Whom is most likely to succomb apostasy?

[JoeyWarren]

This was a scenario that floated around during the seventies at the height of the Cold War. There was always a fear that the Soviets would invade us and that they would make us deny Christ. The scenario goes like this:

A bunch of stormtroopers enters your house and holds you at gun point and takes your child from you. They tell you to deny Christ or the child gets shot in the head. Initially you refuse, so they start to torture the child by any means possible in order to achieve the most blood curdling scream.

Whom would denouce Christ first? The Mother or the Father? Or both at the same time?

 

[JimO]

Sorry, that scenario is a bit too disturbing. I couldn’t respond.

 

[patg]

A bunch of stormtroopers enters your house and holds you at gun point and takes your child from you. They tell you to deny Christ or the child gets shot in the head. Initially you refuse, so they start to torture the child by any means possible in order to achieve the most blood curdling scream.

Whom would denouce Christ first? The Mother or the Father? Or both at the same time?

Probably both (at least I would hope so). Denouncing Christ:

1. Doesn’t affect him at all

and

1. Doesn’t have to be sincere in any way

If God prefers the torture of an innocent child to me saying a few words about him that I don’t really mean then he deserves to be denounced.

 

[Publisher]

“Denying one’s faith” has been on the minds of Christians since there’ve been Christians. The Gospel of Judas was written at such a time and addressed that very issue…gnostic in flavor, but it denies the validity of a faith that demands the “bloody death, torture and sacrifice” of it’s members.

Interesting read…Elaine Pagels has a wonder bood out with Karen King…“Reading Judas”.

I enjoyed it very much…very eye opening concerning the controversies those called Christians engaged in those first few centuries.

 

[strngrnrth]

Probably both (at least I would hope so). Denouncing Christ:

1. Doesn’t affect him at all

and

1. Doesn’t have to be sincere in any way

If God prefers the torture of an innocent child to me saying a few words about him that I don’t really mean then he deserves to be denounced.

On the contrary. The child will either:

1. die, and see his parents in Heaven, or,
2. live, and know his legacy is one of,
   A. betrayal and fear, or,
   B. Courage and faith.

 

[jmcrae]

Probably both (at least I would hope so). Denouncing Christ:

1. Doesn’t affect him at all

and

1. Doesn’t have to be sincere in any way

If God prefers the torture of an innocent child to me saying a few words about him that I don’t really mean then he deserves to be denounced.

If you don’t mean it when you deny Him, then how can your child know that you mean it when times are good and you are praising Him? Imagine if the Apostles, or St. Ignatius of Antioch, or St. Polycarp had taken this attitude. Where would we be today? A faith not worth dying for is not really a faith worth living for, is it?

Myself, I would rush the kidnappers to try to save the child, and, at worst, be killed with my child. If we happen to survive, my child would know that I love both her and God very, very much.

 

[Gerry_Hunter]

Is there a bad taste award for polls? This is a potential winner.

 

[geezerbob]

This thread is asking us to profess to know the mind of Christ, which we can’t, and should be closed.

 

[JoeyWarren]

This thread is asking us to profess to know the mind of Christ, which we can’t, and should be closed.

What?

How is it asking us to profess to know the mind of Christ?

Giving that your child is being tortured and you are told that if you deny Christ the child’s life will be spared.

 

[LDNCatholic]

This is similar to the Muslim practice of Taqiyya. In any case my dad would have no problem denouncing Christ, him being a devout atheist.

 

[patg]

On the contrary. The child will either:

1. die, and see his parents in Heaven, or,
2. live, and know his legacy is one of,
   A. betrayal and fear, or,
   B. Courage and faith.

Those may be some of the alternatives but I would follow the example of St. Peter during the trial. Love is more powerful than words.

 

[LilyM]

Those may be some of the alternatives but I would follow the example of St. Peter during the trial. Love is more powerful than words.

You mean the trial of Jesus when he denied Jesus three times, which Jesus himself reprobated, or the end of Peter’s life when he chose to be crucified rather than deny Him and gained eternal life and glorious martyrdom?

‘Greater love hath no man than this …’ if we’re not prepared to lay down our lives for Christ then we don’t love Him.