4.4.4 Resolving Apparent Contradictions
(This is a current page, from the Patterns of Power Edition 3 book contents. An archived copy of this page is held at https://www.patternsofpower.org/edition03/444.htm)
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.
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