The Politics of Religion?

Yesterday I watched a video (one of those viral ones that goes everywhere on the internet) that was an eye opener to extreme religious thinking on the current state of affairs. The Bible was quoted throughout the whole thing and there was a strong flavor of gloom and doom.  I know the world is not ideal and the Word of God says it will wax worse and worse, but God is still God. It was an interesting example of the politics of religion (a new science appearing in the latter half of the 20th century). The presenter was very bold, somewhat sordid and shocking and often backed up her claims with examples of actions of people who had been martyred maliciously throughout history for standing up for their beliefs. Men's actions, however noble, do not make the Word truer. God would never be happy with that kind of martyrdom. 

In Acts 1:6-8 Jesus Christ responded to his disciples posed a question about the politics of that day:

When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses (Link - martus) unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 

God had other plans in mind for man. God gave men power. It wasn't political power that they got. They became powerful witnesses for Jesus Christ. The word 'witness' in Greek is 'martus' from which we get the word 'martyr'.  

A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament

 By E. W. Bullinger

True martyrdom according to Acts 1:8 means to be a bearer of  God's authorized way, truth and life: Jesus Christ. It is not the gloom and doom of fear.