The Pitfall of Truth

Years after the start of the war on terror, we are no closer to understanding our terrorist enemy's mind than we were on September 11th, 2001, when we looked aghast at the collapsed Twin Towers and the smoke billowing from the Pentagon. We do not understand what drives our adversaries because we look for answers in all the wrong places. We examine the sociological factors that contribute to the hatred of America - ignorance, poverty, frustration with American foreign policy. We even claim that the metaphysical force of "evil" is to blame. But however widely we spread our net in a search for the rationale for terror, we most studiously avoid examining one major motivator of human action: religion. Instead, we prefer to appear convinced that religion is by definition peaceful, but hijacked and perverted by the terrorists. "The Pitfall of Truth" overcomes the politically correct impulse to ignore religion as a potential source of terrorism. The book shows that, throughout history, religion has often been a prime motivator of violence. It demonstrates, for the first time, the mechanisms by which religion fosters violent behavior. This is a groundbreaking book, indispensable for understanding the rationale of religious violence, and is vitally important if we are to successfully fight, and win, the war on terror.

ISNB: 1933020180