Tertullian famously said, the blood of the martyrs is seed. Indeed, the early church was built on the witness of early Christians with many giving their lives for their faith. Nor is persecution a thing of the past. Every year, thousands of Christians around the world are persecuted or even martyred for their faith. But Christians are reminded that the very heart of Christianity is the call of each individual to take up our cross and follow Jesus.
So let’s test the ideal of Christian martyrdom in the most painful way imaginable: the lives of our own children. How would you respond to this scenario that I proposed in a Twitter survey?
Christian parents, your child is at high school when a shooting breaks out. The gunman is asking kids if they "believe Jesus is Lord": if they say "yes," they get shot. The shooter walks up to your child and asks if they think Jesus is Lord. How would you want them to answer?
— Tentative Apologist (@RandalRauser) February 27, 2019