Becoming a Martyr

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The concept of martyrdom is not exclusive to any distinct religion, faith, or society. Becoming a martyr is an idea that has been embraced by many different people with very different beliefs and ideas. A martyr by definition is “a person who willingly suffers death rather than renounce his or her religion. (Dictionary.com) Although this definition varies depending on who is asked, the basic idea is that martyrdom is influenced by religion. The act of giving ones life for a religious cause is what makes someone a martyr. Due to the many different beliefs of what a martyr is, becoming a martyr in different religions means different things and is achieved through different acts. Some people may give their life for others, some may take their own, and a few may take innocent lives in combination with their own.

Contrary to popular belief, martyrdom is not an idea exclusive to Islam. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, also known as the Semitic faiths, all believe in the concept of becoming a martyr. The only difference regarding martyrdom between these three religions is that the motivating factors and path to becoming a martyr changed over time to best fit each individual doctrine. (Hakam) Christianity itself is based on the belief that Jesus Christ gave his life to wash away the sins of man. This could be considered the greatest act of martyrdom of all time. In order to preserve the innocence of his followers and save their souls, Jesus was tortured and willingly crucified knowing that he was giving his life for a bigger cause. Jesus Christ hoped that by giving his life he would give mankind a second chance. This is why many Christians devote their lives to living a life free of sin with hopes of going to heaven after their time h...

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...e defending their faith.

Works Cited

Martyr. Dictionary.com. LLC. Retrieved October 27, 2011, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/martyr

Hakam, S. (n.d.). The concept of martyrdom and sikhism. Retrieved from http://www.globalsikhstudies.net/articles/The Concept of Martyrdom and Sikhism-Dr Hakam Singh.pdf

Greenberg, I. Israeli Foreign Ministry, Ministry of Tourism. (n.d.). Masada: desert fortress overlooking the dead sea. Retrieved from http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Archaeology/Masada1.html

Zarick, A. (2007). Shades of martyrdom. Dean's Book Course, 2. Retrieved from http://scholar.googleusercontent.com/scholar?q=cache:9vRoYLhK_6QJ:scholar.google.com/ shades of martyrdom Allison Zarick&hl=en&as_sdt=0,3

Pakin, Tern Toles. "Explosive Baggage: Female Palestinian Suicide Bombers and the Rhetoric of Emotion." Women and Language Fall 2002: 79-88

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