- How to die 2
The story, according to many cultures, religions and cults, goes that if you die in battle or in doing god’s work – like blowing innocent people up – you will be rewarded.
What’s that sound like to you? Me too!
All too many powerful people want others to do the dirty work for them. If you want your warriors to fight and die for you then tell they they’ll get something wonderful out of it. Something really amazing – like eternal life! You can even tart it up by throwing in a number of virgins, a few cooling fountains, some tit-bits, feasts and a lot of ale. That should take the sting out of death. Make it positively desirable. Here – strap on this explosive vest, grab hold of this sword, fly this plane into this building, take up this gun. God wants you to do it. It will make things better. It’ll only hurt for a brief moment or two. God’ll be so pleased. You’ll open your eyes in paradise. Just think of the pleasures that await you.
No, not for me. Violent deaths, fighting, slaughter and murder simply don’t appeal to me – even if there is something noble about a particular cause (and usually there isn’t – just some narcissistic psychopath/sociopath drumming up a war or religious Jihad). I wouldn’t say never and none, but in my opinion there are few causes worth dying for and even less worth killing for; even though I can see the benefit of ridding ourselves of the likes of Trump, Putin and Jung Un. Would the world be a lot better if we’d rid ourselves of Hitler and Stalin? Maybe. But perhaps it’s better to ask ourselves why we keep putting these psychopaths in power? Or is it the power that corrupts? Should we find a way of creating better power structures with more safeguards? I’m rambling! Back to the subject!
Here’s death circling – hoping for a war, crusade or Jihad
Being promised paradise sounds like a total pile of bullshit to me. I could be persuaded that there are worthy causes worth risking my life for but never that that there will be celestial rewards at the end or that it’s the will of some invisible superbeing. That’s for the fairies!
Mind you, I can see that risking one’s life can give one a blast of adrenaline. Every fairground and bunjee jump depends on that. They provide a safe death-defying experience.
Cheating death might well add a certain piquancy to life. I can see that. Danger is exhilarating. But though I like to reminisce about my near death moments I really have no real desire for a violent end. That’s why I resist the urge to buy another motorbike. It’s dangerous. I’ll leave soldiering, martyring and motorbikes for those with a greater need for glory. I want a less grisly end. I have an inbuilt fear and suffer from squeamishness (the side-effects of an over-elaborate imagination). I don’t relish mangled flesh, ripped tendons and smashed bones. My imagination holds me back from taking too many risks and my cynical reasoning ridicules all promises of paradise.
The book is available in Paperback, Hardback or Ebook on Amazon:
The Book of DEATH: Amazon.co.uk: Goodwin, Ophe Opher, Goodwin, Opher: 9798294533908: Books