More Thoughts on Martyrdom

Sandy Rios had some more thoughts on the Centanni-Wiig issue on her blog, writing:

Only those of us, perhaps, who understood the terms of their release. Dressed in Islamic garb, Steve and Olaf, cameras rolling, bowed their heads and converted to Islam. It was convert or be killed and they chose life.

Wouldn’t you? After all, everyone knows “conversions” are just performances required by deranged hostage takers to somehow advance their cause. No one means it when they renounce their government, their homeland….their God. You can believe something in your heart and say another, can’t you? A popular talk show host weighed in Monday morning to say “anyone would do that!” For the record, she is a Christian. A doctor friend with a small child agreed….as did others….all Christians. A men’s Bible study group discussed it and with only one dissent came to the same conclusion: Far more important to return home safely to family than to refuse to say certain words you don’t mean.

Now I find it very shocking and disconcerting that Christians would take this attitude. Our attitudes towards God is lax, but I never presumed that it was that lax.

This is enough to give you pause about the state of our churches today. I’m tempted to ask. Is the reason we do not have a great sense of community in many of our churches and that we cannot commit to one another is that we’ve not fully committed to God? Is it because our life means more than our soul?

It grieves me, not that Olaf and Steve converted, because I don’t know if they have a personal relationship with Christ. I don’t fault them for their choice and have nothing but empathy and grief for them for making it….my grief comes from the lack of understanding by Christians of what this means…the unwillingness up front to pay the ultimate price and the lack of faith demonstrated by thinking that saving your physical life supersedes securing your eternal soul. Oh, yes, I know about salvation by grace, but I also know that Jesus said “if you deny me before men, I will deny you before my father who is in heaven.”

I think she hits on another point, and it’s weak one in much of the Evangelical Community. That is that grace is often viewed as the ultimate cop out. We can do anything, including deny Christ and will be well because we said a prayer. It is the God of cheap grace upon whom many Christians trust and sadly the responses of many Christians to this incident shows how cheaply they view God’s grace.

In account after account from Daniel to Stephen to Martin Luther it’s always the same. “Just say you don’t believe. Just sign here. You can believe what you want…just say this…just sign this.” They gave their lives and endured torture to let their “Yeahs be yeah and their nays be nay.” Unwavering truth telling in the face of death.

Go and read the rest on Sandy’s blog.

Hat tip: Persecution Blog.

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