Posted on 08/27/2006 8:48:04 AM PDT by TaxachusettsMan
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Two FOX News journalists were released by their kidnappers Sunday, nearly two weeks after they were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip.
Steve Centanni, 60, and Olaf Wiig, 36, left Gaza and have since crossed into Israel after their release. The men left Gaza through the Erez border crossing.
The freeing of Centanni, a correspondent, and Wiig, a cameraman, ends the longest-running drama involving foreign hostages in Gaza.
The two journalists were dropped off at Gaza City's Beach Hotel by Palestinian security officials and appeared to be in good health. A tearful Centanni embraced a Palestinian journalist briefly as he entered, then rushed upstairs as Wiig followed.
Centanni, in a phone interview shortly after his release, said "I'm fine. I'm just so happy to be free."
He recounted how he and Wiig were pulled out of their car on August 14 and taken at gunpoint into another car. The kidnappers blindfolded them and handcuffed their hands behind their backs with plastic ties. They were then transferred to another car and driven to a building that they later learned was a garage.
"We were pushed down onto the dirt-covered concrete floor and we were forced to lie face down with our handcuffs on," Centanni said.
"Olaf was in the same room with me. Our shoulders were wrenched back, very painful."
Both of the men were forced to convert to Islam at gunpoint, Centanni said.
"We were forced to convert to Islam at gunpoint," Centanni told FOX News. "Don't get me wrong here. I have the highest respect for Islam, and I learned a lot of good things about it, but it was something we felt we had to do because they had the guns, and we didn't know what the hell was going on."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Also, I'm not so much saying that to condem the Fox guys. I only say it more so to say, we all need to think long and hard about it before doing the same thing. Given the way the world is going and the way this country is going, it's not unthinkable that we would have to face the same situations. What we choose to do is between us and God at the Judgement Seat of Christ, and I FIRMLY believe it is no trivial matter. The Bible talks about it too many times in a very clear way to believe otherwise.
CONVERT OR DIE.
"Centanni: "....don't get me wrong, I have the deepest respect for islam".
What type of respect is Centanni talking here. Somethin' is up with somebody converting to islam."
"But in Islam it's a death sentence..."
Well, bring it on, Babycakes. Not shaking in my boots, here. Some of us are ready for them. Guess what? They've decided to kill us all anyway if they can.
Peter denied Jesus while Jesus was imprisoned, not after he was crucified. Jesus himself foretold Peter of this, and Jesus himself forgave him after his resurrection. Afterwards, Peter did in fact become the rock of the Church, until he was martyred preaching the same faith he denied previously.
The early Church spread not because of violence on the believer's part, as in Islam, but on the testimony of people who were willing to be killed for preaching their faith, such as Peter.
Sitting here comfortably I can't say with certainty that I would have done something other than what the reporters did, but I can say that it was wrong to convert simply to save one's life. It means that the ultimate Truth, God or Allah is a trivial issue compared to one's immediate needs, when actually the opposite is true. The reporters didn't change their faith as much as they were tested, and found that they had no real faith at all.
Are the men in question Christians to begin with?
Therein lies the difference. Quattrocchi, was praised for his character in defiance of his captors.
Lord, that I should have such character when it is called upon.
As for the state of their salvation, I have no idea, nor does anyone else.
I don't attend church anymore but, from many years of attending I remember one thing clearly, you don't renounce Christ, not even to save your own neck.
Bible people on here will know who I'm talking about now, Job. He comes to my mind in situations like this.
I try to remember, 'judge not, lest ye be judged' I fail at that one quiet often.
Resent you saying i'm half way Muslim and believe in their dogma. Not a believer in absolutes although I'm Roman Catholic. To wit:
If the Natzi storm troupers came to your door and asked if you were hiding a family of Jews in your basement, would you LIE? Think there may be no way of not sinning....have to trust in God's grace and mercy. Have to anyway since we believe in original sin.
That's an exception, although we are gaining on it in general.
I suspect that is NOT the message Christ was sending when he fortold of Peter's thrice denial.
Amen to that. It's either die fighting or die crawling. I prefer the former.
"Ah, then perhaps you should refrain from opining on Christian theology?
"
Thank you for your boldfaced suggestion. I'll consider it....ok, I've considered it.
I will comment here on whatever I wish to comment on, thanks very much.
"Are the men in question Christians to begin with?"
Nobody actually knows the answer to that very good question.
I just turned 65, surprised to have made it this far, concerning family genetics and my issues.
Is that what I did?
I thought I was prompting each of the readers here to examine the strength of their own faith.
"You are already half-way Muslim seeing as you agree with their dogma and not the Bible."
You seem to be doing a great deal of judging today, don't you. I suggest that you stop doing that and start thinking.
"At gunpoint it's quite understandable that Centanni 'converted' and I do understand the ongoing threat, but at this point I would have hoped Centanni would have the courage to say how much he and his family are ANGRY and OUTRAGED for being kidnapped and forced at gunpoint to convert to Islam."
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.