The Devil's Mark Dilemma (And Philosocom's Subcategory Directory On Dilemmas and Problems)

(The Directory:

The Trophy Dilemma -- How Rewards Kill Potential (philosocom.com)

The Reception Dilemma (And How to Solve It) (philosocom.com)

The Solitary Egotist Dilemma -- To Contribute Or Not To Contribute to Others? (philosocom.com)

The Sensitive Originator's Dilemma -- What I Chose (philosocom.com)

The Robot Lover Dilemma -- How Romance and A.I Are Morally Questionable (philosocom.com)

My Solution to the "Trolley Problem" (philosocom.com)

The Darkness Dilemma -- Suicide As a Worse Alternative (philosocom.com)

The Problem With Time (philosocom.com)

The Problems of Following Your Passions (philosocom.com)

5 Problems with Masculinity in Today's Society (philosocom.com)

The Problem With Destiny -- How It Could be Risky (philosocom.com)

The Newcomer's Fallacy -- The Problem With Those New to Philosophy (philosocom.com)

The Grey Problem -- How To Better Understand Ourselves (philosocom.com)

The Problems of the Overman -- What Nietzsche Didn't Consider (philosocom.com)

The Problems of Cloning -- How Can It Change the World (philosocom.com)

The Problems with the Computer Simulation Theory and the Eternal Void (philosocom.com)

The Problem with Birthdays and Other Events (From an Autistic Standpoint) (philosocom.com)

The Problem with Standards -- Advocating Disability Awareness -- A Philosophy of Inclusion (philosocom.com)

The Problem of (Some) Religions In Philosophy From a Functional Standpoint (philosocom.com)

Socrates and The Problem With Philosophy (Also, Philosocom's Socrates Directory)

The Problem Behind Wanting Payback -- Understanding the Drawbacks and Alternatives to Revenge (philosocom.com)

The "Each New Day" Problem (Or, My Reasoning against Meaninglessness/Nihilism) (philosocom.com)

Why Pure Joy Could Be a Problem -- The Aspects That Matter As Well, and Even More (philosocom.com)

Working To Live VS Living To Work -- Why Focusing on Quality of Life is Problematic (philosocom.com))

In a movie I watched recently, called "The New World Order: The End Has Come", there is this interesting dilemma that all of mankind has to face — a dilemma that is simple only in theory.

Give up your faith in the name of your own life, or take away your own life, in the name of your faith. As you can probably tell, this is a religious movie because, theoretically, nothing is more conflicting to sacrifice than one's own religious faith. Of course, if there was something much easier to give up at stake, then the conflict of the movie wouldn't be as difficult.

During the times when the Jewish people were in exile from their original lands, some decided to convert to Christianity in order to avoid persecution. Would you give up on the tradition of your family just to increase your own and your family's security, in a larger society that is actively hostile towards your own faith?

Unfortunately, that decision was made by some, so they would be saved from the horrors of antisemitism. Even more unfortunately, during the times of the Nazi regime, it didn't really matter if you were a converted or former Jew because Nazism saw Jews as a race, and not as a religion.

These "marks" some of us had, have, and will have to choose to seal within us, is an indication that the larger society is aggressively intolerant of your own distinction. In the movie I mentioned, it was one of these rare times where the bad guys win, simply because those who resisted the so-called "New World Order" and their marks, weren't strong enough to pose a threat against the status quo of the world, despite the fact that the world is now dominated by a powerful Satanic regime.

Likewise, even if I were religious, I would take the Devil's Mark on my hand, simply because it would mean that I got to live more. This is not necessarily a selfish thing, because such a mark is an entry into the conformist world. Is it egotistical to conform to norms? I dislike the norms, but if it means that the other solution is execution, then I would happily follow the norms, as long as they intend to keep me farther from immature death.

I like war games. There are many duplicates of them on the smartphone. The more I played them, the more I realized the importance of being loyal to the faction that will ensure your safety and endurance. Being fiercely loyal to a faction that may be sunk by the enemy, would mean that you are likely to sink along with them, as they get massacred by the armies of enemy alliances. Eventually, the side that wins the most is the side to which one should be most loyal if safety and survival are your top priorities.

I'm an individualist, yes, but I wouldn't let my own ideology ruin my life, just as I wouldn't let a religious faith do the exact same thing. One of my great grandparents, who was a rabbi at the time, lost his family during the Holocaust.

This made him turn secular and remain so for the remainder of his life. I never knew him directly, but I think his decision was a wise one. That is because faith is a means to an end, not the end itself. Make it an end in itself, and you will become its pawn, even if it will eventually lead you to misfortune, including execution, like in the mentioned movie.

By the end of the sad movie, a Satanist official came to a prisoner who was about to be executed. He told her "This is the final time where you can say that you want the mark". The mark, although involuntary, is the one that would save her life. Instead, she ignored his offer, sang a Christian song -- and was beheaded.

I was never beheaded, but I wager it is a painful experience, even if it's a swift one. And yet, I find it hard to follow a faith that will get me killed. What is so noble about death? By getting killed in the name of an ideology, you have done nothing, other than let said ideology go against you; more specifically, against your life.

Will you be willing to die in the name of faith, or betray it in order to save your skin and ensure your life? That is your decision to make, because I know that some cultures promote this kind of mindset. I, however, hold dear to myself, and would be willing to renounce my own current beliefs if it meant that I got to survive.

A belief that stabs you is no better than a knife! Counter-productivity shouldn't be glorified, especially when it regards your own life.