At 08:28 13/09/01 -0400, Randy Bush wrote: You missed the point. I am not arguing with what you say, but rather the equation of misusing the word martyr for: a) a person killed by their enemy for their religious beliefs - either by crucification, fire, beheading, etc. - is the definition of a martyr - meaning someone *being* killed by someone else b) a person *killing* people in a suicide mission. There is a huge difference between *being killed* and *killing* people. One is the victim and one is the attacker. Nothing to do with religion. Someone being killed for their religious beliefs is a marytr. Someone killing people for their religious beliefs via his act of suicide is perhaps a shahid but is definitely *not* a martyr. -Hank
For those with a Christian background, don't you consider it an insult to your religion to have a suicide bomber called a martyr after Saint Stephen?
no, i consider it a consequence of the self-righteousness that religion often nurtures, i am better than you because my god is better than yours. add fanaticism, and there will always be fanatics of every stripe, and you get the escalating cycle of violence and hate.
resist the cycle of violence and hate.
randy