Religious rants

It's not uncommon. Especially in the Bible belt. My degree isn't in religious studies but I took a couple classes as electives. One of the more interesting ones was on the history of martyrdom.

It is to a degree. The history of Christianity vs Judaism before they were kinda joined at the hip made me question the integrity behind it, but, there are different types of martyrs which is what I went on to explore in my capstone project for my major. I could have picked anything and decided to do it on martyrs. So my paintings were on the Dirce Reenactments in Rome, Socrates, Joan of Arc, Thich Quang Duc, and Samson.

Oh yeah, yeah, ask ISIS. One man's holy Martyr is another's man terrorist. It all depends on your point of view. To give a simple non religious analogy. The British probably saw George Washington as something akin to a terrorist. It's all perspective. One mans freedom fighter/martyr/holy man or whatever is another man's monster.

I don't consider them or kamikaze as martyrs. Martyrdom is about sacrifice. There is no sacrifice in killing someone else against their will.

Sacrificing themselves for God or whatever the fuck those retards believe. I'm pretty sure if you asked a jihadist if they were martyrs. They would answer with an absolute yes. You would say that their perspective of martyrdom is wrong. But they would also say that your perspective is wrong. Like I said. It's all about perspective. One man's monster is another person's saint.

No doubt. I'll even add that the people who died from the Dirce Reenactments fall into that category, but I still don't consider death by religious persecution to be a sacrifice. It's akin to martyrdom but not actual martyrdom. One must be willing to die. They were forced. Jihadist and kamikaze are/were willing, but not those that died with them. I kinda feel the murder aspect cancels out their action.

In describing the persecution of Christians, Clement of Alexandria records that, "Women suffered persecutions as Danaids and Dirce because of their commitment. After they had experienced acute and unspeakable torture, they trod the firm track of their faith and, physically frail, received their noble reward." Within the myth, Dirce is tied to the horns of a wild bull and dragged to her death by Zethus and Amphion, sons of Antiope, who were held prisoner by Dirce. In this case, the myth and re-enactment were essentially the same. Within the arena, a condemned woman, often a Christian, was forced to re-enact this myth and tied to the horns of a bull and dragged to her death.

Forgive me if im wrong in catholicism isnt anyone who died due to their belief refusing to give up on their faith then made into a saint? Or do i have that wrong? They then pray to these saints and stuff like that. Which i have a problem with because you shouldnt be praying to anyone besides God. Especially when thats what the whole religion is supposed to be.