I'm not the martyr type and am not that strong in my own religion, but I don't believe Islam is right. Forced conversions are an abomination. Period.
How can he say they are good and kind people when they did that to them, maybe they were bluffing, maybe it was a condition of their release? I can see where they might do it for the sake of their families. That one guy was 60 years old. He doesn't have that long left in this world one way or another. Maybe if you have no religious beliefs at all, it doesn't matter, just the pragmatic thing to do.
Obviously it was.
Not long to live at 60?
Former President Ford just had a pace maker and another heart procedure in his mid 90's. Steve could live another 35 years.
You must be very very young,
I would have converted to save my life. Then I would have arranged a press conference from Israel upon release to see how many ways I could publicly insult Islam, and tell those who made me do it to go screw themselves.
Under those conditions? Is I was a news reporter and had been kidnapped? Not me, I'd "convert" in a second. I'd lie my ass off to these turds.
islam is a joke to me. I'd lie right back to them. I don't consider these devoids to be human and since there is no such thing as allah I'd have no problem pretending to embrace a cartoon.
This is all predicated on the news reporter scenerio. If islam had somehow taken over the US and the moslems put a gun to my head I'd probably do what you described that you would do. So, to make sure that never happens maybe we should decide that since islam is ant-American and in it's essence determined to overthrow the US we should outlaw it?
I wouldn't have converted either, then again, They wouldn't get the chance to ask because I would be kicking and screaming and raising all kinds of hell.
I would not resist a "conversion" to Islam at gun- or swordpoint. I have very high principles. I have beliefs I would not compromise under any circumstances. I would ( and have) put my life on the line for the right principle or issue.
But to make a point to these asshats? What point? Look at it from their point of view:
If I yield, they are "successful," and feel all squishy about themselves. If I resist, they eliminate one more infidel whose life wasn't worth anything anyway. Remember: Convert or kill.
They're crazy. I mean clinically crazy. At the extreme edges of any extreme ideology, the behavior, the thought processing, qualifies as insane.
Why would I give my life--my gift and blessing from my God and Creator--to someone who's literally insane?
Does that mean I'm a coward? If it does, I'll be a living, breathing one. But I don't think it does.
To me it means I'm outsmarting them.
"That one guy was 60 years old. He doesn't have that long left in this world one way or another."
You are a silly person. Really. Do you even bother to think before you write? How old are your parents?
I would think that when faced with it, the well-being of their families were a major part of their decision. It's easy to romanticize it and equate onesself with the early martyrs, but if you're not going to see your daughter/son/wife again if you make "the wrong" choice, it's not so crystal clear.
We should expect missionaries, pastors, even lay people who are deeply committed to the Christian faith to stand firm even to death.....and they have, time through the ages.
But reporters are known to be pragmatic and this may have not been a big deal to them ....to convert to Islam.
The cameraman's wife seems quite comfortable with the Palestinian view & sympathies and from what I've read here today, her interview this AM was very PC and a bit uncomfortable to some in the listening audience.
I beg your pardon!