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 %DEFINE INTEGRITY PERSONAL COMMUNAL RELATIONS EVIL+981002                                       
 %RULES GOVERNING ULTIMATE CONFLICT RESOLUTION SINS+981002                                              
  %FINDING COMMON GROUND WAR TERRORISM FUNDAMENTALS 981002                                                                     
                                                                                                                               
     People  often define "integrity"  tacitly in terms of                                                                   
conformity of some form.    Then other  people who do  not            
conform  to   the   tacit  prescriptions,   proscriptions,            
commandments     and    taboos  ---   are   regarded    as                                 
"lacking integrity".                                                                   
                                                                                                                               
     Differing   people   may  tacitly  agree  to   define                                     
"integrity"    in  terms of conformity of  some  form  ---            
without  explicitly    agreeing   upon   which  are    the                                                                     
"proper" prescriptions,  proscriptions,   commandments and                                                                     
taboos.  Then,  in  tragic ways, differing people who have      
"agreed"  to define "integrity" in terms of conformity ---            
engage in protracted,     coercive   and violent conflicts           
over   each other's "lack of integrity".    The  conflicts                                              
are not   over  how   to   define  "integrity" because the                          
differing  people within the conflicts  have  agreed  that                             
"integrity"   should be defined in terms of conformity.            
                                                                                                                               
     In  the  above  situation  conflicts  are  protracted                                              
because of:                          
                                                                                                                               
          unclear conceptions of WHAT IS TO BE                               
          REQUIRED of people who are supposed to                                                                    
          conform to proper forms, but do not            
          conform to proper forms;            
                                                                                                                               
          --- and even more tragically because of:                          
                                                                                                                               
          unclear conceptions regarding WHAT SHOULD                               
          BE DONE in relation to PEOPLE WHO FALL to                                                              
          conform to proper forms.            
                                                                                                                               
     Often tragic degenerations in relationships flow from                                                              
the behaviors of individuals who are willing to:                                                       
                                                                                                                               
          inhibit dialogue, cooperation, team-work,                                                                            
          mutual understanding, learning, and                            
          integration ---                                                                   
                                                                                                                               
          in  efforts  to  force  people  to  conform   to            
"proper"                                                                                                                       
          forms  of attitudes, emotions, thinking and                                                                          
          behaviors.                                                       
                                                                                                                               
     Such  alienative efforts undermine both personal  and                                        
communal  integrity ---  in the tragic darkness of unclear                                                                
conceptions  of  the  nature  of  authentic  personal  and   
communal integrity.                                                                
                                                                                                                               
     The  above  confusions  are often all wrapped  up  in                                                                     
confusion over the nature of sin and evil.   
                                                                                                                               
     Some people see the essence of sin and evil in  terms                  
of  failures of individuals  to conform to "proper"  forms            
of conformity.            
                                                                                                                               
     Other people see the essence of sin and evil in terms                  
of inter-personal relationship  which are characterized by                      
various     forms    of     alienation,      estrangement,                                        
excommunication, arrogance, self-righteous-ness, coercion,       
violence and disintegration.           
                                                                                                                               
     It is tragically difficult for people who conceive of                               
the essence of sin and evil in such contrasting  ways ----      
to find common ground for the resolution of their ultimate                                                                     
conflicts.                                              
                                                                                                                               
     In  the absence of efforts by people to  find  common                                                                    
grounds for preserving their diverse forms of personal and                                                                 
communal integrity ---                                                                
                                                                                                                               
          people are doomed to work at cross purposes                                                                    
                                                                                                                               
          in disintegrative efforts which are justified                                                                   
                                                                                                                               
          by what they regard as ultimately important:                                 
                                                                                                                               
              teachings, scriptures, doctrines,                                                                                
              confessions, ideals, values principles,  and                                         
interpretations!                      
                                                                                                                               
     Sensible  bystanders are bound to  wonder  about  the                                                                     
integrity  of people and communities  that  engage in such                                                                
tragically alienative efforts.                                        
                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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