Fact finding poll- Believers only, please

[Pontifex Maximus]

I am looking to gain some information for a project. I want to ask the believers here if they would die for their faith. This encompasses a broad sense of the term, whether it be a personal belief about god or the spiritual or a more commercial faith. This includes martyrdom of course.

Directions:

1. Vote, obviously

2. Explain your reasoning (be specific)

Note- the poll is anonymous to other voters.

[Imperator Romani]

If someone held a gun to my head and asked if I was a Christian, I'd say yes. I guess that counts...but it's a lot easier said than done.

[♔Jean-Luc Picard♔]

Yes. Honestly, I'm hoping for the next crusade. This time we won't shoot ourselves in the foot.

[CtrlAltDe1337]

Yes, I am a Christian and would die for Christ if necessary.

Yes. Honestly, I'm hoping for the next crusade. This time we won't shoot ourselves in the foot.

A Crusade vs the Jews? Well I guess they aren't doing such a good job over there, but still

[Del Valle]

I guess if the time ever came, I would be a soldier of Christ.

[B-DizL]

I dont subscribe to any particular religion although i do believe in God, but i cannot see a single reason that i should die for this belief or what good it could possible do to do so.

[mrcrusty]

Well, since it's never happened to me before, I obviously can't say with certainty whether I would or I wouldn't, but while I wouldn't want it to come to that, if push came to shove, I probably would take the bullet for my beliefs.

However, I don't think that my reason for doing so would be for religious reasons, but more for my own. If I were to bite the bullet, it wouldn't be so much because that's what Christianity would advocate, but because it's what I'd rather do. I can be a very stubborn person at times and I would think that renouncing my faith at the time when it really counts would be an utter betrayal of my own moral and belief system. If I were to renounce my faith if threatened with death, I'd really hate myself afterwards.

[Monarchist]

I believe that I would be willing to die for Christ, though it would not at all be for Christ in this situation. Anyone who would be willing to murder me for that belief would be no representative of He who is in Heaven, surely. This is purely defensive, of course, but if it came to a new Crusade or religious war, I am not entirely sure of that. When it comes to being shot in the street by a terrorist, that's fine by me as long as I have a chance to say "I am a Christian" to his murderous face beforehand. However, when it comes to donning the armor, shouldering the assault rifle, and charging at an enemy who may just kill me with unseen land mines and missiles fired from 20 miles away, I would have to decline. Now, if dying for my country in battle actually gave me the chance to fight for the faith and not just die from a hidden sniper, I would probably say "yes" to the idea.

Most important of all, however, I would not seek confrontation and martyrdom. I believe that one must spread the message by the word, and turn the other cheek if someone slaps you for it. It all rests on the Pope, I suppose. +Rep for this very interesting and unbiased thread.

[Ummon]

You do not die for your beliefs with words, but only by truly dieing. As such, it is known if you did only when you are not there anymore, and this poll is misleading. It should be reformulated as: do you think you...

[persianfan247]

Jeez Ummon must you, does it really matter.

[Taiji]

You do not die for your beliefs with words, but only by truly dieing. As such, it is known if you did only when you are not there anymore, and this poll is misleading. It should be reformulated as: do you think you...

Very good point. If you're trying to find a 'fact' it helps if it's something measurable. Stuff in the future is not measurable but people's guesses about it are.

[Pontifex Maximus]

Very good point. If you're trying to find a 'fact' it helps if it's something measurable. Stuff in the future is not measurable but people's guesses about it are.

But I can't hold a gun to anyone's head and ask if they believe in god, you see.

[Ummon]

How many times you see someone saying: "I will do this and that when..."

But then the time comes and they do just the opposite.

Like Peter at the crucifixion. Thus, IMO, we should not boast on what we will do, but instead take care of doing what we feel we should.

[Viking Prince]

I did not answer because I do not know. I do not think these questions can truly be answered in the abstract. Even if you are in the military, you do not know your limits and performance until it actually happens and the military trains you to perform as a team.

Sorry if this does not help you out.

[Barry Goldwater]

Where is the 'I don't know yet' option? You know, stuff like this is a hell of a lot easier said than done.

However, I would rise up against any government that infringed on my freedom of religion, that much I can be sure of.

[Celsius]

I don't know.

If atheistic radicals took over the country and got rid of religion completely, I might just live in seclusion. But as above, if someone held a gun to my head and asked, I would say yes. I may join a crusade, but I think that time period has passed.

[Taiji]

But I can't hold a gun to anyone's head and ask if they believe in god, you see.

So is that the real question? - "Do you think you would lie about your belief if threatened with death for admitting it?"

If so then I think it's not obvious, your poll probably won't reflect people's answer to that question.

[Pontifex Maximus]

Where is the 'I don't know yet' option? You know, stuff like this is a hell of a lot easier said than done.

I'm not concerned with people that don't have a definite answer.

However, I would rise up against any government that infringed on my freedom of religion, that much I can be sure of.

That is interesting, actually, but I'm afraid that the freedom is not what is being questioned here, it is your actual faith or what you deem to be spiritual truth.

So is that the real question? - "Do you think you would lie about your belief if threatened with death for admitting it?"

If so then I think it's not obvious, your poll probably won't reflect people's answer to that question.

The question is what it is. I don't want to overcomplicate it. If you don't want to answer, that's ok. I'm well aware of the limitations posed by the questions in terms of finding facts, but isn't it like that for most polls? There are always factors that will keep results from being 100% accurate.

[Ummon]

The poll has, unfortunately, a very low predictable accuracy in determining the real behaviour. As I said, you can determine opinion here and now.

[Brain_in_a_vat]

Last night when I was walking home at night, I walked past a group of teenagers who made insulting remarks about me as I walked past. Further down the road, I told myself that I would defend myself if they attacked me, but I doubt I really would have. To simply throw out the statement that you would "die for Christ" at a whim is completely irrational pretty irrelevant on an internet forum.