This is an essay I am posting on Freeminds... I'm posting it here too for good measure...
It is well known that the 9-11 attackers had a belief in an afterlife. As the story goes, apparently they believed that after they would die gloriously, having killed thousands of American infidels, they would be taken into paradise and would enjoy the company of 72 virgins.
I think it is quite easy to see the connection between the belief in such an afterlife and the nefarious deeds that these men committed. I seriously doubt that they would allow their lives to evaporate in smoke if they believed that such an afterlife would not exist.
While in no way am I comparing Jehovah's Witnesses to terrorists, they do share a strong belief in an afterlife. While JWs stray away from the term "afterlife", they do emphasize 2 potential hopes for mankind: an immortal life of power and bliss living alongside Christ in the heavens for the anointed, and a hope of eternal life on a utopian idealistic paradise earth free from the problems of today's "wicked system of things".
Why do I believe that these beliefs are dangerous, so much so that I invoke the memory of the 9-11 terrorists? Think about some things that JWs are asked to do, and their motivation to do so:
1. JWs are explicitly told to live their lives for the "real life", the life to come in their supposed paradise earth or rule in heaven. This changes their priorities in life.
2. JWs are told that secular higher education is not desirable. One of the society's main arguments against higher education is that this world will soon be destroyed. What use will a univrsity degree be in the new system? Again, the society keeps JWs focused on the future, on the benefits of the afterlife, to influence their current lives.
3. Blood: I would hazard a guess that more JWs have died from refusing blood than the number of persons who died at 9-11. Why will JWs refuse life-saving blood treatment? Some may go so far as to yank the IV administering the blood out from their body, or even from their children's bodies. They would prefer a "glorious" death than suffer the violation of their bodies that would be caused by a blood transfusion. I use the word glorious with a hint of sarcasm. Yet the word is apropos, given that those who die faithfully due to rejecting blood are viewed as heroes by their local congregations, and some have even been featured in the Watchtower as a result.
What motivates them to reject blood, even at the cost of their lives? A belief in an afterlife. JWs are taught that even if the blood may save their life now, their "eternal future" is at stake, so even if they die from rejecting a blood transfusion, they will be ressurrected on the paradise earth. They will feel no more pain.
In a sense then, for JWs, life is cheap. It does not matter if they die, since they will wake up instantly in the new world. I can imagine that some "anointed" ones who sincerely believe in their hope, cannot wait for death. While they know that suicide is wrong, if they get sick, do they decide to avoid medical treatment, thinking that 'it doesn't matter if I die, since I'm going straight to heaven, so the sooner the better...'. Perhaps sich a person would decide not to take care of his health through diet and exercise, since 'it doesn't matter, I'll be immortal soon enough'.
Even for those JWs of the "other sheep" can be infected with such a viewpoint. I can imagine that quite a few long time JWs are quite dissapointed that this system has gone on for so long, and probably never considered that they will ever become of retirement age, or even face a nursing home. When they do get sick, do they lose their will to live, since the sooner they die, the sooner they will open their eyes in the sure to come paradise.
A deprecation of the present is common to mass movements. Eric Hoffer's book, "The True Believer", demonstartes that mass movements in general share this belief, thus not limited to JWs at all, or even to religious systems, as they teach: "To lose one's life is but to lose the present, and, clearly, to lose a defiled, worthless present is not to lose much." (Hoffer, p. 69).
And a belief in an afterlife is probably what keeps some JWs in the organization, or even controls the lives of some who have left the organization but who live in perpetual fear of Armageddon. This is expressed in the questions that JWs put to anyone who reveals that he/she may be leaving the JW organization:
"Where else will you go?"
"What if you are wrong?"
Both of these questions are wrapped up in a concept of an afterlife. The first one, as it is well known, is a misquoting of Peter's words to Jesus, "who else will I go to?". The relationship with the afterlife can be seen in Peter's next words: "You have syings of everlasting life". So when a JW asks someone who is leaving: "where else will you go?" the implication may be that 'you are losing out on your opportunity of everlasting life'. Again, a belief in the afterlife, a paradise earth, is dangled precariously as the proverbial carrot, and this may keep some doubting JWs shackled to their faith.
The second question, "what if you are wrong?" is a frequent question, and is a variation on "Pascal's wager". [Google it if you are not familiar with the term]. A person who still believes in the JW afterlife may be scared by this question, and perhaps this belief jolts him/her into thinking that returning to the organization would be best, even if it is a half-hearted return, in order to secure his/her place in paradise.
Yet the person who realizes the mind control tactics going on here can see through the ploy. Imagine a person who does not believe in an afterlife. What happens at death? Simply put: nothing at all. Nonexistence. While a belief in an afterlife is comforting when a loved one dies, it is by no means guaranteed. No one has returned from the dead to tell us what to expect. The only thing that is guaranteed is nonexistence.
So, what if I am right? I know that when I die, I will decompose, never to think or breathe again (quite a painful thought, as a JW, to confront my own mortality, but that is a story for another essay).
So what if I am wrong? Well, then most likely, I will have the same outcome as in the above paragraph, at least in a JWs opinion. I will be merely nonexistent.
So I cannot lose, because either way, my outcome will be the same. I have nothing to fear from death, as I am guaranteed at least the same end-result. Of course, this does not mean that I would not like for there to be an afterlife. I would LOVE for there to be a utopian paradise or a heavenly blissful place! Who wouldn't? Well, maybe, some wouldn't. Me and my JW mindset want me to live forever... but I know its not true.
Of course, if there is a God, and he would want to keep me alive after death, since I don't think I'm that eveil of a person, so be it. But I'm not counting on it. So how does a disbelief in an afterlife enrich my life?
- I see this life, not as crap, but as valuable. I have one shot at this life, so I am damn well going to make the most of it.
- Education is valuable! I am currently studying to get a masters degree in Public Administration, as I want to make a difference in people's lives.
- I want to extend my life as much as possible. This means taking good care of myself, eating well, getting physical activity, and seeking good medical care when I am sick.
- I think love is important. When I realized that my love life was seriously lacking, I ended that relationship, and moved on. I am now in an awesome relationship, and I could not be happier. I made this decsion, knowing that my life will only last at best, perhaps another 30 or 40 years, and I want to spend it with someone I love, rather than with someone who cannot tolderate my viewpoints on life.
Eric Hoffer's unintentional parallel with JWs is striking with his next statement, as he continues discussing mass movements:
"Not only does a mass movement depict the present as mean and miserable - it deliberately makes it so. It fashions a pattern of individual existence that is dour, hard, repressive and dull. It decries pleasures and comforts and and extols the rigorous life. It views ordinary enjoyment as trivial or even discreditable, and represents the pursuit of personal happiness as immoral. To enjoy oneself is to have truck with the enemy - the present."
I lived like that as a JW for over 30 years. I decided to never fall into such a monotonous meaningless life again!
So, if you are fearing losing out on an afterlife, get on with your life. As the Atheist Bus Campaign says: "There probably is no god..." so enjoy life, and live it to the fullest! And don't let a belief in an afterlife interfere with your enjoyment of the present!