3597. The great example and role model in Christianity is Jesus Christ, who voluntarily allowed himself to be scourged and crucified for the love of God his Father and to atone for the sins of others.
3598. Jesus Christ actually set a bad example. He did nothing to defend himself. He willingly allowed himself to be arrested, ridiculed, tortured, and killed. He knew this would happen. But he did it anyway. He gave himself to his enemies. This was an act of self-destruction. This is not a role model which should be imitated by anyone who wants to survive, prosper, and do good in the world. This is an example of pacifism. This is an example which says that force and power should not be used, not for good and not against evil. This is an example of seeking death.
3599. Jesus Christ had an unfair advantage. After getting himself killed, he had the ability to resurrect himself. Most of us, if we go out and get ourselves killed, are not going to have that option. How big a sacrifice is it if you give up something that you can immediately get back?
3600. The example of Jesus Christ teaches us that the way to survive is to die.
3601. The example of Jesus Christ teaches us that the way to please God is to give yourself to your enemies.
3602. The example of Jesus Christ teaches us that the way to please God is to get yourself ridiculed, tortured, and killed.
3603. That Jesus Christ got himself killed, and is therefore responsible for his own death, and was not the victim of others, is proven by the fact that he was immediately resurrected. The whole point of the resurrection is that Jesus Christ had complete power over the situation, and that he intentionally allowed himself to be crucified. If it was not intentional, then he was not being obedient to the will of God his Father. If it was not intentional, then he was not offering himself as a sacrifice to atone for the sins of others.
3604. In the Bible, in Chapter 26 of the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus Christ was being arrested, he said, “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?”. In this way he declared his supreme and total power over the situation. He also declared that he was sacrificing himself because his self-sacrifice was in the script, because that was what he was supposed to do according to the scriptures.
3605. The bad example of Jesus Christ in getting himself killed strongly reinforces the natural ascetic tendency to seek God by abandoning any effort to take care of things in the material world and by doing self-destructive actions.
3606. Abandoning any effort to take care of things in the material world includes abandoning any responsibilities and commitments that one has to others.
3607. Martyrdom is a powerful weapon in public relations. When someone is killed unjustly because of his dedication to some allegedly glorious cause, and when that fact is well publicized, then people tend to become sympathetic to that cause and to perceive it as truly glorious.
3608. One could say “Let’s imitate Christ! Let’s give ourselves to our enemies! Let’s get ourselves ridiculed, tortured, and killed!”. Or one could say, “Let’s make our enemies powerless! Let’s bring Liberty, justice, and prosperity to the world!”.
3609. It is so satisfyingly dramatic to go out and get yourself killed. You can measure the greatness of your own virtue by the greatness of the stupidity and evil of those who are killing you. Any accusation against you can be answered by the glory of your self-inflicted martyrdom. No longer will you have to endure the monotony of daily life, the endless chores of human existence, the agonizing boredom of conversation and interaction with ordinary mortals. How sweet it is to seek the momentary blaze of flaming glory and defiance in martyrdom!
3610. The drama and excitement of self-inflicted martyrdom contrast with the hard work and patience required to actually do something useful and helpful.
3611. If you think you are going to get into heaven as soon as you can get someone to kill you, that makes martyrdom even more attractive. Saint Teresa of Avila is an example of someone who, as a child, hoped for martyrdom for that reason.
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This article is Chapter 114 in LIBERTY FOR ALL MEN EVERYWHERE – The Theory And Practice Of Freedom by Dale Samson. This book is available at http://www.libfame.com.
© Copyright 2010 Dale Richard Samson. Partial quotations of this chapter are permitted with attribution. Cite source as Dale Samson's LIBERTY FOR ALL MEN EVERYWHERE at http://www.libfame.com.
