[goldstategop]

I know I will prefer an honorable death to a life without meaning. I at least still have a chest. As human beings, we're afraid of death but sometimes we have to overcome it to stand up for our faith in God and our honor. Those are two things that make life worth living. In my eyes, without them - a man is nothing. He might as well be among the walking dead.

(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )

[SiGeek]

...might as well be among the walking dead.

I agree. Though it's easy to say from the comfort of my living room, I believe that living with the consequences of a poor choice in a life or death situation can be worse than death.

Reminds me of that scene from the movie Braveheart: "Aye, fight and you may die. Run and you'll live -- at least for a while. And dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they will never take... OUR FREEDOM!"

[skr]

I cannot imagine how Peter felt after denying Jesus three times, but he was forgiven and allowed to bring the Gospel and his own testimony of forgiveness because of his momentary lack of faith. Would the world have been better off if he had not denied the Christ? It would seem God could still use Him for His glory.

Not knowing these two men's relationship with God, it's difficult to say what their very public and obviously forced conversion means in the grand scheme of things. Perhaps it's best left to the judgment of the One Who knows their hearts and how the rest of their time on Earth can be used for Him.