What would you die for?

What meaning, if any, does martyrdom hold or U.S. Catholics on the rink of a new millennium? Is it, as some would argue, a hopelessly idealistic or old-fashioned expectation for someone to give up his or her very life for a greater good?

Not if you talk to U.S. CATHOLIC readers. Depending on how you define martyrdom--and readers offer at least a couple of different interpretations--it's not at all unusual to think about sacrificing yourself for something or someone else.

But please note, what we're talking about here is honest-to-goodness martyrdom. A true giving of one's life--be that through someone's death, someone's life, or both. To quote Rebecca Eden Crawford of Yardley, Pennsylvania, the martyrdom we're talking about here is not the product of "late 20th-century psycho-babble," which "has bastardized the true meaning of martyrdom. Martyr, in recovery language, is just a dirty word for enabler."

Q: Do you think people today are less willing to die for a belief or cause? And if so, why?

Here is where generational differences among readers are striking. Even though the Vietnam War gets mentioned in reader comments only once--and quite obliquely, at that--it nevertheless seems to cast its long shadow over the attitudes people have about giving one's life for a cause.

In fact it's in contrast to World War II that the real significance of Vietnam gets played out. Especially among older readers. You almost can't count the number of times people aged 56 and over mention "the sacrifice" of World War II.

We are, of course, talking about the classic Baby Boom versus World War II-generation split that's been getting so much analysis ever since Bill Clinton and Al Gore rock-and-rolled their way up Capitol Hill.

Here's but a snapshot, courtesy of two U.S. CATHOLIC readers:

"Since World War II our society and the people in it have become much more self-centered," says Mike Wright Arvada, Colorado. "Our commitment to beliefs has diminished."

To which Sister Maria Teresa Darcy of Mount St. Joseph, Ohio replies: "People don't see a value in" dying for a cause. "Take the Vietnam War, for example: people could see no future in that war."

It isn't that Boomer types flat out don't want to die for anything, it's that they're a lot more discerning. Theirs is an emphasis on people ahead of principles, on core beliefs instead of automatic allegiance to institutions. And so, one hears a Colorado woman express her hesitancy thus: "I'm not sure I would [die for a belief]. Possibly to protect innocent people from oppression and death. But certainly not for the Catholic Church."

Similarly, a New Jersey reader expresses his attraction to the "selflessness of Father Maximillian Kolbe. I think it's the idea of the one-on-one decision, knowing specifically who it is you're trading your life for."

It's probably no accident that these voices bear an uncanny resemblance to those of the "pick-and-choose" Catholic crowd. Maybe it's because, with 20/20 hindsight, Vietnam wouldn't have been something most people--at least most people their age--would have chosen. Nor would they have done it out of sheer loyalty, like the World War II generation would have.

Speaking of loyalty and institutions, it's also interesting to note that several readers from groups older than the Baby Boomer group mention that one sacrifice they've made in their lives has been to stick with a marriage rather than divorce. Far fewer of these claims appeared among those aged 46 to 55.

The numbers show this generation gap in yet another way. Readers aged 56 to 65 answer this question by painting the following picture: life in these United States is, and I quote: "self centered," "without allegiance to commitment or community," "greedy," "materialistic," "apathetic," "complacent," "unbelieving," "smug," "sinful," "uninvolved," "individualistic," "without honor," "without sacrifice," and "me first." So says 51 percent of readers from this age bracket.

Only 31 percent of their generation give more optimistic responses: people are just as willing to sacrifice their lives, for instance, or they can witness through other less drastic means. (The remaining 18 percent give reasons that sound more realistic--neither condemning nor congratulatory, but merely descriptive or "neutral." Martyrdom, as several are quick to point out, is simply a very hard row to hoe. Maybe "they are scared of the unknown--and who wouldn't be?", asks Jerry Selig of DesPlaines, Illinois.)

But look at how those same categories play out with the readers aged 46 to 55. About the same amount (17 percent) give neutral reasons for why anyone at any time would have to think twice about martyrdom: not only is it scary business, but people can't get riled if they're uninformed about the key issues involved--or if they're busy juggling two jobs, two hours of helping kids with homework, and two trips to the doctor's office.

On the optimism/pessimism continuum, however, the picture reflected by Baby Boomer readers is the reverse image of that held up by their older counterparts. A full 57 percent cite positive reasons for not jumping on the martyrdom bandwagon any time soon (compared to 31 percent above); 35 percent paint a more dire picture of self-centeredness and moral decay (compared to 51 percent above).

Just what constitutes "positive"? For one thing, a hesitancy about martyrdom not because people today are selfish or complacent, says James E. Biechler of Cambridge, Wisconsin. Rather: "People are more critical about the true nature of the cause. There's a difference between dying for freedom and dying for General Motors." Again: there's the discernment--dare one say outright skepticism or cynicism?--about the validity of any given cause.

Ironically, it may be the very freedoms the World War II generation fought for that helped multiply this pick-and-choose milieu of ours.

"The long history of freedom and tolerance in this country has created an `anything goes' mentality," writes Robert E. Gallagher of Buffalo, New York. "U.S. citizens have been asked to choose substantially in the last 50 years." He apparently speaks for many readers, for the most-cited "neutral" or "realistic" reason readers had for a disinterest in modern-day martyrdom was the recognition of moral relativism--no single, clear-cut set of values to uphold.

Q; Have you ever in your life--when you were a child, for example, first learning about the lives of the saints--imagined being martyred for a cause? If so, what did you envision?

Some interesting generational differences present themselves here, too. About 40 percent of Catholics aged 66 and up say that they did imagine martyrdom as small children. But the number jumps up to nearly 70 percent among those readers aged 46 to 65--almost the exact number for early Baby Boomers as for the tail end of the World War II generation.

Two sets of numbers provide something of a clue. Among descriptions given of their childhood imaginings, two scenarios appear in this age bracket that are statistically insignificant elsewhere: (a) mentions of Maria Goretti's great sacrifice for chastity and (b) martyrdom at the hands of invading communists.

The communist threat is hardly surprising, given the emergence of the Cold War.

"As a child, `atheistic communism' was always presented as the major threat to religious people, e.g. prayers after Mass imploring that `The Savior of the World save Russia'!" recalls Father Gary J. Bagley of Buffalo, New York.

"As a young adolescent considering a religious vocation, I felt that opting for this life would be very risky if communists gained control of my country. If anything, I think, this consideration made the choice of religious life more--not less--appealing," adds Sister Rita Hammond of Burlington, Vermont.

Donald C. Parks of Surfside Beach, South Carolina, imagined himself "a soldier dying defending our country. (I was a child in World War II.) It was a heroic death in the defense of our freedoms--speech, religion, etc.--from the extremes of right and left."

It's interesting to note the high number of ordained and religious who responded to this survey. Perhaps it's because, as many say in their feedback, their commitment to vowed religious life was very much undertaken as a sacrificial act.

It's also interesting--albeit somewhat understandable--that men imagined some sort of militaristic martyrdom as opposed to the more traditional martyrdom fare of getting fed to lions and burned at the stake. No doubt it was the reality of seeing men go off to war and thinking through their would-be role in the perceived communist threat. Well--that, and a lot of Saturday-movie matinees: "I used to think about facing a firing squad for the faith--probably a result of reading Butler's Lives of the Saints and sitting through adventure movies," admits Richard Coller of Kapaa, Hawaii.

And what about Maria Goretti? Why does she make a special appearance among this age-group--and mentioned by both men and women, alike? For whatever reasons, it seems as though the teachers of that generation thought the kids needed some sobering news about promiscuity.

"Often I would think about chastity and Maria Goretti, and how in defense of that virtue I would die," writes Barbara Edwards of Miami, Florida.

And then there's Sister Beverly Anne LoGrasso of Pepper Pike, Ohio, whose early ideas of martyrdom kept pace with the times: "As a child, Maria Goretti. As a teen, dying in a communist invasion during the Bay of Pigs incident. As an adult, dying of radiation from a nuclear explosion."

Q; Which martyr--officially recognized or not, religious or political, modem or ancient--inspires or intrigues you the most?

The top five responses of U.S. CATHOLIC readers are shown in the box at the right. They are but the tip of an iceberg of inspiration, among a whopping 45 different examples mentioned by readers.

Narrowly missing this list of the most popular responses is a cloud of witnesses made up of Gandhi, the four U.S. churchwomen killed in El Salvador in 1980, Maria Goretti, Mother Teresa, Saint Peter, and Saint Jude--interesting for its mishmash of ancient and modern, traditional and social justice, Christian and non-Christian strains.

What makes a martyr memorable?

Father Clyde Foster of Solon, Ohio--whose personal list is topped by Archbishop Romero, John de Brebeuf, Dorothy Kazel, and Jean Donovan--says, "All chose to stay with their people through their suffering; they could not abandon them, even at the cost of their lives."

Arlington, Virginia reader Mary Heline Mele, also makes mention of the four slain churchwomen. "Dorothy Kazel, Jean Donovan, Ita Ford, and Maura Clark gave all when called, allowing themselves to be unsafe for the sake of loving service. I'm inspired because this example of love is close: not on a pedestal, but a challenge to me here and now."

Other reader responses:

A recent martyr who continues to inspire me is Oscar Romero. When he was challenged to be a real Christian--rather than one in name and position in the church--he overcame his terror and chose gospel values.

Alice Ann Boehm Pittsburgh, Pa.

Father Luis Olivers, C.M.F. who worked tirelessly for immigrants. He died from AIDS when he received a blood transfusion in El Salvador while working to defend these people's rights. He got himself into trouble with government officials as well as church officials for standing his ground.

Celia Gonzalez Los Angeles, Calif.

Martin Luther King, Jr. I felt his death as though it were my brother's or father's.

Giovonnae Anderson Santa Rosa, Calif.

Peter. Because he was such a "bumbling" person and still had so much faith in Christ that he never gave in--even to the very last.

Claire Lorenz Lake San Marcos, Calif.

Saint Maria Goretti. I teach 13-year-olds, and her strength and faith and conviction help me to see my students in a different light. In some ways, they are very young; in others, they are very mature--with a depth I sometimes miss.

Sister Mary Kay Moran, S.S.C.M. Silver Spring, Md.

Saint Maximillian Kolbe, because he is contemporary. He died for a belief that I cherish.

Martha Tressler Park Forest, Ill.

Saint Stephen's situation intrigues me most because Paul held the cloaks of the killers. Good and evil seemed mixed even back then.

Joann Shepard Indianola, Iowa

Saint Thomas More has always attracted me because of his integrity and fidelity to his own conscience, and because he did it with wit and class and a sense of humor.

Sister Rita Angerman, C.S.J. Northridge, Calif.

The Elizabethan martyrs. They were so young for the most part, and faced a terrible death with incredible grace and courage.

Father Bill Burke Hometown, Ill.

The women in England who fasted to gain the right to vote, some of whom died as a result. They were a real revelation to me.

Marie Griffo Rutherford, N.J.

Q: Aside from the natural instinct to protect your family or friends, what's one belief or cause you would be willing to die for?

I don't know who originated that simple slogan "God and country," but one thing I do know: it could certainly be an accurate label for reader response on this question. The martyrdom for God is rather obvious--it's how the whole thing got started, after all--but the quasi-political manifestations of martyrdom revealed by readers are quite fascinating.

It's precisely here, for example, that much of the devotion to the sacrificial ideals of World War II gets mentioned. And it gets mentioned not only by men and boys of that era--soldiers and potential soldiers of fate--but by nuns that you'd half expect more flowery god-talk from.

"The continued freedom of my children and grandchildren" is something Robert E. Gallagher of Buffalo, New York said he'd die for. "The freedom we have in the U.S.A. was guaranteed for me by the sacrifice of others. I feel compelled to maintain it for future generations."

"For my country and the freedoms we have to choose," agrees Sister Marian Bauer of Marathon, Wisconsin.

It's also here that you hear the sacrifice of martyrdom explained not as colorful Bible stories, but as anecdotes fight out of war movies and history books.

"We are all aware of the soldier who uses his body to blanket a hand grenade to protect or save his fellow soldiers, causing him grave injury or death," says Charles E. Callan of Nyak, New York.

Even a priest responding to the survey puts his best spin on the nature of martyrdom by quoting what Admiral Nimitz said after the battle of Midway: "There are no great men. There are only great challenges, which ordinary men, because of circumstances, are forced to meet."

To be quite fair, the link between God and country isn't quite as remote as it first appears. As readers are quick to point out here--as they were in mentioning the perceived communist threat as kids--what's important in the support of country is our nation's guarantee of religious freedom.

"I would be willing to die for the right to live in a free country, where I can believe as [ wish," explains Carol Aylwart of South Glastonbury, Connecticut.

Other responses:

Confronting the evil of those who commit evil while pretending it is good--the very thing that killed the nonviolent Christ.

Father Charles Cicerale Raritan, N.J.

I would hope to profess my religious beliefs and to be willing to defend the U.S.A.

Paul J. Burt Lansing, Mich.

I'd rather go guerrilla.

Name withheld Edmund, Okla.

Racial inequality. Since childhood, I've never understood why the color of someone's skin can arouse such hatred in some people.

Joyce W. Hilburn Bainbridge, Ga.

The belief that human life is sacred, particularly when it comes to those who are most vulnerable: the poor, the marginalized, those who cannot defend themselves.

James C. Gorman Boston, Mass.

Q: The greatest sacrifice I have made--or witnessed--for a higher good was when:

The very definition of martyrdom gets stretched here by readers, to include everything from the most simple to the most sacrificial. And so, the readers rightly get in the last word on this subject:

Any of us who set aside our wishes and use our time and energy instead to feed the poor, care for the sick, or teach the ignorant would qualify.

Alice Ann Boehm Pittsburgh, Pa.

I chose a career and lifestyle to allow time with my family rather than going for a higher-paying job.

Dennis Cherry Fairfax, Va.

I gave birth to five beautiful children--all blessings from God--and took my father home to live with us the last eight years of his life.

Jean Reilly North Kingstown, R.I.

The adoption of abused children.

Paul Anderson Kettering, Ohio

I served in Korea and saw many friends die--only to come home to a country that didn't care!

Deacon Jack Fenton Reading, Mass.

Leaving my family to pursue religious life.

Sister Julienne Schmitz La Crosse, Wis.

My brother, age 21, gave his life trying to stop a maniacal suicide of someone who was wanting to take innocent lives along with his own.

Father Robert D. Blanpied Ogden, Utah

My father was laid off from work one year before retirement. He had an advanced case of Parkinson's Disease and had been taking much prescribed medicine. He made the decision to stop taking any medication so that his family would have more money for necessities.

Sister Rita Hammond Burlington, Vt.

My son was a Papal Volunteer in Chile from 1965 to 1968, and I visited him there. I saw poverty that I had not seen before and witnessed the work of missionaries, especially the Maryknollers.

Teresa Givens Stuart, Neb.

Police officers losing their lives in the line of duty.

Robert Martin St. Louis, Mo.

Possibly my parents' sacrifices for my education. I am a retired teacher.

Margaret Matthieu Port Angeles, Wash.

Two people I worked with lost their jobs for standing up to the person in charge.

Celia Gonzalez Los Angeles, Calif.

When my mother refused an autopsy on our baby, in fear it was the nurse's fault he died. (I believe now it was S.I.D.S., but no one knew about S.I.D.S. then.)

M. Brings South Milwaukee, Wis.

RELATED ARTICLE: FAVORITE MARTYRS

16% El Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero. Gunned down by assassins while celebrating Mass in a hospital chapel in 1980. (Shown above.)

13% Saint Maximillian Kolbe. A Franciscan priest, died in the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1941, taking the place of another prisoner.

7% Martin Luther King, Jr. Modern-day civil rights leader, assassinated in 1968.

6%

Saint Thomas More. Statesman under England's King Henry VIII, he opposed the king's divorce and refused to renounce papal authority, causing him to be beheaded in 1535.

4% Guatemalan Bishop Juan

Gerardi Conedera (April 1998) Saint Joan of Arc Jesuit North American martyrs

Father Isaac Jogues, Rene

Goupil, John de Brebeuf, et al.

(1642-1649) Saint Stephen

Compiled by Mary Lynn Hendrickson, contributing editor.