Life's Final Reward?
I am trying to understand. Most human beings value life. They make every effort to wring as much experience and pleasure out of the undertaking of living one's life to the fullest as is humanly possible. In the process learning a great deal, experiencing much, both positive and negative, life-enhancing and life-reducing, but learning, acting and reacting, experiencing, filling out the conundrum that we know as life. Most people want to be liked, understood and respected. And to this end most people are usually on good behaviour, attempting to persuade the other people who surround one that they are worthwhile, reasonable human beings, and hoping that their peers see them that way, much as they observe others to be. Well, perhaps I'm talking about reasonably well-adjusted, good tempered, reasonably assured people.Reason above passion? Intellect above reaction? Dispassion against emotion?
There are, of course, likely just as many people whose experiences and temperament have caused them to be suspicious of society and other people, who may be somewhat guarded, fearful of personal disclosure and wary of rejection, unwilling to be part of purely social groups. And there are those who value their privacy, their solitude, and they hold themselves apart. There are also sociopaths, inbred or nurtured and perhaps a combination of both who feel no interest in the lives of others, or in becoming part of society at large, have no compunction in causing harm to others.
But since human beings are so incredibly complex, no two people ever reaching complete concord, so many variables are involved in bringing a child through the learning and discovery years to adulthood that each person produces a personality and temperament entirely their own. What most of us have in common, however, and have in common with most living entities, be they other animals, insects or vegetation: each organism instinctually obeys an order beyond any rational impulse, and that is survival.
Why then, do some individuals and groups of people feel otherwise? How is it that they have freed themselves of the normal constraints against self destruction? Some extremely powerful impulse, psychic empowerment, complete and total allegiance to a concept overriding nature's imperative to survive has overtaken them. And nothing can be more powerful than an idea of beyond, a blind belief, an undying faith in a Supreme Being, one that has complete and total control over the affairs of mere humans.
This is not the garden variety of faith, a belief in an all-powerful, protective and soul-nourishing spirit whose concerns for his human flock is appreciated and taken as truth by those who believe in his divinity, his supreme powers. We speak here of severely literalist, fundamentalist believers to whom nothing but belief in the most powerful on high is never to be questioned, and whose every command is to be implicitly, directly and immediately obeyed.
And since we are but human, we rely on writings purporting to be those taken down by ancient intermediaries claiming to have been blessed as messengers from god, and whose instructions are there to be seen, hallowed and obeyed. Unquestionably, and above all other imperatives, wishes or desires. To these people the word of God as it is explicated by those whose special clerical/priestly status it is to translate and explain to others less gifted in the art of divination is to be cherished and obeyed.
To these unquestioning segments of humanity impressionable belief is the word of God. Lest they have doubts, their god has pledges of his own; to render special gifts unto the worthy, withheld from all others. In the case of Islam the world has come to realize that some translations of the divine word taken from the Koran serve some very frightening designs and purposes. And death becomes life's final reward, a reward to be anticipated with great desire, fierce determination to earn.
The ultimate prize, the award for life, for enduring life, becomes the passage toward death. One's personal sacrifice in the service to Allah. In death is found the ultimate liberation. In death awaits the promise of celestial delights not found on earth. A garden of heavenly beauty where the fit warrior, the recognized servant-extraordinaire of Allah, God's avengers, are greeted by lovely virginal maidens to meet their every desire.
This is where single-minded killing machines are born. To take delight in killing "the enemy"; to take as many of "the enemies'" lives as possible, by whatever determined means possible. Live to kill. Live to die. Finding fame and glory in death. Not truly a sacrifice, but an end to itself, the supreme injunction of the Supreme Being.
To achieve that end, nothing is sacred but the word of God, the will of Allah.
This is not the beloved Allah of moderate, well-adjusted, worldly and well-meaning Muslims, needless to say. Who are horrified at the brutally murderous intent of the Islamists among them. And with good reason, for not only do they subvert the word of Allah for their insane purposes, but they victimize and murder their fellow Muslims also, in the name of Allah.
Surely He shudders in disbelief, in utter dismay, up there in the heavens.
posted by Pieface @ Monday, July 24, 2006
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