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New Martyrs in El Salvador

by Becky Garrison 08-18-2009 | 5:00pm
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Jamie Moffett, co-founder of The Simple Way and director of The Ordinary Radicals, traveled to El Salvador to film the documentary Return to El Salvador. While there, he heard about Marcelo Rivera, an activist who was tortured and then murdered. As this saga began to unfold, Moffett realized he had a much larger and more complex story to tell that had significant connections to the United States.

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Ten years. Thousands of lives. Billions of dollars.

I interviewed Jamie about his experiences in El Salvador for Religion Dispatches. Here's one question in particular that stood out for me.

Why should this story be of particular interest to people of faith?

This is the land of Oscar Romero, where the Maryknoll sisters and Jesuit priests were killed as well. These religious figures were murdered by people who were trained at the School of the Americas (now known as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation) at Fort Benning, Georgia. We turned a blind eye to what was happening in the '80s and now these murders appear to be happening again .... People of faith admire these martyrs' stories, but how will they respond to today's tragedies?

portrait-becky-garrisonBecky Garrison is one of the many voices featured in the documentary The Ordinary Radicals.

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by: Joe_Allen_Doty

08-19-2009 @ 5:12pm

Since the Greek word "martyr" as a noun just means "witness," why do people use it for people after they have died?

Every Believer in Christ Jesus who tells others about Him is automatically a "martyr" according correct scripture interpretation.

This "martyr" thing is like dead people being canonized as "saints." If you are a Believer in Jesus, you are a saint.

by: Joe_Allen_Doty

08-19-2009 @ 5:12pm

Since the Greek word "martyr" as a noun just means "witness," why do people use it for people after they have died?

Every Believer in Christ Jesus who tells others about Him is automatically a "martyr" according correct scripture interpretation.

This "martyr" thing is like dead people being canonized as "saints." If you are a Believer in Jesus, you are a saint.

by: richardz315

08-19-2009 @ 8:33pm

wow i really found this to be interesting. thanks for sharing

by: BuckeyeDon

08-21-2009 @ 11:50am

Thanks, Becky. El Salvador--such a beautiful country with such gracious residents. Why does tragedy follow them like their shadow?

by: richardz315

08-19-2009 @ 8:33pm

wow i really found this to be interesting. thanks for sharing

by: JamesM

08-21-2009 @ 9:32am

You presumably have just viewed a video about a just man who was murdered for defending the interests of his people and all you can say is that the use of the word "martyr" is inappropriate. If that is what being devout and well brushed up on dogma does to a person, I will hang out with the unbelieving pagans. Sheesh! REALLY pathetic.

by: JamesM

08-21-2009 @ 9:33am

Thank you for sharing that, Becky.

by: BuckeyeDon

08-21-2009 @ 9:50am

Thanks, Becky. El Salvador--such a beautiful country with such gracious residents. Why does tragedy follow them like their shadow?

by: JamesM

08-21-2009 @ 9:32am

You presumably have just viewed a video about a just man who was murdered for defending the interests of his people and all you can say is that the use of the word "martyr" is inappropriate. If that is what being devout and well brushed up on dogma does to a person, I will hang out with the unbelieving pagans. Sheesh! REALLY pathetic.

by: JamesM

08-21-2009 @ 9:33am

Thank you for sharing that, Becky.

by: BuckeyeDon

08-21-2009 @ 9:50am

Thanks, Becky. El Salvador--such a beautiful country with such gracious residents. Why does tragedy follow them like their shadow?

by: BuckeyeDon

08-21-2009 @ 11:50am

Thanks, Becky. El Salvador--such a beautiful country with such gracious residents. Why does tragedy follow them like their shadow?

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by: Joe_Allen_Doty

08-19-2009 @ 5:12pm

Since the Greek word "martyr" as a noun just means "witness," why do people use it for people after they have died?

Every Believer in Christ Jesus who tells others about Him is automatically a "martyr" according correct scripture interpretation.

This "martyr" thing is like dead people being canonized as "saints." If you are a Believer in Jesus, you are a saint.

by: Joe_Allen_Doty

08-19-2009 @ 5:12pm

Since the Greek word "martyr" as a noun just means "witness," why do people use it for people after they have died?

Every Believer in Christ Jesus who tells others about Him is automatically a "martyr" according correct scripture interpretation.

This "martyr" thing is like dead people being canonized as "saints." If you are a Believer in Jesus, you are a saint.

by: richardz315

08-19-2009 @ 8:33pm

wow i really found this to be interesting. thanks for sharing

by: richardz315

08-19-2009 @ 8:33pm

wow i really found this to be interesting. thanks for sharing

by: JamesM

08-21-2009 @ 9:32am

You presumably have just viewed a video about a just man who was murdered for defending the interests of his people and all you can say is that the use of the word "martyr" is inappropriate. If that is what being devout and well brushed up on dogma does to a person, I will hang out with the unbelieving pagans. Sheesh! REALLY pathetic.

by: JamesM

08-21-2009 @ 9:32am

You presumably have just viewed a video about a just man who was murdered for defending the interests of his people and all you can say is that the use of the word "martyr" is inappropriate. If that is what being devout and well brushed up on dogma does to a person, I will hang out with the unbelieving pagans. Sheesh! REALLY pathetic.

by: JamesM

08-21-2009 @ 9:33am

Thank you for sharing that, Becky.

by: JamesM

08-21-2009 @ 9:33am

Thank you for sharing that, Becky.

by: BuckeyeDon

08-21-2009 @ 9:50am

Thanks, Becky. El Salvador--such a beautiful country with such gracious residents. Why does tragedy follow them like their shadow?

by: BuckeyeDon

08-21-2009 @ 9:50am

Thanks, Becky. El Salvador--such a beautiful country with such gracious residents. Why does tragedy follow them like their shadow?

by: BuckeyeDon

08-21-2009 @ 11:50am

Thanks, Becky. El Salvador--such a beautiful country with such gracious residents. Why does tragedy follow them like their shadow?

by: BuckeyeDon

08-21-2009 @ 11:50am

Thanks, Becky. El Salvador--such a beautiful country with such gracious residents. Why does tragedy follow them like their shadow?