04.16.08
….about “My Stage One Story”
On April 14, I posted “My Own Stage One Story.” That was an instance from my own experience that highlights what it was like to be in that less developed stage. I felt small and powerless. I saw no other way of obtaining the coveted medicine bottles through my own honest efforts. I viewed my friends as “haves” while I was a “have not.” Most importantly, my own strong desire to own those bottles overpowered all other considerations. So I felt no guilt taking what I wanted from my friends if I could get away with it.
But I was brought up in a stable home and that allowed me to grow beyond that Lawless stage in a graceful, hardly noticeable way. I am happy to say that by my teen years, I had certainly moved beyond this Lawless stage, though I have no strong story to report about the transition. Since then I have almost never felt that sense of being a “have not” though I live in a community where almost everyone “has” more than I - in terms of material goods in any case. There have been rare few instances in which I ever felt so small and powerless. And I have certainly never stolen anything again.
But you can see how some people, with a different set of life experiences, could wind up living far into adulthood with the “small and powerless” attitude, a sense of being a “have not” and a hugely underdeveloped conscience such as I had that day. This would be your “Lawless” or Stage One person. You can see how once introduced (or re-introduced as in the case of the “born-agains”) to a traditional type religion such a person could feel all such problems were solved. This would be where a Lawless person could grow to Stage Two - and be come a member of the Faithful Group. This would be a good thing!
A strong church can provide lots of rules so one doesn’t have to think through what is right or wrong, or rely on an underdeveloped conscience. It can help the person feel connected with something much greater than themsevles so they don’t feel so small and powerless. And it can take their focus off the acquisition of material goods if they can believe there is something greater beyond this world. Introducing Stage One Lawless person to a traditional religion is a great thing. It allows them to move on to the Faithful Stage - or Stage Two, most definitely a better way to live than the Lawless Stage.
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Now please think back - don’t you have a story you could share from your childhood when you exhibited similarly unprincipled behavior? I really would like more such stories to further illustrate this stage. Most of us would have passed beyond that stage by adolesence, if you have such a story it would most likely be from your childhood. If you don’t want to write your story out, just E-mail me and we can arrange a telephone interview. Thanks!