IV.
Challenges

First, that there are many Muslims and Christians today who are willing to die for their beliefs should make us all consider seriously if there are ideas and causes worth dying for. I think they force on our attention that Truth with a capital T is something we should all seek, and not yield to cynicism that causes many to be jaded and disillusioned.

Second, these different views of martyrdom with their connected views of God and human responsibility, challenge us to realize that all religions do not teach the same basic things, and that religions as a whole should not be blindly accepted nor superficially dismissed, but should be evaluated carefully on their own merits.

Third, since I am a Christian, I would like to make the following request to Christians and Muslims who are here. While recognizing that we disagree about essential, core truths about Jesus, salvation, the nature of God, and human ethics, we must each be willing to ask ourselves, 'Have I got it right? Is my faith really the true one that God wants me to have?'

Martyrdom brings this issue to a crucial, focal point. According to the Bible, Islamic suicide bombers are not martyrs pleasing God and earning a reward. They are instead breaking one of the Ten Commandments- the one against murder. They also violate what Jesus said was the second greatest commandment to love one's neighbor as oneself. This commandment is second only to loving God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. These bombers are actually not loving God in their sacrifice the way God wants but are instead setting themselves up for the most awful of judgments. According to the Bible, though they might be zealous for God and courageous and sacrificial in their action, they are completely wrong and God hates how they are taking their own life and the lives of other people.

Similarly, if Christians are wrong, then they are setting themselves up for judgment according to the Qur'an for not embracing Islam.

As I have wrestled with these issues for myself, I have come to the conclusion that Jesus' view, based on His own death on the cross and resurrection, is the one that is the Truth, and the one that will also bring the most good to the greatest number of people in this world. I commend Jesus Christ to you for your consideration.

Martyrdom matters. There are ideas and issues worth dying for. Your life and your death matter to God. May God bless you as you work out your convictions.

Thank you for listening.