Would you say whatever a captor wanted you to say, just to live?
Example:
You have been captured by jihadis. They have you tied up and want you to swear allegiance to Allah/ the prophet Mohamed/ whatever. They want you to renounce your convictions, principles, culture, faith. They tell you that if you do this, they will continue to keep you captive, but will not behead you.
Do you do it? Just say what they want in order to live a while longer and look for a window of opportunity to escape?
Or do you believe so strongly in your convictions and/or faith, that you’d rather perish than deny them? Go out defiant to the last breath, standing firm, never giving in.
I would like to think I’d be able to tell them to go pound camel anus, but that would be a terrifying situation. Extreme fear can overwhelm almost any thought process.
ETA: another example could be the captors want you to divulge sensitive compartmentalized information or die, and doing so would totally violate your principles and your oath.
Would I renounce my convictions in order to look for a window to escape? Yes. In a heartbeat. I have that instinct of self preservation, and if there are other people with me, then I might be able to help them too. That is more important than just saying ‘‘FUCK YOU!’’
Would I divulge information? No. Under no circumstance. If I was a military man. I’m not, so I have no information to give.
Assuming an issue of real consequence, like faith or loyalty to the nation, I would rather die for something that I believe in, than to grovel for more time in this life by feigning acceptance of something that I do not believe in.
If it is a matter of being killed over my views on something like wearing Capri pants or getting a house cat, I’m sure I could find some room for temporary accommodation.
I will do almost anything for the opportunity to kill my captors. The only thing I “hope” I would not do is put other innocent people in harms way simply to save myself. But honestly, I probably wouldn’t trust them to let me live regardless.
But if a “jailhouse conversion” to Islam is all that would be necessary to afford me the opportunity to escape or at a minimum take a few with me, then I’m sure Buddha and Hachiman will understand because they see what’s actually in my heart.
Definitely follow your logic, and of course, you’re coming from a different point of view, faith-wise, but your post gave me some interesting food-for-thought.
My sense is that the “captors” in this case have already proven themselves a people devoid of honor – at least, as we define such things in the West – and when you consider what they do to their fellow Muslims as a matter of course, I’m not sure why a jailhouse convert could, or should, expect to fare any better.
It wouldn’t be a viable approach for me in any case, but even employed as a strategic device solely for the purpose of gaining an advantage, I’m left to wonder if such a thing would even alter the equation at all. Likely not.
And if they torture you? Then what? You either omitted this by choice or by mistake. Either way, it’s a very real possibility, especially in your addition.
i would rather swallow the barrel of a gun. I highly doubt they would say, “ok, cool and welcome to the brotherhood”. I dont want to get my execution video to end up on liveleak.
“But honestly, I probably wouldn’t trust them to let me live regardless.”
But if I can say “words” and that gets me the opportunity to take some company with me, or possibly even unass myself from the situation, then “words” you are going to get.
Tracking. On all but a few topics of consequence, you and I tend to be very well-aligned; I just found value in the thought process that your post introduced.
So, hypothetically speaking, now that you’re a newly-confessed Muslim, if you’re killed anyway, do you get your 72 virgins?
Well there is…someone…who cares what you say if you get my drift. I think some of the issue revolves around your view of lying. Is lying ever ok in any and all circumstances? I do not believe lying is ever justified, but I do to a degree understand my own weaknesses and to a degree the weaknesses of others. I would also make a distinction between lying and lawful deception. Wearing camo would be an example of lawful deception. I do think there are convictions that should never be renounced even at the point of death, because as I get older and closer to death, I believe there are some things worse than dying. Could I stand under the pressure, I don’t know, but I pray for courage often.
