What Would You Do? /// Emily Otts

         In Chapter 8, we see the priest Rodrigues trample on a fumie, finally apostatizing. Leading up to this, Rodrigues constantly tells himself he will not do so. Over and over, he convinces himself that he will not. However, when he learns that people are suffering because he will not do so, it breaks something in him to where he finally does so. The Japanese had a cruel tactic to get the Christians to apostatize, leading even the most faithful missionary, Father Ferreira, to apostatize. While Rodrigues is in the prison, Ferreira even tells him that Christ would do the same to help those people. 

        This gave me a lot of questions. First off, would Christ actually do so? I do not think he would refuse to apostatize or actually do it. I believe He would have an answer similar to when the Pharisees tried to catch Him in a trap with the question of giving money to Caesar. I do not know what He would do, but He would have made a third answer that would have baffled the Japanese. 

        Secondly, what if I was in this situation? The Japanese were smart in crafting a way that made people reject their faith to save others. Obviously, I do not want to reject my faith. If I myself was threatened, I would like to think I would still hold onto it. But what if by holding onto my faith, I am allowing others to die? I hope I am never put in that situation because I truly do not know the answer. 

I commented Josh Naqvi and Emma Landry's posts. 

Comments

  1. That quote also had me thinking the same question of what would Jesus really have done in this situation. It is hard to unpack but I think you are right, he probably would have done something similar to how he handled the Pharisees. This question has been on my mind for the last couple of days so I am really glad you brought it up.

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  2. It is always harder to know the answer when you put yourself in the shoes of someone else. The thing about apostatizing is that it completely denies Christ to the entire world. Similar to how baptism confirms one decision to follow Christ to the masses, apostatizing does the reverse. Jesus was always concerned with honoring the Father, apostatizing ultimately brings dishonor to God and all He has done. So I agree with you that He would not have done that. Yes, people would have died if he had not but then again those people like all people will die eventually... however once something as serious as rejecting Christ is seen by the world that is not easily taken back.

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  3. I am so glad to see someone is struggling with all these questions in the same way I am. I wonder what the right way to answer it is. I wonder if there even is a third answer like you mention.

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  4. I would have reacted the same way Rodrigues did to those questions and statements-mad. What kind of statement is Jesus would have apostatized. In the end if I was in the same position and Rodrigues, I don’t know if I would have apostatized. I would definitely entertain the though of doing it but actually going through with it, I don’t know.

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