You're an American, also - would you renounce your citizenship publicly to save your life?
Whatever anyone thinks of John McCain's politics (I can't stand them), everyone honors him as a hero for not breaking under Vietnamese torture.
I put my family higher than country. If I have a family that needs me, say a wife, children, even a little nephew that I am like a father figure too. whatever family that needs me. I am going to pray and do whatever I can to survive for them.
when Jesus was on the cross, he was human, he in the heat of the moment said "father why I have you forsaken me". God understands the emotion of human beings and the way we think. Jesus was a lot stronger than a lot of us, and we will never live up to his image. thank God that Jesus understands. thank God he knows what our pain is. Jesus was the messiah, but a regular guy will never be that way, Jesus carried that burden when he died on the cross for us. There is nothing wrong with trying to survive in a situation like that. they didnt ask them to deny or curse at christ, they asked them to convert to Islam. Steve and Olaf did NOT convert to Islam or deny Christ in their hearts, they just acted to survive.
You guys dont understand. None of you have ever been in that situation.
If a guy walks up to in a wal mart parking like with a gun and demands that I hand over my cash and credit card, or he will shoot me, I am giving them that. that does not mean I am weak. if someone holds a gun to my head and asks me to convert to islam. I will tell them what they want to hear to survive, i will not deny christ with my heart or convert. I will admit it is like a form of spiritual rape, painfull,
Which brings me to this. I was sexually abused as a child. I let the guy do want he wanted to me and did not tell anyone out of fear. I was a child that was afraid. We are Gods children and God understands our fear.
God understood the fear of Steve and Olaf.