Why is Paradise so Darn Tempting?!
// Filed in: Temptations in Paradise
Above: Pictures from a school in Pakistan depicting virgins and Paradise. Allegedly they were used to inspire students to martyrdom.
So why is Paradise so tempting? Sorry, I’m only an expert on myself--not theology. However, if I were speculating I would say it comes down to one thing. While most, if not all, animals have some sense of self preservation humans can uniquely ponder the question; what happens to us when we die? Through the ages this fear of the unknown has led people to literally sacrifice loved ones, build pyramids, and more recently strap on suicide vests. Regardless of our individual beliefs, we all try to bank our karma in this life for the great beyond. Even the religiously challenged are not immune to this compulsion. Their preparation for the afterlife is just more utilitarian. They leave buildings with their name on them, children, and sometimes artwork, hoping that even if there isn’t an afterlife they’ll be remembered in this one.
In the series; Temptations in Paradise, I “riff” on the idea of using Paradise to inspire behavior in the “before life”. In the prism of the human consciousness the light may come from different places, but the rainbow on the other side is basically the same.