What would we say if they refused to convert?
The two released FOX News journalists were forced to convert to Islam. Though they've been released unharmed, thankfully, I wonder what if they had refused to convert. If they were martyred, would we in the West mock them for their faith?
In 870 AD, the King of East Anglia, Edmund, met the invading Danes led by Ubba and Ivar the Boneless. Edmund was given the opportunity to retain his lands and his power and his privilege, if only he renounced his faith and hold his lands as a vassal of a heathen overlord.
He refused, was tortured, and was beheaded.
It is a cool story, in part because I just love the names of the Danes.
But it is one of countless stories in the lives of the saints in which a Christian figure chose death over denying Jesus.
So what of the two FOX News correspondents who were forced to convert to Islam?
Both of the men were forced to convert to Islam at gunpoint, [Steve] 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."
Hey, guns were pointed, so what are you going to do? No one would hold it against them, not even Centanni's family priest, assuming he had one.
But what if, for argument's sake, Steve Centanni or Olaf Wiig refused to convert? What if, like Saint Edmund, they defied their captors' demands?
What if, like Saint Edmund, they were beheaded?
In days past, such a person would be applauded for his dedication to his faith. What would happen today? Would they be ridiculed for suffering death rather than deny their faith?
If this turns out not be an isolated incident, but the beginning of a new element in kidnappings by Islamic terrorists, we might yet find out. Kidnap enough Westerners, and eventually you'll find the guy who either has incredible devotion to his faith, or develops that devotion the moment the gun is pointed at his head.
It'll be a test of faith for him, and for the rest of us, a test in understanding what faith means.
[Full roundup at Michelle Malkin. LaShawn Barber asks more questions about what to do in that situation.]
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Comments
Conversions are most peculiar things. From the Judeo-Christian perspective, conversion only occurs out of true conviction. It is impossible to force someone to believe something, though easy it is to force someone to say something. Is that what happened here? I just can't imagine the thought process: "Hmm... they've pointed guns at us and held us against our will. Therefore, Islam must be the true faith (the religion of peace!) and Mohammed must be his messenger. They sure have convinced me."
Posted by: Art at August 27, 2006 02:11 PM
Conversion at gunpoint, for God's sake get a grip, why is this a story? The only story here is yet more proof that Islam is NOT A RELIGION OF PEACE. If it were these wackos could not be terrorizing the world in it's name. No doubt terrorizing their own so-called moderates as well or they would be denouncing them en masse. It's not happening. It's time it did, however, if it is to be put down without deploying more drastic force. The choice is theirs, the message has to get through for the safety of the world.
Posted by: Biddy at August 27, 2006 02:40 PM
Apparently Hamas was furious with the kidnappers because they don't want to jeopardize their press coverage. So I suspect they wouldn't have been killed if they had refused to "convert". I also suspect that neither one of them took their Christianit seriously enough to contemplate dying for it.
Posted by: Walrus at August 27, 2006 03:15 PM
Honestly this isnt a contest. Unless it was your job, ie minister/priest/nun...if telling these whackos that "there is no god but god and allah is his messenger" gets you home to family then say it....The islamofascists get shown for what they really are.
The problem is they are all sitting back in their hovel going, damn those westerners they lied to me, they didnt really convert...how could I have been fooled....they are soooo clever.....
This was an excuse to let them go, per their "faith"....typical middle east "victory"
The scarey thing here is the continuing trend that this is not just a male muslim thing. There are significant number of radical female muslims.
Kind of weird though that the female would be the one trying to do the conversion, given all the other rules etc etc.
And what happened to the exemption for "people of the book" I thought it was the same god.....
Islamism, truely the combination of Christianity, the prostletyzing evangelical part, and Judaism, the chosen people part. Chosen people converting others and smiting the non belonging sounds like a fair amount of the definition of fascism to me.
Posted by: Stephen at August 27, 2006 04:46 PM
What gets me is the guy saying "Don't get me wrong...I have the highest respect for Islam...blah, blah, blah". I mean, where do you start? If I were an Islamic fascist, I'd try and get them to renounce their political correctness, their liberalism, as it's far more important to them than anything else.
But liberalism and political correctness are the two greatest allies of Islamic fascism here in the West, so there's no point in trying to get them to renounce that! This incident doesn't bother me, two blank slates converting to Islam doesn't rouse my sympathy. Puts all the twits in one basket if you ask me.
Posted by: TheDiggler at August 27, 2006 07:00 PM
What happens now if they decide to 'convert' back to Christianity? Do they become apostates and therefore have a death sentence on their heads?
Posted by: Virgil at August 27, 2006 07:32 PM
Virgil,
Yes. But better to be a live apostate than a dead infidel.
Posted by: Stephen at August 27, 2006 09:37 PM
Any money around that doesn't think these fruitcake kidnappers are, ahem, taken care of by Hamas for embarrassing The Grand Terrorist Party of Allah and proving that Palestinians are thugs & hate-mongers? I bet they disappear within a week.
Posted by: Alienated at August 27, 2006 09:40 PM
Conversion at gunpoint. There has got to be Muslims in Canada and the US shaking there heads saying, "I do not want to go to work tomorrow." It is very hard to swallow the "Islam is a peaceful religion" with stories like this. And "Don't get me wrong...I have the highest respect for Islam...blah, blah, blah", if Muslims are not more vocal about such matters they will have to accept the blackeye their faith gets from such groups.
Posted by: DarrenL at August 27, 2006 11:58 PM
Had they refused to "convert", we never would have heard that - their bodies would have just been found somewhere.
Their "conversions" have about the same meaning as the "confessions" that came from POWs in South Vietnam or from the Pueblo kidnapees in North Korea - none.
Posted by: Jay at August 28, 2006 08:59 PM
Well, I meant POWs in North Vietnam or *from* South Vietnam or something like that.
Posted by: Jay at August 28, 2006 09:01 PM
 
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