---are preoccupations which are often misleading in dysfunctional ways. Such preoccupations lead people into conflicting ways, and away from conflict- resolution. Often such preoccupations lead people to play collusive games of mutual self deception, wherein they cannot see what they are doing and cannot see or feel the consequences. They focus upon select fundamentals which are chosen to make themselves appear to be "saved," "good," "respectable," "reputable," etc. They do not seek to promote and facilitate either personal or communal integrity---for to do so would undermine their collusive games of mutual self-deception. (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in www.essayz.com Search for Integrity and Honesty (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy) ==========================================================
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