[hellinahandcart]

This thread's been a real eye-opener.

Apparently a huge percentage of people who think it's noble to die for their country think it's stupid to die for God and arrogant to want to do more than grovel and beg and submit.

The implications are fairly huge, and I'm having a hard time accepting them.

[zook]

Here's the deal. If some other race of people or some authoritarian force came to this country and forbid us to practice our religion under pain of death, then it might be worthwhile and noble to die for one's faith.

But if some punk on the street puts a gun to my head and says, "denounce Jesus, and I'll let you go," you bet your life I'm going to do what he says because I know that after he let's me go I'll be free to practice my faith and make whatever ammends I think are necessary. Were I to do otherwise, and were I to be killed, I wouldn't be dying for my faith. I'd be dying because of some stupid punk. And that's what these kidnappers were--stupid Islamic punks.