Dangerous ideas

I need to give more examples of ideas consuming the people that hold them, or forcing them to destroy each other. I'm writing from the evolutionary point of view of the ideas, treating them as entities, instead of from the people and cultures that support those ideas.

Human sacrifices took place in cultures all over the world, from Mesopotamia to America to the Far East. These sacrfices were mostly used as a bargaining chip, to appease gods or bring about good fortune. The ritualistic sacrifices help reinforce the beliefs and exalt the power of the deities - one certainly won't sacrifice human lives for lesser gods. The practices were spectacular: enormous temples or pyramids, magnificiant jewelry and art, songs and dances, all serve to imprint the idea on as many spectators as possible. In return, the cultures found justification in their ritual: usually those gods who demand sacrifice are believed to be able to control human lives anyway, by affecting the weather, warfare, disease, child-birth, etc. The rituals give the people some semblance of control over their chaotic and unpredictable lives.

Martyrdom is an newer concept, first encountered in the beginning of the Judeo-christian religion. Jesus was a prime example of one who died for their religious beliefs. The martyr's sacrifice must be a public one. Without witnesses or without the retelling of the associated circumstances, a martyr is just a victim. Sometimes the stories can make the martyr, holding up the image instead of the truth; this is a sign of its ideological nature. Like a human sacrifice, the martyr's story is made more compelling because of the death. But in the martyr's case, it is more so because the sacrifice was a personal choice. This choice makes martyrdom fundamentally different from human sacrifice; the participant is perfectly aware that his or her death will inspire the beliefs of others and become an example. How effective is martyrdom in spreading the faith? The crucifix has become one of the most recognized symbols in the world, and practices like public self-immolation and hunger-strikes are modernized variants of this powerful message. To encourage this self-destructive behavior, both the Bible and the Quran have passages that promise reward to believers who die while fighting for their God.

(More later on warfare, propaganda, and cult suicides)