Would you die for your beliefs?

[Buttercup]

So you'd rather live being false to yourself? There really are worse things than death.

Define "being false to myself", please. Obviously, I'd rather die than kill, rape or torture other people if that's one of the choices.

 

[Sees]

Personally, I wouldn't die for any belief, ideology, philosophy or religion. What folly and waste of my life.

I would, however, strongly consider dying for a random stranger in trouble and most certainly would consider dying for my family and some friends.

Historically people who would control your beliefs and ideals will also control how you live your life in general...it's a foundation of sorts for making you live as someone else. It's why freedom of thought, beliefs, speech, etc. are so important.

If we look at it in isolation then it doesn't seem to have as much importance - but it's a core difference between cruel dictatorship, oppression and the better societies in history.

 

[Gnostic Seeker]

Define "being false to myself", please. Obviously, I'd rather die than kill, rape or torture other people if that's one of the choices.

I mean basically to be forced to compromise your ideals yes. Or to renounce something as part of yourself as your sexuality. I'm not talking of blindly playing martyr.

 

[Buttercup]

I mean basically to be forced to compromise your ideals yes. Or to renounce something as part of yourself as your sexuality. I'm not talking of blindly playing martyr.

I answered the question in the simplistic manner in which the OP was framed, imo.

I am talking about whatever it is that is most important to you. Your religion, you lack of religion. Your politics, whatever. If you were threatened with death if you refused to renounce your beliefs, what would you do? Would you die? or would you submit?

If we want to add additional (or rather, more specific) stipulations and detail to the original wording, I'd have to give my answer based on each specific premise put forward. As it is, I am not willing to die for any religious or political belief.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

If we want to add additional (or rather, more specific) stipulations and detail to the original wording, I'd have to give my answer based on each specific premise put forward. As it is, I am not willing to die for any religious or political belief.

I suspect all the people so willing to declare their beliefs more important than their lives would agree if actually put to the test.

Personally, I find living for what you believe in to be much more admirable than dying for what you believe in.