Page 86 - Satan's Sly Game: The False Religion of People-Worship

SATAN'S SLY GAME:
THE FALSE RELIGION OF PEOPLE-WORSHIP

We gather them all together, We will say then to those
who associated others with Allah, "To your place, you
and your partner-gods!" Then We will sift them out,
and their partner-gods will say, "It was not us you wor-
shipped. Allah is a sufficient witness between us and
you. We were unaware of your worship." Then and
there every self will be tried for what it did before.
They will be returned to Allah, their Master, the Real,
and what they invented will abandon them. (Surah
Yunus, 27-30)

Insincerity
Previous sections have shown how ignorant individuals'
desire to be well regarded makes them act without sincerity. But
this insincerity is a negative quality of behavior that pervades
every moment of their lives. Their inability to be sincere—that is,
the inconsistency between what they know to be true and how
they present themselves—makes it problematic for them to
speak in a natural voice and show unself-conscious facial ex-
pressions.
So when such a person smiles, it is not because he is enjoy-
ing some inner sensation; he smiles only because the person he
is with expects it of him. Where he thinks he will earn points for
showing interest, he will speak and use facial expressions to
give the impression of being attentive. What he says does not re-
flect what's really on his mind. Thus a curtain descends between
people and prevents a natural exchange of ideas. This curtain al-
lows him to play roles like an actor throughout his whole life,
changing his appearance according to the situation and the ex-
pectations of the person he's with. He regards everyone as an

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