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 %HOW DISCERN RELIGIOUS LEADERS TRUE FALSE PROPHETS 040107
 %TEACHINGS SCRIPTURES TEXTS RITUALS FOCUS NEGATIVE 040107
 %POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS ATTENTION IGNORE NEGLECT IT 040107
 %I-THOU MARTIN BUBER KINDNESS HOSPITALITY CIVILITY 040107
 %LABELED DEVILS EXCOMMUNICATE ISOLATE ALIENATE SIN 040107
 %ARROGANT SELF RIGHTEOUS POWER CONCENTRATED WEALTH 040107

     How  are  we to discern which religious  leaders  are 
true prophets,  and  which  religious  leaders  are  false 
prophets? 
     
     1.   Not so much by which teachings, scriptural-texts 
and rituals they focus attention upon ---   but  by  which 
KIND-RELATIONSHIPS they focus affirmative attention upon. 

     2.  Not so much by which teachings,  scriptural-texts 
and   rituals   they  IGNORE and  DO NOT  FOCUS  ATTENTION 
UPON  ---   but  by which KIND-RELATIONSHIPS  THEY  DIVERT 
ATTENTION AWAY FROM. 
  
     3.  False  prophets  divert attention away from KIND-
RELATIONSHIPS;  and towards NEGATIVELY LABELED INDIVIDUALS 
whom  they  are  working to  excommunicate,   isolate  and 
alienate from the religious-community. 

     4.  False  prophets  are  arrogant,   self-righteous, 
power-concentrators,   wealth-concentrators,  mis-leading, 
dishonest and pretentious people ---  who focus vulnerable 
people's      attentions    upon     cosmological/mystical 
statements about "God",  "gods",  "angels",  "heaven"  and 
"hell";   i.e.,  statements WHICH CANNOT BE  EXISTENTIALLY 
TESTED and proven to  be either true or false ---   within 
the  real realms of common-people's    existence    within   
their    states-of-vulnerability. 

     5.  False  prophets create  and maintain real common-
people's  states-of-vulnerability;  by shifting  attention 
away  from  the  paths  which  lead  to  facilitating  and 
promoting real: honesty, openness,   diplomacy,  civility, 
hospitality,   peace-making,  generosity,  reconciliation, 
forgiveness;  i.e.,   away  from  the  paths toward  KIND-
RELATIONSHIPS. 

     6.  True   prophets   are  humble   peacemakers   who 
cooperate   and   collaborate   to  create    and    SHARE  
equally:  power,     wealth,      health;     experiences,    
insights,  discernments,   understandings;   civility  and  
hospitality  within  sanctuaries  where  poor  people  can 
freely  exchange free gifts of  the freedom to be  safely-
vulnerable   within  intimate-relationships    which   are 
guided and motivated by Integrative Love. 

     7.  True  prophets help poor vulnerable people to see 
clearly  and discern the true natures of  the  realms   of 
false-prophets --- so that poor vulnerable people will not 
be   inclined  to  imitate  the  dominant  attitudes   and 
behavior-patterns of false-prophets.       

                           Shalom! 

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