A Self-Realization Approach to Christian Ethics

By Tod Algiers Pleinta

A Self-Realization Approach to Christian Ethics has only two components
of success, self-realization or improvement of self, and Christian ethics or
helping other people improve wherever they are. This is what Christians
know as charity.
The first component or the self-realization approach can be summed
up by Sigmund Freud who warned, death comes not when our hearts
stop beating, but when we stop growing. We are not human beings
growing spiritually. We are spiritual beings in human body. Progressive
personal growth is an eternal self-improvement, the first true component
of success.
If the truest success is but the improvement of self, and if the best form
of self-improvement is virtue, and if virtue is the full use of ones powers
along the lines of excellence, then we understand the arguments conclusion
to follow: the truest form of success is the full use of ones powers along
the lines of excellence.
The direct approach to pursuing happiness, however, does not always
give us the desired results. Usually we find genuine happiness by actively
helping other people be happy. Charity is the highest, noblest, strongest kind
of love, not merely affection. Charity is seeing the pure love of the friend
we have in Jesus Christ, and in other people.
Charity is not just acts of benevolence, although it may be a prompting
motive. Charity is everlasting love. Charity is perfect love. The desire to
serve other people and help them improve wherever they are is the heart
of charity. Those who feel charity help other people out of sincere love,
without expecting something in return. Charity is accomplished by looking
for opportunities to serve others in whatever ways we can. Another way of describing these two components of happiness is: 1)
realization of ones personal potential, and 2) perfecting ones interpersonal
skills to socialize with charity beginning at home. These are the themes
running through the fabric of this bookA Self-Realization Approach to
Christian Ethics.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 5, 2009
• ISBN: 9781462813506

Tod Algiers Pleinta

Tod Algiers Pleinta lives in Anna Illinois and is active in the Union County Writers’ Group. Tod received his Masters in philosophy from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, Edwardsville, Illinois with a 608 page thesis An Approach to Life. Tod taught college at Kaskaskia Community College for five years. After a particular rebellious class where student’s challenged Tod as “never having worked a day in his life,” and “not knowing what work is,” Tod began a ten year odyssey working for factories, fast food restaurants, and small town businesses to learn the local color of the worker’s culture. Tod taught college at Shawnee Community College for three more years. Christian Devotion is Tod’s guiding light. Teaching, studying philosophy, and writing are the labors of love in Tod’s life. In the future Tod hopes he will continue his education in philosophy, world history, and political science. Tod’s harshest critic calls him a voice for our Age.

Book preview

Copyright © 2009 by Tod Algiers Pleinta.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2009911014

ISBN: Softcover 978-1-4415-8913-2

Ebook 978-1-4628-1350-6

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Portrait courtesy of Christopher Crowell

This book was printed in the United States of America.

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Contents

Preface

Outline

—Introduction—

I. Temperance

II. Scholarship

III. Creativity

Outline

—Introduction—

I. Spiritual Joy

II. Building Community

III. Marriage

IV. Family

Appendix:

The Ethical Equation

Presented by Tod Pleinta

References

The Philosopher’s Creed

My mind turns and churns catching false thought

It even turns inside out wishing itself caught

It doubts everything, questions all

Even thoughts like these within me fall

Could thinking and writing about philosophy be bad

prove a waste of time or drive me mad

Why is life so unforgiving

Is my life even worth living

But even as I set these thoughts down

once more my mind spins around

I say to myself anything must be possible

and the possibilities to ponder are inexhaustible

Mightn’t a true philosophy hold the social cure

bring about peace on earth or virtue pure

Since doubt and hope form dichotomy of soul

I roll them together and call it my goal

My mind is open to new ideas

a throbbing bundle of curiosities

Yet it is constantly on its guard

alert to fallacy and ready to snap shut hard

Preface

A Self-Realization Approach to Christian Ethics has only two components of success, self-realization or improvement of self, and Christian ethics or helping other people improve wherever they are. This is what Christians know as charity.

The first component or the self-realization approach can be summed up by Sigmund Freud who warned, death comes not when our hearts stop beating, but when we stop growing. We are not human beings growing spiritually. We are spiritual beings in human body. Progressive personal growth is an eternal self-improvement, the first true component of success.

If the truest success is but the improvement of self, and if the best form of self-improvement is virtue, and if virtue is the full use of one’s powers along the lines of excellence, then we understand the argument’s conclusion to follow: the truest form of success is the full use of one’s powers along the lines of excellence.

The direct approach to pursuing happiness, however, does not always give us the desired results. Usually we find genuine happiness by actively helping other people be happy. Charity is the highest, noblest, strongest kind of love, not merely affection. Charity is seeing the pure love of the friend we have in Jesus Christ, and in other people.

Charity is not just acts of benevolence, although it may be a prompting motive. Charity is everlasting love. Charity is perfect love. The desire to serve other people and help them improve wherever they are is the heart of charity. Those who feel charity help other people out of sincere love, without expecting something in return. Charity is accomplished by looking for opportunities to serve others in whatever ways we can.

Another way of describing these two components of happiness is: 1) realization of one’s personal potential, and 2) perfecting one’s interpersonal skills to socialize with charity beginning at home. These are the themes running through the fabric of this book—A Self-Realization Approach to Christian Ethics.

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Creative-Individualist

as a

Philosophy of Life

Outline

Controlling Purpose: This essay is to present a philosophy of the full use of one’s powers along the lines of excellence.

I. The virtue of Temperance is characterized by denial of the superfluous, persistence, self-control, self-discipline, the moral standard of excellence, and integrity of character. This constitution of ten positive living attitudes acts as a success indicator.

A. The attitude of Vitality achieves optimum physical well being.

B. The attitude of Sensibility achieves vigilant, open minded curiosity.

C. The attitude of Organicity achieves orderly access of reference framework.

D. The attitude of Resolve achieves project planning and firm decision making.

E. The attitude of Industriousness achieves continually accomplishing good.

F. The attitude of Efficiency achieves management of resources.

G. The attitude of Honesty achieves behaving truthfully and reliably.

H. The attitude of Humbleness achieves bearing suffering without animosity.

I. The attitude of Congeniality achieves a personal friendliness with people.

J. The attitude of Courage achieves the impulse to build morale.

II. The virtue of Scholarship aims at progressive personal growth. Scholarship may be approached with distinction by acquiring individual taste, reaping of the fields of knowledge, and insight into value judgment.

A. The approach of Appreciative Learning is the exploration of beauty and may be actuated in the fields of Humanities and Technical Arts.

B. The approach of Cognitive Learning is the comprehension of truths and may be actuated in the fields of Natural History and Social Science.

C. The approach of Responsive Learning is voluntary insight into goodness and may be actuated in the fields of Ethics and Philosophy Proper.

III. The virtue of Creativity holds seven keys to the imagination and is characterized by individuality, originality, and the pursuit of happiness.

A. The first key to creativity is Disorientation.

B. The second key to creativity is Acquisition of Materials.

C. The third key to creativity is Free Association.

D. The fourth key to creativity is Gestation.

E. The fifth key to creativity is Inspiration.

F. The sixth key to creativity is Intelligent Design.

G. The seventh key to creativity is Crystallization.

 —Introduction—

And not only they, but we also who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.