Do You Fear Death?
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The evil Davey Jones, in the last two Pirates of the Caribbean movies, before he commences negotiations, asks a key preliminary question: "Do you fear death?"
The majority of ordinary mortals who fear death are willing to listen to his proposal: death or enslavement. The answer to this question is also what distinguishes violent religious fanatics from ordinary people, and what makes religious fanatics so dangerous.
If my enemy is an ordinary mammal, I am protected by his own self interest. He wishes to gain some benefit from me in this material world, and as long as I offer him some reasonable bargain, there is a basis for compromise and peace. He will not easily risk his own life for some small material gain, as he fears death. He thinks in terms of cost benefit analysis on a rational basis.
But when my enemy is a Moslem bent upon Jihad, his mind has been convinced that if he does the bidding of his religious master, he will be benefited, not in this life, but after he dies, in the Paradise to come. Therefore, he no longer has the ordinary's man's prudent concern for security and safety. In fact, insofar as he is a convinced Moslem, he will be persuaded that his own death is the best thing that can possibly happen to him, as a martyr's death will guarantee that he is instantly transported from his sufferings on earth to Paradise where angelic females will bring him bliss.
Notice that this form of reward system is very beneficial to the master, as it postpones the obligation to repay loyal service into the next world, and therefore costs the Master little; only the price of religious indoctrination. Compliant, angelic women are exceedingly hard to find on this Planet.
It is difficult to defend against a person who has no concern for his own survival and even longs for death. Osama Bin Laden understood this when he stated flatly in several of his diatribes to the West, "The difference between you in the West and we Moslems is that you love life, while we are in love with death."
This statement is a little misleading. Convinced Jihadists do not love death; rather they do not believe in death; they believe that death is a door leading to eternal life.
It is obvious why this form of religion is very dangerous. Such a belief potentially makes every believing teenager in Islam an intelligent, self activating bomb.
The evil Davey Jones, in the last two Pirates of the Caribbean movies, before he commences negotiations, asks a key preliminary question: "Do you fear death?"
The majority of ordinary mortals who fear death are willing to listen to his proposal: death or enslavement. The answer to this question is also what distinguishes violent religious fanatics from ordinary people, and what makes religious fanatics so dangerous.
If my enemy is an ordinary mammal, I am protected by his own self interest. He wishes to gain some benefit from me in this material world, and as long as I offer him some reasonable bargain, there is a basis for compromise and peace. He will not easily risk his own life for some small material gain, as he fears death. He thinks in terms of cost benefit analysis on a rational basis.
But when my enemy is a Moslem bent upon Jihad, his mind has been convinced that if he does the bidding of his religious master, he will be benefited, not in this life, but after he dies, in the Paradise to come. Therefore, he no longer has the ordinary's man's prudent concern for security and safety. In fact, insofar as he is a convinced Moslem, he will be persuaded that his own death is the best thing that can possibly happen to him, as a martyr's death will guarantee that he is instantly transported from his sufferings on earth to Paradise where angelic females will bring him bliss.
Notice that this form of reward system is very beneficial to the master, as it postpones the obligation to repay loyal service into the next world, and therefore costs the Master little; only the price of religious indoctrination. Compliant, angelic women are exceedingly hard to find on this Planet.
It is difficult to defend against a person who has no concern for his own survival and even longs for death. Osama Bin Laden understood this when he stated flatly in several of his diatribes to the West, "The difference between you in the West and we Moslems is that you love life, while we are in love with death."
This statement is a little misleading. Convinced Jihadists do not love death; rather they do not believe in death; they believe that death is a door leading to eternal life.
It is obvious why this form of religion is very dangerous. Such a belief potentially makes every believing teenager in Islam an intelligent, self activating bomb.
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