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Originally Posted by lucifer_sam
And you read this where? Idiot's Guide to Fascist Theology or something?
Had there not been a resurrection, the story would be meaningless. Easter does not celebrate his death, it rejoices for his rebirth. The "take up your cross and follow me" is a reference to spreading the Gospel, not the pursuit of martyrdom.
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If there wasn't a resurrection, he still would have died for the sins of many, which is something that is celebrated and revered.
You are ignoring the obvious message that Jesus tried to put forth, and that is a message of self-sacrifice to God, and secondly to others. He died for that message and people celebrate that. That is what Easter celebrates. The resurrection only serves as a symbol that God is all powerful. Since he is all powerful, you should obey him.
Have you even looked at the early church at all? Jesus was warning them of the up and coming martyrdom that would plague them until they deserted their position as the persecuted to become exactly what God did not want them to be, the persecutor. Slaves, obey your masters because it is your duty to God. Same with women and their husbands.
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Christian martyrdom can not be self destructive, self loathing motive behind it, martyrs don't want to die because they hate their life or someone else's life; their death is something that happens to them because of their faith. Not all matyrdoms end in death, someone can suffer a (bloodless) "white" matyrdom when they are persecuted or face hardship for their beliefs. (I think just to admit there is a God in today's society is a white matyrdom.) When it comes to "self-sacrifice," there has to be a right motive behind it, it can't be done begrudgingly or have ulterior motives behind it.
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You took two quotes which were not linked to each other and successfully attacked a non-existent point.
First, martyrs want to die because it is their duty to God to do so. Even though their life would be better lived, they do it anyways because it is what God wants. They aren't (theoretically) doing it because they want to die. They are doing it for God. Yes, I agree wholeheartedly with that. It is still self-sacrifice in the way I described it. It is still the neglect of one's own self-interest.
In reality, though, many Christians are looking for an escape route for their discontentment with life. They acknowledge that one has to run away from the black hole that modern existentialism is present in. They acknowledge that there really is no meaning to life on this earth unless you abandon reality and substitute it with a faith-based perception. Some martyrs act with the disinterest that you talk of, most martyrs act with self-hatred. Either way, they do not take an interest in themselves, which is exactly what they should be taking interest in.