What is a Martyr?
A martyr is someone who is willing to face death rather than renounce religious or personal beliefs. Many religions include a tradition of martyrdom, and martyrs are often held in high esteem since they represent the pinnacle of faithfulness to some people. The term is also used to describe people who die in political struggles, such as the Reverend Martin Luther King, who was assassinated during the height of the Civil Rights movement. The term comes from the Greek martus, meaning “witness.” “Witness” is often used in a religious context to describe someone who testifies on behalf of his or her religion, in the hopes of converting or educating people about it. As one might imagine, in periods of religious suppression, witnessing would have been extremely dangerous, and as a result someone might be martyred because he or she refused to renounce an undesirable religious faith. In Judaism, martyrdom is a very important concept, perhaps because the Jewish people have historically been sub
The dictionary which I refer to is the Funk and Wagnalls. Its main definition of martyr is “one who submits to death rather than forswear his religion.” The other definitions have to do with suffering or dying unjustly. The implication is always that the person is a victim. To call a soldier who dies in battle or anyone who commits suicide a martyr is to twist the meaning of the word. This is written in order to emphasize accuracy in language. While the term martyr comes from the Greek and is most commonly used when referring to Christians, it could refer to members of other religions. Some noncombatant Muslims in the Balkans who were killed by Serbian “ethnic cleansing” could be termed martyrs. They were apparently singled out because of their religion. However, fighters on either side who were killed in battle would not be considered martyrs because they were fighting, regardless of how they died. People who take up arms realize that there is the possibility that they might be killed
