[Dialogue] {Disarmed} Re: Secondary Ethics

[Marilyn R Crocker]

Dick et al,

My understanding of "secondary" integrity (as opposed to the rules, regs
and legalisms that,for me, represent "primary" integrity) is that which
guides one's actions in accord with the "necessary deed" -- the freely
responsible action (cf Bonhoeffer) which I've never found is a simplistic
cop out, but rather the result of complex, prayer filled discernment.

I would be interested to know more about your thinking, Dick, that led
you to conclude this was our movement's most serious perversion.

With appreciation for the resources you bring to our "virtual" collegium
room table,

Marilyn

Marilyn R. Crocker, Ed.D
Crocker & Associates, Inc.
123 Sanborn Road
West Newfield, ME 04095
(207) 793-3711


On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 18:23:34 EDT KroegerD at aol.com writes:
 
 
Here is a link to the subject not from the spirit movement.
http://ezinearticles.com/?A-Model-of-Ethics-for-Womens-Development&id=654
252
 
On golden pathways a google search delivered only a speech by Mathews in
Korea.  ( below )
 
good luck with that!!
 
In my words, secondary integrity means doing whatever is necessary,
telling story ( even if it is totally untrue) in order to ger 'er done. 
In my opinion, it was our movement's most serious perversion, and
ultimately did in the spirit movement as an organization.
 
Dick Kroeger
 
Global Priors Council 
Chicago 
7/27/77 
PROFOUND HUMANNESS: INTEGRITY 

A fine 1ine has been drawn in our time. In some ways it has been drawn in
the last two years. That line has lifted a haze that has been across our
eyes so we can now see exactly where we have to stick our lives. That is
a global experience of man. The integrity of profound humanness can be
talked about because this whole year it has been coming to you. All you
have to do to get at that is to remember the reports that have been made
in these last several days and the kind of work we did here. It has also
become secondhand knowledge to people that integrity is not what we used
to say it is not, i.e. rules, some kind of quality or merit you might
have, or values or principles. People know that. They know that no one
has integrity. I suspect that all you have to do is look around the room
to see that that is true as well. Watergate was a global phenomena. It
had to do with integrity. Nobody has integrity.

There is only one kind of integrity, and we have banged our heads on that
for a long time. We called it secondary integrity at one point. It's the
integrity that is not you, but you are of it. This integrity that is
profound humanness is a tent. You go and live in that tent and you feel
like a human being. You are a human being. If you go outside that tent,
you are a man­dog or a woman­cow. I think this year most of us have met
strangers that lived in the tent. You worked with them like you knew them
all your life and you did miracles with them. There were other people
that you woke up in a Town Meeting or a Social Demonstration, and they
came over to you. They wanted to know what this was. They didn't hum and
haw around it. They came right out and said, "What is your secret? How do
you keep going? How do you live like this?" They wanted to know. In the
past when people came to us with a question, we used to give them a long
context. It covered the whole of history. You hoped that somewhere in the
whole thing, they would pick something up. You don't have that kind of
time anymore. You really have to give sort of an answer-unanswer. I
believe this is really what we have been starting to work on here. Some
time along the way we will come out with the "Sayings of Profound
Humanness" that you just say and people understand. 

There was a fellow named St. Augustine who tried that out. He once said,
"You love God and do what you please." That's an answer­ unanswer that
allows you to take in a whole lot at once. We know enough about theology
and temporality to know that we have got to do that job ourselves and say
for our own time what that is. That leaves us with the question: "How do
I be a human being? How do I be a person of integrity?" We all have to
find a way to get our insides out. That is, to get inside profound
humanness and know that you are also issuing a call for people to step
across this line in our time. This line that has been drawn is a line
that represents the cry for economic justice -- the line of 15% and 85%.
It's the seven revolutions that are stumbling along.

Integrity as profound humanness is keeping your own conscience. You
really can't say much more than that. That's about all there is to say.
Behind that, there's a whole lot. There is an awakenment when you found
out that you are going to die and you are headed for death. You only have
one life to live and you have decided to straighten up and live it right.
You find out that there is criticism in life and some think this and some
that. You began to shape your life that way, and it became a ping-pong
game and you were the ball. You close that game down. Then, you decided
what you wanted to do. You created a private conscience. What you found
is that you'd turned your life over to your appetites or some abstract
goal or principles. Then came along a moment in your life. We have been
through this one over and over again. Sometimes it is not the moment; it
is remembering the moment. I've been struck this year at how many people
in the course of a conversation would say that this human occurrence I
know when I was four, five, six, seven years old; it wasn't something
that came, necessarily, late in life. It comes over and over again.
Hammarskjold has a tremendous piece of writing in his book, Markings,
about this. He says this: 
You told yourself you would accept the decision of fate, but you lost
your nerve when you discovered what this world required of you. Then you
realized how attached you still were to the world which has made you what
you were, which you would now have to leave behind. It felt like an
amputation; a little death. And you even listened to those voices which
insinuated that you were deceiving yourself out of ambition. You'll have
to give up everything. Why, then, weep at this little death? Take it to
you quickly; with a smile die this death and become free to go further -
and with your task, whole in your duty of the moment.

Whatever this is that stirs that moment in you is what you keep, what you
watch over and take care of and be careful about. This is what leads you
to being a human being. You start keeping it just a little and you know
what happens. Everything inside you gets torn up and you fall into a
perpetual state of self-criticism. While outside, the haze of life gets
lifted and you begin to see things with particular specificity. This
"keeping your own conscience" belongs you to humanness. It's your ticket
to the task. It's the only way, finally that you have of seeing what you
are doing is real. There is a story about an old man who had two sons and
he told them something to do. You remember one of them said, "No, he
wouldn't do it," and then he went off and did it. The other son said he
would do it and then he didn't go do it. Now, the man who said no had
this happen to him in the middle of his life and he took care of his
conscience. When that jarring came, he knew what he had to do and he went
and did it.

There is more to this. Integrity as profound humanness is hitting the
moral issue of our time. This line is drawn across our moment. On one
side is the big haze. The big haze is everything I ever wanted.
Everything I ever wanted is so much that it is a big haze that I can't
figure out. On the other side is this 15%­85%. And the way I have begun
to write it is the poor. It's the poor of spirit, the poor of body, the
poor of mind. It's the humankind that suffers. When you see that, you see
that the issue of which side you are going to be on or which is better or
which is more loved than the other is not a question any more. It's not a
question anymore. That has already been dealt with. The only question
that you've got is, "Where are you going to put both feet?"

We've tried it all. We've tried putting one foot on one side and one foot
on the other and both in both. By doing that, you found out certain
things. You found out that whenever you keep your conscience just a
little, and you care about it, somewhere, somehow there's a power that
comes. You've seen yourselves and you've seen others do miracles. Do one
hundred Town Meetings in a single bound. Raise up seven buildings with
the speed of a bullet. It's hard to get a hold of it, hard to understand
it. After that, people have come up and said to you that the course of
the community is changed, that this place will never be the same again.
When that's occurred, you've sensed (That's not a strong enough word.)
the load of history has come to you as your life. You've also known that
as soon as you put aside this taking care of your conscience, you pour
cold water on it. You forget it. You don't tend it. You don't care for
it. It starts off something like this: you say to yourself, "Now the
reason I did this . . . or the reason I'm going to do something else."
You learn fast that the failure mentality, the despair, negativism,
cynicism, fillyism or whatever else you want to add to that list is
rooted in a refusal to keep your own conscience. When you get both feet
on the other side of that line (You keep your conscience just a little.)
things start getting clear. You see the human suffering of the world.
It's not just seeing. It penetrates your being. You are profoundly
addressed by how much there is to do. You go out into a village and you
know that all around this village, the same thing exists. And beyond
those villages, there's more and more. And you enter into the suffering
of the world. The issue you face isn't how little or how much you can get
done, how effective or ineffective in one sense, that you are. It's
"There's a lot of work to do; let's get to doing it." I think you step
across and call your shot and carry it through, or you join the
reactionary un-society that's passing away at that point. 

You've all been given answers to how we got sustained this year, or what
sustained us as a body. I think mine would go something like this: We got
sustained as a body because we lived out of and we lived off of the
suffering of humankind. We saw through a village or Town Meeting that
there was another and another and another. The preoccupation that came
over us was, "Let's get this one done so we can get to the next one, so
we can get to the next one." You don't notice at that time, but I believe
that that's the point where integrity begins to raise its tent over your
head and you don't know it. I believe where you wake up to integrity, you
wake up to integrity shadowing you. It's at the point of this business of
constituting a new image of humanness. That would be another way I'd say,
"Integrity as profound humanness is constituting the new image of
humanness." That's sort of like this training thing we've been saying to
ourselves. Somebody comes to a project and says they want to get trained.
They bug you, and all you can think to say is, "Would you get that chain
over there? Put it in the car. We've got to get the truck out of the
ditch." And they show up again wanting to get trained and you have them
going after other chains. A few weeks later they come up and you notice
that they are trained. They're leading a group. They're doing things.
They're building models. All this time you've been worrying about how in
the world you'd get them off to an ITI and things like that. I think
integrity is a little bit like that.

The locus of integrity for a moment is in constituting the new image of
humanness. The key that we've all come to know about is this business of
nobodies. A "nobody" is anybody who's going so fast he doesn't have time
to be somebody. There is a global command. It's like the rule of the
Order. It is not written, but you know for sure when you're around it.
It's doing this global command . . . not your project, not your Town
Meeting, but this global command, or not even your business, if you're a
businessman. It's doing this global command that allows a person to be a
nobody. Blame and praise don't count much for motivity at that point.
It's getting this global command actuated that becomes motivating. Or a
way someone else said to me, "It's really exciting now."

Winning is doing it all at once. This gradualism and doing it one at a
time belongs on the other side of that line. Winning is doing it all at
once, doing what you say, delivering, living out beyond the border where
no one else can go. Several of you commented that you go into offices
where people are supposed to be caring for places, and the one remark
they make is, "I don't know how you guys go out there and live in that
village and do that kind of thing." You know that that guy's got an
address on his life to deal with, and things have begun to happen. It's
going like a freight train, never slowing down. Then when the awards are
being passed out, you beat the Lone Ranger because you're not even there
to say, "Hi ho Silver." You're off doing the next one. You really don't
feel much like integrity, I must confess. In fact, you don't feel like
you've done very much. You certainly don't feel like you've gotten
through. You feel like there's just more to be done. 

You know, sometimes you hear a word that comes to you that the village
drunk, who always hung around the office and caused trouble, got out of
his bed the other day. He had the flu. It began to rain and through his
laryngitis he cussed out the whole village and got them to finish the
wall in the rain. You know something happened out of that.

Or you get one of those invitations to go to dinner from some patron who
has just given you a gift. I always worry whenever somebody does that, or
when I'm the one who has to go. He fattens you up, you know. Then he
kills you with praises about how tremendous you are and all the things
you've done. You know what's coming. Then, things get quiet and the
martinis go by for a while. You see that he's hiding behind a lampshade a
little bit. He says in a very quiet voice, "I've always wanted to do what
you're doing." Then he asks you if you want to have another martini and
you're glad to get out of there and go about your business. (You learn a
little bit about development guys. They either have got to be great
priests, or they get burnt up in a hurry.) You hear later about this guy.
He starts sending you things you didn't ask for. And he's getting you out
of trouble you didn't even know you were in. Some people say he's gone a
little nuts. He's gone beyond what a businessman can do and lost his
objectivity. He's getting other people to come and see. Then you hear
that other businessmen are joining him in this. I get a little scared and
I tremble a little bit. What kind of power is getting loose here that
would create that? It's about that time you begin to look up into your
colleagues and see this integrity showing all over their faces. That gets
you a little scared, too. 

All of this is really contained in this last one. Integrity as profound
humanness is creating new community. That's really what it's all about.
It comes down to this; hitting the moral issue, keeping your conscience,
constituting the new image of humanness. It's all tied to making a new
picture of what a village looks like, when you picture what an inner city
looks like, or what a town looks like.

A long time ago we said that the center of civilization in our time is
the cities. It's an urban world, and that's bothered us a little bit
about going to the country. Well, you see, Bombay doesn't know how to
build an urban city until the villages of Maharashtra give it a picture
of what it looks like to be a human village. Finally, all of that is
Bombay, Chicago, and London don't know what it is to build a human city
until the inner city gives them a picture of what a human city looks
like.

It doesn't work the other way in our time. It comes from the ground up.
It's the arisement of local man. It's the only place you get clear about
what humanness is. The new neighborliness, the stakes, the new economic
functions, the guilds, this global band -- we don't really know yet what
we've got on our hands there. All these pictures have got to get
delivered up to where people can see them in order for anybody to begin
to be human.

You step back a little bit and you look at all these faces. You see all
the faces of the villagers and people in Town Meetings. You see all those
picture books that "Life" and other magazines used to put out -- all
those faces. They're human faces. What you know is that they live like
man-dogs and like woman­cows. In those faces (They're our faces, too.)
there is a beckoning to come and tell. They want to be told. They know
it, but they've got to be told in order to know it, just like us. We've
always got to be told what we know in order for us to know it. And that's
not enough. They've got to see it. Everybody in our time knows that this
is what life is about in our day. People have got to go and somebody has
got to go and tell and show in order for any kind of humanness to happen.
Some people say that labor is dehumanizing (or that some kind of labor is
dehumanizing), or that there is something else that is dehumanizing. I
want to venture to say that labor and something is never dehumanizing to
anybody. When you stop to tell them and you stop to show them that, then
everything that is dehumanizes you.

The integrity we've experienced is really these walls. When you look over
here and over there, you know about the presence of integrity, and about
this presence of integrity. I think that's why we feel like human beings.
It's strange because this is really not what we've done. Though you know,
we've done it. Like Oklahoma 100, somebody said that it took half the
Order and the whole state of Oklahoma to do it. If you think that's bad,
it's embarrassing to tell you about Kwangyung I1. It took the Navy. It
took two acceleration teams. It took the guardians. It took the whole
village. Finally, it took all of Korea to do that. I imagine we could
share some stories around the room about what it took. That tells us
something.
Integrity as profound humanness is finally a social reality. You don't
get to participate in that save you bring the whole show within the tent.
I'm looking forward to the day -- and maybe before I get to the grave,
I'll see it or hear it -- people are going to say, "Now that is a
community of integrity." They're going to say something like, "Now, there
goes a man of integrity. He's from Maliwada." That's how you know he's a
man of integrity. They'll say that because they know that they can see
it. Integrity is like a fast freight train that's going by them. They
know that they, too, can get on it.

Joseph W. Mathews 
 
In a message dated 8/22/2007 3:39:05 P.M. Central Daylight Time,
tjmorrison at earthlink.net writes:
Hi Everybody,
I recall a Movement/Order conversation in the late 1960s or early 1970s
concerning the topic: Primary Ethics and Secondary Ethics.
Looked through my papers, notes and scribbles and came up w/ empty hands.
 Information on the topic would be appreciated.  TKU.
Tom



-----Original Message----- 
From: Janice Ulangca 
Sent: Aug 21, 2007 8:10 PM 
To: Colleague Dialogue 
Subject: Re: [Dialogue] Reports on Ruth Reames medical recovery-August 7
through 18 '07 


Thank you, Jim.  This is such a complete and caring account.  I'll send
her a note - she's meant a lot to me also.  I'm very grateful for the
support of all of you there - it's got to give all possible energy to
healing.
Janice Ulangca
----- Original Message ----- 
From: J & O Slotta 
To: Colleague Dialogue ; Order Community 
Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2007 6:36 PM
Subject: [Dialogue] Reports on Ruth Reames medical recovery-August 7
through 18 '07


=================================================
TUESDAY AUGUST 21 FROM JIM SLOTTA
Dear ICA and Order Ecumenical Colleagues,

We in Denver are rallying around our dear colleague, Ruth Reames, who has
begun a journey of recovery from a stroke she encountered Tuesday, August
7. How it has gone this long without being included in the listserve
conversations is a reflection, I guess, on the steep "Doing" curve where
we in Denver have placed ourselves. We are placed there in large part by
Ruth's own active, supportive involvement. In fact, an event organized by
Ruth was almost cancelled soon after (we) realized she would be unable to
participate; then, after seeing the error of our ways, the event was held
with a record number of participants.

I decided to take some time to summarize email reports of the recent
hospitalization of dear Ruth. All of us who know Ruth will be pulling for
her recovery, which is well underway.

Her two sons have been here to visit and have returned to their homes for
the time being. For son Seth, that means returning to Japan to join his
wife and Ruth's grandchild. Many of you will recall that Ruth and her
husband, Mark, were Methodist Missionaries in Japan for some 25 years,
relating closely to the ICA work going on there. We in Denver have been
fortunate to initially count Ruth and Mark--and to now count Ruth--as our
colleague.

These emails, with some slight editing, are presented chronologically,
and reflect not only the progress she is making, but the great support
she is receiving.

She is currently at:
St. Anthony Hospital
Room 540
4231 W. 16th Ave.
Denver, CO 80204
303-595-6540

The near future plans for Ruth's recovery are well described in an email
circulated earlier today by Kathryn Smith. It says:
"Dear Ones,
I just called and talked to Ruth's sister-in-law, Joyce Nelson. The plan
is for Ruth to be released from St. Anthony rehab on Sept. 4 and moved to
a skilled nursing facility for a month or two (place to be determined).
Medically, these next two-months are key to her best chance of recovery.
Meaning that rehab work and rest is her priority. Ruth is a great one for
thinking of others and wanting to be of service; we may need to help her
see that right now she needs to focus on herself - like she did after her
knee surgery. That way she can be of more service in the long run."
-Kathryn Smith
===================================================

TUESDAY AUGUST 7 FROM ANNE NEAL
Sad tidings,

I talked with Eric a few minutes ago who received a call from someone who
was supposed to help Ruth around the house today.  When there was no
answer but her bicycle was there, they figured something was wrong and
broke in the house. They found Ruth on the floor and called an ambulance
right away.  A stroke is suspected, but it is probably too early to tell
for sure.

 Eric will let us know which hospital she was taken to - St. Anthony's or
Denver General more than likely. I’ll let you know any news I hear.

When this occurred, I was in the process of discarding the flowers Ruth
brought to the office last week and cleaning up the bowl in the
conference room that she had put little buds in. When I went back to
finish, I noticed the piece Ruth did for our open house. The Rumi poem
she included was this one:

This being human is a guest house. 
Every morning is a new arrival.
Welcome and attend them all!

Even if they're a crowd of sorrows
Be grateful for whatever comes,
Because each has been sent
As a guide from beyond.             Rumi

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 8 FROM ANNE NEAL
I was with Ruth this morning and she is doing remarkably well. She
definitely had a stroke but her speech is good, she is tracking very
well, and has high spirits. Her left side is weak and partially
paralyzed, however, there is hope she will regain full mobility. I was
quite relieved to see how well she is doing.

She’s at St. Anthony’s Hospital (at 16th and Stuart, west of Federal
Blvd) in the NSICU (Intensive Care) section, room 207. The direct number
to the unit is 303-595-6700. I’m not sure what the phone number to her
room is. She may be moved to a regular room later today, once they
determine that she’s able to swallow without any problems. She’s been on
an IV since her arrival.

While I was there, she told another friend that she still plans to be at
the party they are giving for her friend's family on Saturday, but it is
highly unlikely. She may be in rehab for a couple of weeks after her
release from the hospital. We will know more in a day or so and I’ll let
you know.

She is delighted to have visitors. She can't have flowers in her room
yet, but will be able to receive them when she’s moved to a regular room.


THURSDAY AUGUST 9 FROM KATHRYN SMITH
I stopped in to see Ruth at noon today.  She is still in room 207.  She
has received many visitors and is very grateful, calling them her "best
medicine."  She said she has a lot of pain, especially in her neck.  I
only stayed about 10 minutes as it seemed she wanted to rest.
Kathryn

THURSDAY AUGUST 9 FROM SUNNY WALKER
I was in after work for a bit more than 10 mins., but stayed with her
while her sister-in-law went off to do some things – then we both left so
she could rest. She is now out of NSICU and in room 287.

She does love the attention, though it can be tiring. Her sons were
touching down in Denver around 7 PM tonight. It seems she enjoys jokes,
can move her left toes with EXTREME concentration, but the rest of the
left is not cooperating much. If, on a visit, she tells you anything
about what was going on just before she fell (we know she was walking
erratically and trying to find a flashlight to be able to see Eric’s
number. She knew she had to tell someone something was wrong. Shortly
after, Marlo (Margot? My hearing or hers is iffy) who helps around the
house and yard came over, couldn’t rouse her and phoned 911. The doctors
are trying to learn what happened just BEFORE that and Ruth is having
trouble remembering. Still, sometimes she talking about something else
and a piece of info will slip out. All that is to say, pay attention when
you visit!

She looks good and is in GREAT spirits!

MONDAY AUGUST 13 FROM ANNE NEAL
Ruth is in rehab, room 540, phone number 303-595-6540. (Raul, in case you
didn’t hear, Ruth had a stroke last week. She has the ability to talk and
is in good recovery.) Her sons are still here and she’s been grateful for
the visits, cards, and flowers. She feels very well supported.

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 15 FROM KATHRYN SMITH
I went to see Ruth in her rehab room 540 this morning. Steve and I were
out of town Sun. - Tues. I see that she has had many visitors and has
received many gifts and flowers. According to the white board opposite
the nurses' station she will be there until Sept. 4. I see that she has a
neck brace on. We didn't have time to visit because therapists were
working with her - it may be better to visit in the early evening.
However, Ruth asked me to pass along that if anyone knows how to contact
Richard A. re gardening, she would like him to know that there is no paid
gardening work at the moment (volunteers are taking care of it). If
anyone knows any more from talking to Ruth or her family, please reply to
all here with the latest. Thank you.

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 15 FROM ANN EPPS
Thanks for this news, Kathryn,

John and I have been thinking quite a bit about Ruth since we heard of
her stroke. Could you please forward the address of her hospital and
room, so we can send a greeting?

THURSDAY AUGUST 16 FROM CATHERINE WELCH
Thanks for keeping folks in the loop, with a very comprehensive eye to
who needs to be included.  I visited with Ruth on Tuesday, while her son
Seth was still in town.  I believe he left on Wednesday.  I think that
the neighbors who are caring for Ruth's mail and yard may be Sheryl
Johnson and her husband.  I am going to add her to the list here.  Sheryl
works at Grace Apts. where we did the safety training, and coincidently
lives across the alley from Ruth.  They have been great neighbors!

I'm wondering if we might concoct some sort of visiting schedule so that
Ruth gets a visit from one of us in her "care bear" network (to borrow
one of Kay T's terms) most every day, but not everyone on the same day. 
If the plans for rehab are anticipated to go on into Sept, we may need to
use some kind of rationale to keep the encouragement coming . . . . If
people on this list are interested in being in a rotation, let me know. 

SATURDAY AUGUST 18 FROM KATHRYN SMITH
Hi Ann,
Good to hear from you. Ruth Reames is at:
St. Anthony Hospital
Room 540
4231 W. 16th Ave.
Denver, CO 80204
Kathryn

SATURDAY AUGUST 18 FROM SHERYL JOHNSON
Greetings All,

I spoke with Ruth's sister-in-law, Joyce, for a short time today. Joyce
and Phil wanted to let everyone know that there is a guest book in the
room so everyone can share their thoughts for Ruth in whatever form they
wish.... 

Her room is gorgeous with the view of the mountains and all of the cards,
plants, and flowers. What an amazing support network she has! 

Sheryl 





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