Website owner: James Miller
There are many people in this world who have no qualms about cheating another person, manipulating him, using him, plundering him, doing him wrong. Using lie, deception, personal charm, fraud and trickery they use him and plunder him for their own gain, for their own selfish purposes and ends. You find them everywhere. Highly dishonest people who use other people for their own ends and gain. An extreme example is the con man who insinuates himself into the affections and trust of an older woman and then strips her of her life savings. More common are those in various trades who, by trickery and fraud, strip people of their money. And there are all of those unprincipled lovers who by charm, lie and deception take in one victim after another. Standing in sharp contrast to such a plunderer, who is void of all principle or conscience in his dealings with others, is the person of integrity and conscience who, restrained by principle and conscience, always deals honestly, truthfully, uprightly with others. He has regard for others, is thoughtful of others, does what is right in regard to them. The one type is bound by no rules or restraints in his dealings with others and the other is always constrained by principle and conscience. The plunderer, manipulator has no honest concern for others. He is concerned about only one person: himself. Two types: 1. the cheat and plunderer 2. the honest, upright man. Two ends of a spectrum. Most people probably fall somewhere in between. They do some lying and cheating, perhaps, but conscience prevents them from going too far. Jesus taught us to treat our fellow man right, to not wrong him, to not do to him what you would not want him to do to you. Jesus taught us to deal honestly and uprightly with our fellow man, to have consideration for him, to be thoughtful of him. Jesus said the first commandment is: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. And the second is like unto it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." Matt: 37-40. What is the difference, down at the most fundamental level, between the cheat and plunderer and the honest, upright man? It is his attitude towards his fellow man. One is selfish, cares about no-one but himself. The other cares about other people. He steps back, places others before himself. One is arrogant, aggressive, takes for himself. The other is meek, humble, self-denying, serves his fellow man. One follows the law of selfishness. The other follows the law of God. In my experience manipulators are often gregarious, people- orientated types, often with considerable charm and the power to make people trust them and like them. They use their charm and people-skills to manipulate, cheat and plunder. Apr 2008
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