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  %ALIENATIVE EXCLUSION COMPLEMENTARY PEOPLE AFFIRM 031010
%OWN EXPERIENCES EXISTENTIAL PERCEPTIONS UNDERSTAND 031010
%OBSERVATION DESCRIPTIONS PRESCRIPTION PROSCRIPTION 031010
%COLLUSIVE GAMES MUTUAL SELF DECEPTION ADDICTION IT 031010
%I-THOU RELATIONSHIPS DEVIL REJECTION EXCOMMUNICATE 031010
%HELLS TRUE-LOVER HEAVEN SALVATION REDEMPTION GODLY 031010

     Religious  leaders often maintain religious practices
which originated  in ancient sincere  efforts  to  achieve
practical  results in terms of the cosmologies  extant  at
the time the rituals were invented; e.g.,  the prohibition
against  eating pork.   However,   many ancient  religious
practices  are  no  longer   maintained   because  of  new
technologies;  e.g.,  prohibitions against eating pork are
sometimes  not maintained where refrigeration is regularly
in use.  Yet some religious  leaders maintain some rituals
primarily    as   means   for   maintaining    their   own
concentrations of  power.    They may maintain  their  own
concentrations  of  powers because  the  concentration  of
their own power-to-be-in-domination/control is  their  own
god.  Such religious leaders are idolators who serve their
own god regardless of the disintegrative  consequences for
many people and communities.

     Some  religious  rituals  are  inherently   coercive,
manipulative and violent efforts by domineering-religious-
leaders to "maintain control"  through "wars"  of  various
kinds.  Often such "wars" do not regularly entail physical
violence; yet even where there is no physical violence the
"wars"   do  entail:  spiritual-violence,   psychological-
violence, economic-violence,  political-violence,  sexual-
abuses, violations of minorities'  rights,  violations  of
women's  rights,    violence-against-complementary-truths,
and  the  violation of  sanctuaries and of many  essential
foundations of personal and communal integrities.

     Beware of domineering-religious-leaders' use/abuse of
religious rites and beliefs which are separated from their
followers'  own personal experiences of the  bitter fruits
of mandated religious rites,  rituals and beliefs;   e.g.,
ritualistic  violence against  labeled  "enemies"   of the
domineering religious  leaders':   (1)  concentrations  of
power,  (2) collusive games of   mutual   self  deception,
(3)   addictions,   and (4) codependent support thereof.

     Beware   of  mandated  religious/ritualistic  beliefs
which    are   disconnected   from   existential/empirical
demonstrations  that  the particular mandated  beliefs  do
merit:   affirmations,     honor,  respect and   practical
support ---  because  of  the sweet fruits enjoyed by  the
domineering people  who affirm   the beliefs --- to    the
exclusion     of     complementary   people   who   affirm
complementary beliefs.

                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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