The most dangerous of devotions, in my opinion, is the one endemic to Christianity: I was not born to be of this world. With a second life waiting, suffering can be endured—especially in other people. The natural environment can be used up. Enemies of the faith can be savaged and suicidal martyrdom praised.

Wilson is criticizing an otherworldly strain of Christian devotion that treats earthly life as a temporary test rather than a primary moral arena. If one believes a “second life” compensates for present pain, then suffering—especially others’—can be rationalized, and the natural world can be treated as expendable rather than intrinsically valuable. He extends the critique to social and political consequences: religious certainty can license harsh treatment of outsiders and even glorify martyrdom. In Wilson’s broader humanistic and scientific outlook, the passage functions as a warning that metaphysical consolation can erode empathy, environmental stewardship, and restraint in conflict.