NO! and yes.
It's not good to rejoice in anyone's death. Or to hope anyone goes to hell.
But there's another aspect to it: is the world better off without certain people? Probably, and for that, we are permitted to be grateful, anyway. The world breathed a sigh of relief when Nero died, or Caligula, or Stalin, or Hitler, and uttered prayers of thanks for the deliverance.
At least in this case, though, I think we ought to restrain that joy, because it isn't as though there weren't a thousand young, intelligent, capable, fanatic Muslim men ready to step into bin Laden's place. Killing him was like killing one ant.
And if you tell me yes, but not just any ant but the QUEEN ANT, well, she has already laid thousands of eggs, any of which can hatch into a new queen.
Our Next Secretary of Defense
2 days ago
6 comments:
David praised God when he had victory over his enemies and so do I.
Let me not be put to shame, LORD,
for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
and be silent in the realm of the dead.
Let their lying lips be silenced,
... for with pride and contempt
they speak arrogantly against the righteous.
Psalm 31 - David
I think we can be thankful that Osama will sin no more. I am not joyful, but relieved. I think the record is that he killed far more Muslims (his side? I'm not so sure.) than he ever killed of us "secularist, heathen satan worshippers".
Amy's point is spot on in that when read of David's dancing before the Lord in victory, (we)I tend to be somewhat puzzled how this could be a thing of virtue... and yet we are told it pleased God. I wonder that the whole of these things is so much more complex than we give it and like so many things it is "not either or, but both plus".
My comment on another blog:
I have no problem with "capital punishment" and the taking of the life of someone who is clearly an evildoer. That does not mean I have to be happy that the person did enough evil to necessitate his removal from among the human race. The sword of civil authority has been wielded. Perhaps we should thank God that the civil order fulfilled its God given purpose instead of bowing to the Baal of western atheistic humanism's political correctness for once.
It is a fallen world and fallen things have to happen to keep SOME fashion of order within it. The mark of a Christian is not opposing capital punishment, it is being able to pray for the souls of those who need killing IMO.
I do oppose capital punishment. There are other ways to protect society.
In most cases.
Probably not in this one.
No sue being absolutist about anything but love itself.
Yeah, the lines get blurred between "war" and "capital punishment". I've gone back and forth on CP and in the last few years have come to support it, not on the basis of the pragmatics of imperfect justice, the economics of incarceration etc. but theologically. I agree the only absolute is love and the only absolute love is God's for all of us fallen human beings, even the ones trying to figure out how to manifest His love for people relatively more evil than ourselves.
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