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A post I just read about muslims converting into Christians got me to thinking about how brutal people can be when it comes to enforcing beliefs, especially in past centuries. There are countless historical events in which an individual would be asked to publicly renounce their beliefs or face immediate execution and this happened to Christians many times. This still happens today in places like Africa and the Middle East. From documentaries I've seen about the competition between muslims and Christians in Africa it appears that killing people for their religious beliefs is probably more common in certain African nations than any other place in the world. So my question to Christians is this, if you actually were facing such a brutal situation in which you would either have to renounce your belief in God or face execution what would you do?
Just to be fair I'll tell you what I'd do if I had to face renouncing my atheism and accept Christianity or face death. I'd lie through my teeth and renounce my atheism on the spot. I'd explain how I'd just been filled with the Holy Spirit and ask them where I could pick up a copy of the Good Book and maybe a couple of crosses to hang in the living room. Afterall, I truly believe that this life is all there is so I see no point in cutting it short.
I absolutely would NOT renounce my belief in God if threatened with death. As a Christian, I believe I will go to heaven when I die so why would I want to deny my Lord and Savior in order to stay alive?
You mention that this happens in Africa and the Middle East, Montana, but I believe that Christians might be forced to make the choice between denying belief in God or face death right here on our soil sometime in the future. This is something that we've talked about in the Bible study I'm currently doing on eschatology.
As someone who believes in a mid-trib rapture, I think that Christians (in the US) will experience a certain amount of persecution before the Lord returns for us. Persecution of Christians is of course happening elsewhere right now. I bet if you asked Christians in China or North Korea they may very well say that they are experiencing the tribulation today. I know of one young woman in China, a Christian, who was asked to deny her belief in God by the authorities and refused to do so. They used a rope and tied her to a horse and the horse dragged her seven miles back to her village. This was done to try to intimidate anyone else from converting to Christianity.
I hope I would not......funny I thought of this topic last night.
I hope to God I would not...but my daughter is 3. my motherly instincts would kick in...then Id have to realize God Is always in control of my life.....
I honestly hope I would not, yet I think of Peter and how he passionately stated he would never deny His Lord...he did 3 times...
My intentions are "Absolutely not", I would not deny my Savior...yet I am human.
I wont know this answer until it is required of me.
I think it depends on the religion. A deist or a pantheist for example would have no problems pretending to renounce their faith but in religions like christianity or islam you are conditioned to hold your faith even at the cost of your life
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Afterall, I truly believe that this life is all there is so I see no point in cutting it short.
