This is http://www.essayz.com/b0609251.htm Previous-Essay <== This-Essay ==> Following-Essay Click HERE on this line to find essays via Your-Key-Words. {Most frequent wordstarts of each essay will be put here.} ========================================================== %META VIRTUES VICES REALITIES ESSENTIAL FOUNDATIONS 060925 %ROOTS INTEGRATIONS INTEGRITIES PERSONS COMMUNITIES 060925 %ULTIMATE CONCERN PRIORITIES COMPLEMENTARY TRUTHS 060925 %BLASPHEME HOLY SPIRIT OFFER FORGIVENESS RECONCILER 060925 %REJECT ACCEPTANCE HOSPITALITY WELCOME HEALING WELL 060925 %LOVE INTIMACY FRIENDSHIP SEXUALITY CIVILITY LOVERS 060925 Whether real virtues-and-vices contribute to communal-and-personal integrations-or-disintegrations --- depends greatly upon how the real-virtues-and-vices are regarded by the members of the community --- privately and/or communally. In fact, the following considerations are inadequate (as noted at the end) because the following gives little attention to contextual matters --- except at the very end. Beware! The following lines of text suggest a few of the many possible ways in which circumstances may play-out: A. Most helpful and integrative --- are true-virtues which are recognized and honored as such by all members of the community. Just how helpful true-virtues are in practice, depends greatly upon how clearly and fully true- virtues are recognized and honored as true-virtues by ˙the influential-members of the community. B. To the extent that virtues and/or vices are regarded and responded-to in confused ways --- as matters of indifference about their being-present and/or in being- absent --- confusion is also likely to reign as regards the CONSEQUENCES of how virtues and/or vices are regarded --- CONSEQUENCES which are likely to be generally UN- FAVORABLE --- and can often be TRAGICALLY-TERRIBLE. C. To the extent that true-virtues are regarded-and- responded-to as dishonorable-vices; to that tragic- extent, demonstrations of those true-virtues will occasion: conflicts, contentiousness, destruction and disintegra-tions --- while True-Lovers and Domineering- People contend over the True-Nature of such True-Virtues. D. To the extent that real-VICES are regarded-and- responded-to as honorable-VIRTUES; to that tragic-extent, demonstrations of those real-VICES will occasion real- conflicts, contentiousness, destruction and disintegrations --- as True-Lovers and Domineering-People contend over the True-Nature of such dishonorable-VICES. E. To the extent that real-VIRTUES and real-VICES are regarded and treated as if they were their opposites; i.e., as if they were each other --- those doing so will Live-In-Hell and believe that they are in heaven or entering heaven --- in total confusion through tragic: disintegrations, collusive-games-of-mutual-self-deception, addictions, codependent-support-networks, and Idolatrous- Worship-of Diverse-Domination-Systems. People will act as if they are: Well-Informed, Intelligent, Certain, Honest, Reliable, Making-NO-Mistakes, and free of any need to learn anything from anybody's past, present or future mistakes. Such People already Know-Everything there is to be known! They refuse to be bothered by any Whole-Truth. F. Additional considerations need to be given to the principles of Distributive-Justice and to contrasts between what is enjoyed by Domineering-People in comparison to what is enjoyed by Vulnerable-and- Tragically-Disadvantaged people. Great/Tragic contrasts in such regards truly are threats to Personal-and-Communal Integrations-and-Integrities --- in ways Not-Adequately- Called-to-Attention in the preceding parts of this essay --- because in the preceding parts of this essay Contextual- Considerations-Were-Ignored. It is not safe to ignore contextual considerations in the absence of adequate affirmations of the principles and practices of Distributive-Justice. In fact it is not possible to thoroughly consider vices and virtues while ignoring contextual considerations. G. What is a Virtue-or-a-Vice in any given: Time, Place, Context, Relationship, etc. depends much upon whatever: 1. Priorities are being affirmed-demonstrated, 2. Priorities are being neglected-forgotten, 3. Priorities are being denigrated-sacrificed, 4. Truths are being affirmed-integrated, 5. Truths are being neglected-forgotten, 6. Truths are being denigrated-sacrificed, 7. Beings are being affirmed-integrated, 8. Beings are being neglected-forgotten, 9. Beings are being denigrated-sacrificed, 10. Means are being Reverenced-Worshipped-Abused. 11. Is being denied by Collusive-Games of M.S.D. 12. Is being concentrated to benefit just a few. 13. Myth-of-Redemptive-Alienation is being affirmed. 14. Are foci of Dominant Addictions & Codependents. 15. Integrities and Coherent-Communities are Feared. 16. Opposite-Realities are Confused with Each-Other. 17. Opposite-Realities are Treated As-If Each-Other. 18. True-Possibilities are treated as Impossible. 19. True-Im possibilities are treated as Possible. 20. Is being treated as Essential-Within-Shalom. H. We-Lose to the extent that our central issues focus on Unilateral-Determinations of Who-Will-Win --- by making Many-Others-Lose. I. We-Lose to the extent that we ignore, forget and are indifferent to The-Essential-Foundations for Personal- and-Communal Integrations-and-Integrities WHICH-ARE-ABSENT in ways which we and others do not notice and do not seek to notice. We will exceedingly rarely notice such ABSENCES if we do not daily seek to notice such ABSENCES. Tragic consequences flow from such ABSENCES, NEGLECT and INDIFFERENCE. Such ABSENCES may pertain to early-childhood: Food, affection, security, cuddling, affirmations, warmth, love, stability, intellectual-stimulation, family-coherence, etc. Communal costs of such early-childhood ABSENCES are beyond human calculation. Be Graciously-Together in the Many-Ways-of-Shalom. (c) 2006 by Paul A. Smith in "Search for Honesty and Integrity" (On Being Yourself Whole and Healthy) ==========================================================