Could I Be This Brave?

Abdul Rahman, an Afghan man who converted from Islam to Christianity, is interviewed during a hearing in Kabul on March 16, 2006 in this image made available from tv footage on Sunday, March 26, 2006. Rahman who faced a possible death sentence for converting from Islam to Christianity is to be freed after a court Sunday dismissed the case against him, citing a lack of evidence, officials said. (AP Photo/ Ariana Television via AP Television News) This past Sunday, there was mention in our sermon of not being ashamed to admit that you are Christian. The theme was stepping into the light...with your faith. Pastor Glos hit it right on the nose when he said that religion is, for the most part, a taboo subject. I was always taught that there is a short list of thing you do not discuss: Politics, religion and abortion. Now the reason had nothing to do with having strong beliefs, it was always more about not causing a fuss with people who might disagree with you. I try to follow this general rule in life about all things. I admit that I am a nonconfrontational person. Now with this being said .. I can admit that if I were faced with death, I do not believe I would have the guts to be as strong as this man. I admire him and hope to learn something from him. Obviously on a much smaller level. I have absolutely no problem with letting people I know that I attend church regularly and try to act in a way that is a good reflection of my beliefs. I am very happy with the church I have joined and think that it's core beliefs mirror a lot of my own. Here is where the difficulty lies. If you come from a very conservative circle, who you know will disagree with some of your core beliefs, do you keep them to yourself? I am not living in a country where my life would be placed in peril for disagreeing with my family or friends, yet I have a difficult time with this. I don't know if this is a personality flaw or not. I have recently re-joined Amnesty International and support, via electronic petitions, many of their campaigns. I signed one just today against death penalties of children. I also happen to agree with the United Methodist's view on Iraq. We didn't go to Rwanda and other similiar places where we were so needed, I believe, because we had nothing to gain. This brings me to the question I pose to myself....does any what I am doing even count because it is being done silently. By this I mean that I do belong to a network, albiet online, that I actively participate in, however I remain silent about it on an interpersonal level. Is wearing a t-shirt with a message, symbolic jewelry or even sending campaign emails enough? At one time I had no problem marching in parades and going to meetings. Granted it seemed much more acceptable in San Diego than where I live now in South Jersey...but is this an excuse...or have I become too soft? I don't have an answer to this question...its one I have been mulling over for some time. Any comments would be welcome..Heck if you are in Southern Jersey...tell me where the meeting are!