(This is an archived page, from the Patterns of Power Edition 3 book. Current versions are at book contents).
People may have to resolve apparent conflicts between their religious texts, the customs of their forbears, and the laws or standards of socially-acceptable behaviour in the society they are in. An accommodation or a compromise is always possible, given goodwill, in one of three ways – as described in the following sub-sections:
· Religious texts can be interpreted in different ways (4.4.4.1);
· A permission is not an instruction to do something (4.4.4.2), so people can simply refrain from actions which offend;
· People can take personal responsibility for conflict resolution (4.4.4.3), by ignoring advice or by choosing a different adviser.