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Thursday, May 5, 2016

Integrity

Along the same lines as the last post, from Eleanor Roosevelt, via Brain Pickings:

We need imagination and integrity, courage and a high heart. We need to fan the spark of conviction, which may again inspire the world as we did with our new idea of the dignity and the worth of free men. But first we must learn to cast out fear. People who “view with alarm” never build anything
***
It is becoming increasingly difficult for the individual to remember that he is himself a unique human being, and that unless he keeps the sharp edges of his personality and the hard core of his integrity intact he will have lost not only all that makes him valuable to himself but all that makes him of value to anyone or anything else.
***
Look around you at the major improvements in your life, in your world. Each of them grew out of an individual conviction and an individual ability to act upon that conviction.

Christianity has a concept of the body of Christ, and each member with its own distinct and essential function:

12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

 13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

 14 For the body is not one member, but many.

 15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

 16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

 17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

 18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

 19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?

 20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.

 21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

 22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:

 23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

 24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:

 25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

 26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

Some people are obviously the liver and the anus of the body of Christ, but the suggestion is that they are no less worthy or honorable than any other part. Do Christians really believe this about their fellow men?

15 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. M.E.-

      "It is becoming increasingly difficult for the individual to remember that he is himself a unique human being, and that unless he keeps the sharp edges of his personality and the hard core of his integrity intact he will have lost not only all that makes him valuable to himself but all that makes him of value to anyone or anything else.
      ***
      Look around you at the major improvements in your life, in your world. Each of them grew out of an individual conviction and an individual ability to act upon that conviction."

      I loved that.:)

      ~Vegas

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    2. M.E.-

      "Now and then I see individuals who are stirred out of their apathy, who see something which needs to be done, something in which they believe wholeheartedly. They set to work with a will. Then something goes wrong. That is when they need to be reminded, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”

      Obviously, it takes great determination to go on working, year after disappointed and frustrating year, for some reform that seems important to you. As time passes you feel that nothing has been accomplished. But, if you give up, you are abandoning your own principles. It is deeply important that you develop the quality of stamina; without it you are beaten; with it, you may wring victory out of countless defeats, after years of what seemed to be hopeless effort." -Eleanor Roosevelt.

      Loved that, too.:)

      ~Vegas

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    3. M.E.-

      This, she cautions, isn’t merely a matter of voting on election day but rather of stepping up to every dysfunctional part of our communities and pushing actively toward the frontiers of change we believe to be necessary. Choosing not to engage in fixing society’s brokenness, she argues, is as harmful as doing the breaking ourselves:

      "What you don’t do can be a destructive force. The citizen who sees things going wrong in his community and shrugs his shoulders or complains to his neighbors and stops there is partly guilty of the condition. It is in his hands to rectify it.

      […]

      It is my conviction that there is almost no area of life which we cannot transform according to our own desires if we want something badly enough, if we have faith in it, and if we work for it with all our hearts. It is not too much to say that every bad situation is a result of apathy, of lack of planning, of individuals who think, “After all, it’s not my business.”

      […]

      Self-government requires self-examination, action by the individual, standards, values, and the strength to live up to them." -Eleanor Roosevelt.

      Perfection.:)

      ~Vegas

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    4. M.E.-

      "...but the suggestion is that they are no less worthy or honorable than any other part. Do Christians really believe this about their fellow men?"

      I am Christian, and yes-I believe that.:)

      ~Vegas

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    5. I came across a very cool quote today, and thought I'd share:

      "How you climb up the mountain is just as important as how you get down the mountain. And so it is with life, which for many of us becomes one big gigantic test followed by one big gigantic lesson. In the end, it all comes down to one word. Grace. It's how you accept winning and losing, good luck and bad luck, the darkness and the light."

      ~Vegas

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  2. "Some people are obviously the liver and the anus of the body of Christ, but the suggestion is that they are no less worthy or honorable than any other part."

    I'm not a Christian obviously but I agree with the metaphor. We all do have different roles to play in civilization and no one is BY DEFAULT better or worse than anyone else. It's not your outter role which determines your true worth but your inner reality. Your integrity - keeping to the truth as best as possible. All else is the result of which mode you choose to operate on.

    Incidentally the reason why I know without doubt that the Qur'an is the Speech of God and the final revelation is precisely because it uniquely addresses the entire phenomenom of psychopathy. When I was an atheist I never understood why it's constantly attacking the "unbeliever" and warning of hellfire. Human nature is not evil but it is forgetful. The Qur'an largely addresses psychopaths because they are the primary source of ALL major problems of society. We don't need to be told how to be good as much as we need to be told how not to be bad.

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  3. Everyone is so quiet...

    M.E.-regarding your quote:

    "...but the suggestion is that they are no less worthy or honorable than any other part. Do Christians really believe this about their fellow men?"

    I had an employer, who made a great analogy, regarding this. He likened his company to a watch. He said that every employee was like a part in the watch. From the smallest part (entry level), to the largest (executive level), every part of the watch is essential to the watch's overall function, and ultimate performance and success.

    I completely agree with, and loved this analogy. I find analogies to be very helpful with concepts and understanding, and that the same concepts can be applied to various things. Whether it is a watch, a company, or the human body-I believe this analogy to be accurate...

    ~Vegas

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    Replies
    1. I meant to say, that I think the above analogy applies to individuals/society, as well...

      ~Vegas

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    2. I also meant to say, that employer built quite a company and expanded an industry, based on that philosophy. I have a lot of respect for him, and his integrity...

      ~Vegas

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    3. This is why "the smallest part" or a seemingly "insignificant person", matters. It may not appear that way, but if something happens to that part or person, a whole system could go down...

      NM-

      I apologize, for all the posts!!!

      This is how my mind works. I think I'm done with a thought, and then there is another, and another...

      ~Vegas

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    4. Psychopaths, sociopaths, neurotypicals, etc.-we may operate differently and serve different functions, but we are all equally important, and we all matter...

      ~Vegas

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    5. Well said Vegas. Vegas may I ask something personal. Do not feel pressured to answer. I'm only asking because I've heard you make reference to it.

      Do you think your husband has sociopathic traits? I would not diagnose mine but if there was a book called " almost a sociopath" it would probably say a lot of things about how he himself views things and his character. And if there was a book " almost a borderline" that would best suit me. :)

      Mine shows more compassion and a intellectual empathy than the average neaurotipical I know. His emotional empathy is there but it's channeled and self controlled. When he does tear up and cry I can't help but be very in tune in what he's saying because he will not cry just over anything. It's very beautiful to witness.

      One time we were in the van and we were talking about our pasts. Something we don't bring up too often. I mentioned how lucky he was to experience two women at once. The sex must be so much better. You're so lucky to have experienced it.

      He started crying I mean looked right at me crying......telling me that it's not. It's just not. And don't you think for one second that you don't measure up because I succumbed myself under the influence.

      He's a recovered alcoholic of twenty years. Alcohol and cocaine were his drugs of choice in his past.

      Vegas you are energetic in your writing, which I like , it's who you are.

      I myself find " our husbands" are maybe drawn to us because maybe they have a calmer demeanour about them and attracted to our energy.

      Please, correct me if I'm wrong ;))

      There's lots of pros to this match but I admit there are also cons for me. It took me years to finally figure out how to navigate and be in-tune with both are personalities.

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  4. In the name of God, The Merciful, The Compassionate.

    "Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth declares the glory of God; to Him belongs the kingdom, and to Him is due (all) praise, and He has power over all things.

    He it is Who created you, but one of you is an unbeliever and another of you is a believer; and God sees what you do.

    He created the heavens and the earth with truth, and He formed you, then made goodly your forms, and to Him is the ultimate resort.

    He knows what is in the heavens and the earth, and He knows what you hide and what you manifest; and God is Cognizant of what is in the hearts.

    Has there not come to you the story of those who disbelieved before, then tasted the evil result of their conduct, and they had a painful punishment.

    That was because there came to them messengers with Clear Signs, but they said: "Shall (mere) human beings direct us?" So they rejected (the Message) and turned away. But God can do without (them): and God is free of all needs, worthy of all praise.

    Those who disbelieve think that they shall never be raised. Say: Yea! by my Lord! you shall most certainly be raised, then you shall most certainly be informed of what you did; and that is easy to God."

    Qur'an 64: 1-7

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