re: #279 Nyet

On one hand, the diff between a mere acceptance of death and a suicide is intent on the part of the victim. Traditionally it is accepted that the death was intended by Jesus all along.

That said, a more apt comparison would be with self-sacrifice in order to save someone, which is traditionally not seen as sinful.

If an atheist “martyrs” her- or himself for a principle, they would be condemned as performing a selfish act, no? The rationale of such an act would not be accepted by the religious-minded because to them, there would be no reason to do so, those like Socrates notwithstanding, since “martyrdom” is a religious concept posited by early christians who wished to seem “christ-like” and has endured for centuries, even though also practiced by other religions.

At any rate, a reasonable person would have more of a sense of self-preservation than to commit such an act, wouldn’t they?