They don’t, they have their faith. Some may say this is noble, some may say it’s foolish. This guy believes in his convictions enough to potentially offer his health and life for another he’s never met that doesn’t even worship the same ideas as him. That’s exceedingly rare these days, and will likely be moreso in the future.
They don’t. It would just be a very bad look for Hamas. They’d just have no reason to kill him, or even to do the exchange.
It sounds like I’m being facetious but I am not. They’re not holding the hostages for ransom. They’re holding them for a prisoner exchange, I presume. However, I think the time for that kind of deal making is over for now. I think the Israeli government is going to destroy Hamas.
The only negotiation o could see happening - and I haven’t even seen anyone suggest this - would be the Palestinian Authority or another group to broker a surrender of Hamas leadership. I don’t think that’s going to happen either.
I anticipate Israel makes a ground incursion while continuing airstrikes, 10k or more Palestinians killed, and Mossad and Shin Bet go gloves off in assassinating Hamas leadership and allies. I think they’re going to get a lot of leniency and possibly cooperation from the international community, including some Arab states.
This was a 9/11 for Israel, and I think they’re going to be permitted a disproportionate response.
What is Hamas going to do with a catholic priest? They want to exchange Israeli hostages for all the Palestinian men, women and children that Israel is holding hostage in Israeli prisons.
At the end of June 2023, the Israel Prison Service (IPS) was holding 147 Palestinian minors in detention or in prison on what it defined “security” grounds. At that time, the IPS was also holding 26 Palestinian minors for being in Israel illegally.
If genuine, this man shows a deep understanding of Christianity that eclipses all American evangelicals combined. He’d be a seriously good person, worth being respected by everyone regardless of religion.
I know we’re all cynics here, but good for him. Even if this is entirely a publicity stunt, the guy is still taking a huge risk that someone might offer to take him up on it. That’s a lot of nerve, and that’s a lot of faith, either in God or in the way Hamas values hostages.
Either way, to repeat the notion elsewhere in the thread: any of us offering? Maybe it’s a low risk–but it ain’t zero. It’s easy to dismiss these kinds of gestures from the same armchairs from which we solve geopolitics and warfare, but a public figure going on record for selflessness is something to be celebrated, even if the only noble trait is willingness to roll the dice on human nature in the hope of sharing an altruistic sentiment.
“Hurt me instead of her” is something we wish more people of faith would say everywhere.
I’ve used this argument unironically with creationists without realizing it was a thing. “If God is omnipotent, why couldn’t God create something that didn’t exist a moment ago but then comes into existence with billions of years of history.”
It’s just an attempt to at least get them to acknowledge science while still leaving room for faith, since carbon dating isn’t really up for debate and cosmology offers more than enough convincing evidence against a young universe, just to name two examples.
Anyway I thought I was being creative and original… guess not.
I'm an Adamsian Last Thursdayist of the Subgenius, which synthesizes The Hitchhiker's Guide and the Church of the Subgenius into something resembling a theology.
If I'm going to believe in something made up, I'll make up something fun.
Me and a few buddies tried writing a “Not So Holy-ish Boble” in grades 7-9, it quickly became a one-upsmanship contest to see who could write the gayest thing you’ve ever read. There were characters such as Adam the Ant, a three-foot tall anthropomorphic ant with a ten-foot long penis, and Elliot the Otter, who was not only a literal otter, but also figurative. He was based on a real guy we knew, who loved it, but was not actually an otter himself (more of a twunk). Where’s Bob in all this? Very much involved in every activity, he was basically a super horny pansexual Jesus who would use his powers to incite orgies. I think it ended with a cumshot from Adam, so hard that it blasted the whole crew into space so they could convert other worlds. I was supposed to write the “Revelations” final chapter, but by then the group had converted to some other weird thing that the (very hot) new girl in school brought with her, and interest had waned.
I've met enough of these people to know it's all show and ego. He inserted hinself into an event that didn't involve him or his religion and suggested something unfeasibly ridiculous that made him look all selfless and pious and got him worldwide recognition and praise from millions of people.
Amazing! You’re so good at knowing what people’s intent is without even knowing- or so much as having ever even having heard of them!
Seriously, have you ever thought of turning that into a career in psychotherapy or criminal investigation? I’d wager that either of these fields would love to have someone with your skills!
Most people aren't awful, but those that are often have a large impact on the world. The problem is that people are either too busy trying to survive to care, or they assume the world isn't worth saving because they assume everyone else is awful. So they do nothing but bitch about how bad everyone else is and do nothing to change it.
Fair enough- but in addition to that, I have zero faith in people that make knee-jerk assessments of others they know absolutely nothing about. It makes them seem childish and immature, as well as ignorant and unworthy of being taken seriously.
How does it not involve his religion? His parishioners live in Gaza. He’s not a random Iowa priest, his jurisdiction is in Israel. I also think this is naïve, but what do you think a better step to take here would be?
Not inserting himself into this for cheap publicity would be far more respectful. He's making catholics look great in the media though so I'm sure he will be rewarded for this.
If he wants to help, he should help people on the ground where he is.
What should he have answered, when asked if he would take their place? This cardinal’s first public comment on the subject was to answer yes, when reporters asked him if he would take their place. I assume he’s willing to do it, so it’s better not to just lie about that.
What does a cardinal do with all of this Ill-gotten publicity? What kind of aim would incentivize such an otherwise-irrational move just to get publicity?
Oh yes. Hamas will greatly value a Catholic priest over multiple hostages.
I suppose it can’t be pure grandstanding, since this offer is public and could theoretically if illogically be accepted, but the fact that he hasn’t even talked to hamas and has acknowledged that he can’t talk to Hamas and is still telling the public about his “offer” reeks of bluster
I was going to reply, stopped to look at this guy’s comment history. I’m not seeing a lot of worth in it, it’s mostly one-liners about this or that, no real engagement. Some seem mildly divisive simply for division’s sake.
It’s such a ludicrous, ostentatious and baseless offer since he hasn’t even made contact with Hamas and acknowledges he won’t be able to that most people aren’t going to bother commenting about it.
I have the luxuries of callous taste and ample time.
Incidentally, if Hamas accepts my willing offer(that I also won’t tell them about) to exchange myself for all Israeli child hostages, I am also explicitly offering this exchange, as an atheist.
a Polish Catholic priest and Conventual Franciscan friar who volunteered to die in place of a man named Franciszek Gajowniczek in the German death camp of Auschwitz
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