Hypothetical Scenario

[Christina1]

You are faced with the following hypothetical scenario:

Hostile anti-Christian forces have taken you captive. You are found to be in possession of certain religious objects including a copy of the Bible; other books such as a devotional, a commentary on the Bible, a concordance, etc.; Jewelry and/or clothing that serve as an expression of faith such as earrings, a necklace, a T-shirt with a Bible verse on it, etc.; And one or two of the following: religious art, a cross to be hung on a wall, rosary beads, Bible tracts, a framed poster with a prayer or Bible verse on it, etc.

Let's assume that prior to being taken captive you identified as a Christian.
Let's also assume that these items are yours.
Let's also assume that the group that captured you is only concerned with Christians and not any other religious group.

Your captors tell you that they are going to kill you unless you renounce Christ.

What do you do?

Option 1
You refuse to renounce Christ and accept your fate as a Christian martyr and mentally prepare for death and heaven.

Option 2
You renounce Christ out of fear hoping to save your life and you beg them to have mercy on you for being deceived by Christianity.

Option 3
You renounce Christ out of love for your captors hoping to 1) prevent them from committing the sin of murder and 2) create a future opportunity to witness to them if and when they are ready.

Option 4
You renounce Christ consciously choosing to play by their rules temporarily while secretly vowing in your heart to return to a public display of faith when it is safe to do so. In the meantime, you vow to spread the gospel secretly.

Option 5
You deny that you were ever a Christian and claim to be a member of the New Age who collects wisdom and learns from different religions.

Option 6
You deny that you were ever a Christian and claim that the religious objects in your possession are special memories to you because they belonged to other family members from the past.

Option 7
You remain silent and say nothing for or against your faith allowing the chips to fall where they may.

Option 8
Other. Specify an alternative option in the thread.

 

[Silverhair]

You are faced with the following hypothetical scenario:

Hostile anti-Christian forces have taken you captive. You are found to be in possession of certain religious objects including a copy of the Bible; other books such as a devotional, a commentary on the Bible, a concordance, etc.; Jewelry and/or clothing that serve as an expression of faith such as earrings, a necklace, a T-shirt with a Bible verse on it, etc.; And one or two of the following: religious art, a cross to be hung on a wall, rosary beads, Bible tracts, a framed poster with a prayer or Bible verse on it, etc.

Let's assume that prior to being taken captive you identified as a Christian.
Let's also assume that these items are yours.
Let's also assume that the group that captured you is only concerned with Christians and not any other religious group.

Your captors tell you that they are going to kill you unless you renounce Christ.

What do you do?

Option 1
You refuse to renounce Christ and accept your fate as a Christian martyr and mentally prepare for death and heaven.

Option 2
You renounce Christ out of fear hoping to save your life and you beg them to have mercy on you for being deceived by Christianity.

Option 3
You renounce Christ out of love for your captors hoping to 1) prevent them from committing the sin of murder and 2) create a future opportunity to witness to them if and when they are ready.

Option 4
You renounce Christ consciously choosing to play by their rules temporarily while secretly vowing in your heart to return to a public display of faith when it is safe to do so. In the meantime, you vow to spread the gospel secretly.

Option 5
You deny that you were ever a Christian and claim to be a member of the New Age who collects wisdom and learns from different religions.

Option 6
You deny that you were ever a Christian and claim that the religious objects in your possession are special memories to you because they belonged to other family members from the past.

Option 7
You remain silent and say nothing for or against your faith allowing the chips to fall where they may.

Option 8
Other. Specify an alternative option in the thread.

Options 2-8 are not really options for a child of God.

 

[Christina1]

Options 2-8 are not really options for a child of God.

I'm not so sure about that. I'm wavering between 3, 4, or 7 at the moment.

 

[Silverhair]

I'm not so sure about that. I'm wavering between 3, 4, or 7 at the moment.

Those options really are not open to us as Christians
Mat_10:32 "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
Mat_10:33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

We are to stand firm in our faith. If one compromise's with evil, evil wins.

Why would someone think that Christianity is true if Christians are willing to deny it when under trial. Php_1:21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

In this life it's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. Jim Elliot

 

[Scarlett O.]

I've thought about things like things several times over the years.

The only option for the Christian is not to renounce Christ. There is no excuse to deny Jesus - ever. They are 99% going to shoot you anyway and I couldn't bear meeting Christ having just denied him.

I hope that I would have the courage to open my mouth and say that "I am a Christian, I belong to Christ, and I will die well."

Odds are, I would probably be shaking so hard that I would end up only being able to say "yes" to the question if I am a Christian.

I would never deny Christ - not for anyone,

 

[Christina1]

Both good points. I think that option 1 is going to be the most popular one for these reasons. But I'm struggling with it because I don't want to put my faith above people but I also don't want to deny Christ. So I'm thinking about option 7. I was looking at Ecclesiastes 3:7 and Matthew 27:11-14 as Biblical justification for option 7. Jesus remained silent in certain life and death situations.

If I chose option 1, I would fail to protect my captors from their own sin but my words would be authentic. But choosing option 3 is not good either because my words would be an inauthentic compromise. But my intentions would be more purely represented by option 3 than any other option.

So I think option 7 might be the best option. This is a tough one.

 

[Silverhair]

Both good points. I think that option 1 is going to be the most popular one for these reasons. But I'm struggling with it because I don't want to put my faith above people but I also don't want to deny Christ. So I'm thinking about option 7. I was looking at Ecclesiastes 3:7 and Matthew 27:11-14 as Biblical justification for option 7. Jesus remained silent in certain life and death situations.

If I chose option 1, I would fail to protect my captors from their own sin but my words would be authentic. But choosing option 3 is not good either because my words would be an inauthentic compromise. But my intentions would be more purely represented by option 3 than any other option.

So I think option 7 might be the best option. This is a tough one.

Option 7
You remain silent and say nothing for or against your faith allowing the chips to fall where they may.

By saying nothing you are by your silence denying Christ. Remember the question "Your captors tell you that they are going to kill you unless you renounce Christ." So your silence is not really an option.

 

[JonC]

Both good points. I think that option 1 is going to be the most popular one for these reasons. But I'm struggling with it because I don't want to put my faith above people but I also don't want to deny Christ. So I'm thinking about option 7. I was looking at Ecclesiastes 3:7 and Matthew 27:11-14 as Biblical justification for option 7. Jesus remained silent in certain life and death situations.

If I chose option 1, I would fail to protect my captors from their own sin but my words would be authentic. But choosing option 3 is not good either because my words would be an inauthentic compromise. But my intentions would be more purely represented by option 3 than any other option.

So I think option 7 might be the best option. This is a tough one.

There are several issues that deserve to be explored.

You say option 1 may put your faith above people. That is not actually true in the scenario. Christians could have renounced their faith throughout history and escaped persecution, thereby preventing the people from committing those acts. Likewise, had Christ refused the Cross those who crucified Him woul have no blood in their hands for the act.

We are responsible for our faith and our actions. We are not responsible for the World's hostility against Christ.


An interesting movie, Silence, relates the suppression of Christianity in 17th Century Japan. They found persecuting missionaries counterproductive. What they would do is take care of the minister but persecute the converts until the minister recanted.

Ultimately the only Christian option is #1. We cannot recant our faith, but we cannot also remain silent (we have to give an answer for our faith, and count it as joy to suffer for Christ).

BUT we do not know what we would actually do until we face that situation. We can say what we should do, in hopes we'd do it, but we do not truly know what we would do.

 

[Scarlett O.]

But I'm struggling with it because I don't want to put my faith above people but I also don't want to deny Christ.

And therein lies the difference between our thinking. I believe our faith should be above all things - even people.

Those captors aren't going to "let you go". You won't be having a sit down evangelistic pow wow with them later.

 

[Christina1]

I think Option 3 could be seen as an affirmation of one's faith. It is a radical act of going the extra mile and turning the other cheek. It makes the best of a really bad situation hoping for the best possible outcome. If I was to argue for option 3 I would probably appeal to Matthew 5:38-48 and 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

 

[Christina1]

Option 7
You remain silent and say nothing for or against your faith allowing the chips to fall where they may.

By saying nothing you are by your silence denying Christ. Remember the question "Your captors tell you that they are going to kill you unless you renounce Christ." So your silence is not really an option.

You're probably right. Jesus stood silent before his accusers and was crucified anyway. But there's also a chance that the captors could rethink their own actions if I just stood silent. Silence can be powerful. It gives God time and space to work on their hearts.

 

[Deacon]

Early Christians dealt with this problem. The church had to work through the answer.

Novatian (c. ~200-250), opinioned that no lapsed person should be readmitted to the church, they forfeited grace through a denial of Christ.

Cyprian (248-258), the bishop of Carthage, held that the lapsed should be received back into fellowship but only after an interval of probation and penance and they would be re-baptized

Stephen (254-257), bishop of Rome, said they should be accepted into the church without a second
baptism. A select group had to undertake a series of acts of penance before being readmitted.


The entire penitential system thus developed. The Protestant Reformation was in large measure a protest against that system.

Rob

 

[Salty]

But then again - its hard to know what you would do under such circumstances.

How about this - The Hiding place - the host family lied about the family of Anne Frank family for months......

 

[37818]

(Option 8, I assume they are going to kill me.)

I would have some questions.
What is the problem they have with Christ?
Why is it deemed necessary to kill someone who believes in Christ?

 

[Christina1]

(Option 8, I assume they are going to kill me.)

I would have some questions.
What is the problem they have with Christ?
Why is it deemed necessary to kill someone who believes in Christ?

So you would ask questions with the hope of reasoning with them? That's not a bad move.

 

[Christina1]

But then again - its hard to know what you would do under such circumstances.

How about this - The Hiding place - the host family lied about the family of Anne Frank family for months......

This is totally my reasoning behind options 3 and 4. Sometimes honesty is not the best policy.

 

[Silverhair]

From the perspective of option 8. I would not deny Christ but if I had the chance to talk to them I would do it. The reality is that odds on you are going to die.

 

[Alan Gross]

But then again - its hard to know what you would do under such circumstances.

Yes, but it may be implied within the hypothetical that you would be provided a copy of these various options, so that you could at least give them a ponder.

I say the list of options may be a part of the hypothetical that is included.

Christina1 didn't say, but she sure came up with a doozy off jump street.

Glad to see her here. Nice.

How about this - The Hiding place - the host family lied about the family of Anne Frank family for months......

Didn't Rahab 'lie' about hiding spies? Who was she 'lying to' or those concerning Anne Frank?

Is there an element of 'lying' that is dependant on the recipients expectation of being told the truth?

Well, I'm asking. Is there or not? Was God showing us that Rahab did not violate the commandments to not lie, by telling those looking to kill them that 'as far as they were concerned' there were no spies there that she knew of and they weren't 'spies' in her eyes, anyway, and that if she did know of anyone they might think were spies, she wasn't telling them, if she did?

Dunno.

I do know that the captors or the Nazis ought to be responsible enough to know that they can hold no responsibility in a situation like that, to assume they were not being lied to, regardless of how God comes down on it.

I would have some questions.
What is the problem they have with Christ?
Why is it deemed necessary to kill someone who believes in Christ?

There you go, 37.

Preach the Gospel.

That's our man, there!

Resort to your training!

We could ask like one preacher did, "what are you trying to do, threaten me with Heaven?"

All right. That's one for Option #8.

 

[tyndale1946]

Philippians 1: 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

We can all say what we would do in a hypothetical situation but we will not know what our true Christian character is until the time comes... I have read history after history of persecution and martyr's but would we stand as they stood?... In my 77 years on this planet I've never been tested like that... Have you?... Will I stand or will I fall?... I see that heavenly city, closer now than ever before, whose builder and maker is God... Brother Glen

 

[Silverhair]

Philippians 1: 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

We can all say what we would do in a hypothetical situation but we will not know what our true Christian character is until the time comes... I have read history after history of persecution and martyr's but would we stand as they stood?... In my 77 years on this planet I've never been tested like that... Have you?... Will I stand or will I fall?... I see that heavenly city, closer now than ever before, whose builder and maker is God... Brother Glen

I would think it would come down to how must you valve this life as compared to the next.