there’s something uniquely fucked up about the way christianity actively encourages martyrdom.
both judaism and islam do not encourage their followers to be honest about being a member of the faith if it puts their lives at risk. the latter religion even has a word for it— taqiyyah.
the christian view on martyrdom claims that followers cannot “actively seek out” dying for the faith. but, because of the rewards christianity promises to martyrs (i.e. guaranteed access to literal heaven) there is always a subliminal push towards getting yourself killed.
not to mention, it’s a core tenet of christianity to not deny christ, even if you’re at risk of harm (peter denying christ three times the night before the crucifixion, etc.)
the damage these teachings can cause vary due to circumstance. in countries like the united states, it means children being told they need to say “yes” if a shooter puts a gun to their head and asks them “are you christian?”. in countries like libya, it means oppressed people being pushed to put their lives on the line because they feel like they’re betraying the faith otherwise.
at it’s worst, christian martyrdom encourages groups of people—living under forces that are actively oppressing them— to sacrifice their lives to make a point. if they don’t, they risk the salvation of their souls.
