There is no universal agreement on the definition of terrorism and various legal systems and government agencies use different definitions. Apparently, the term was first used to label the Jacobins in the French Revolution. In any case, in the context of Simple Reality we will give it our own definition. Let’s change the common definition of “someone who uses violence, mayhem and destruction” to “someone who is violence, mayhem and destruction.” In other words, in the absence of a universal agreement on the definition of terrorism, we have the irrefutable evidence that the universal false self is engaging in violence, mayhem and destruction around the globe.
The difference between the average person and the suicide bomber is not as great as one might suppose. The change from one to the other can happen very quickly. A young Muslim, man or woman, may be studying engineering at MIT at one moment with no violent thoughts and then thirty days later be detonating an explosive belt outside Paul Revere’s old house within a gathering of tourists. They come under the spell of a reactive Imam, pamphlet or website and have an emotional reaction.
Their worldview shifts, and relatively peaceful beliefs, attitudes and values became radicalized. Their new outlook also creates a new identity, one their friends and family do not recognize. The new identity also makes possible heretofore unthinkable behaviors. They are now able to choose violent reactions over peaceful responses.
Obviously where we are going with this example is that there are seven billion “terrorists” living on our planet who are capable of choosing violent self-destructive behaviors each and every moment of everyday. Until we begin to have a dialogue that can accommodate what to most people are outrageous assertions, not penetrating insights, then we will all continue to begin our day laden with the explosives inherent in our false self capable of exploding at any moment.
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Find a much more in-depth discussion in books by Roy Charles Henry.
