a gift, an act of renouncement. It presupposes that the worshiper give some of his substance or his goods to the gods. The reason the worshiper does this is to survive by insuring the god's survival. "If he is to live, the universal life must continue and consequently the gods must not die."

In war, the substance given to the god is the body of the soldier. The god itself is the nation-state. The perpetuation of society is born out of the sacrifice of individuals who constitute society. Society is the god which is worshiped and for which sacrifices are made. I pose the question: why has "society" assumed such power over the minds of the individuals who constitute society?

Annihilation of the soldier is bound up with glorification of the state. The state gains power when individuals demonstrate a willingness to die for it. Willingness to die in war represents glorification of god, the nation-state.