The big question on the Christian blogosphere has been whether it was appropriate for Americans—Christian Americans, specifically—to celebrate Osama bin Laden’s death.
In one sense it’s moot. The celebrations two nights ago were spontaneous and immediate outpourings of deeply held feelings. Feelings can’t be right or wrong. Thoughts and beliefs can be. Our beliefs and our feelings are tightly connected, in that what we believe ultimately determines what we feel. What motivated those spontaneous parties two nights ago, but the belief that an evil man who had hurt us very badly had just been taken down?
Then what should we think and believe? What can we know to be true about this man, and about his death? He was an evil man who hurt us badly, and he was taken down. I have no argument with that. There’s more truth to it than that, though.
• We know that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but desires for them to turn back toward him in repentance (Ezekiel 18:23; 33:11). Had Osama done that, God would have welcomed even him into the company of the faithful. There is no reason to think that he did.
• We know that God calls us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48) and to pray for them.
• We know that sin carries with it a just penalty of death (Romans 6:23). Jesus Christ paid that penalty on behalf of those who accept his payment. There is no reason to think Osama accepted that offer, so his penalty remained his own to pay.
• We know that God gives civil authorities the right to execute justice (Romans 13:1-7), which (in my view and many others’) includes capital punishment for capital crimes; and we know that Osama was guilty of murdering thousands. The international community has stood behind America’s decision to carry out justice on Pakistan’s soil. For those who are in disagreement or doubt concerning capital punishment, this action also stands legitimately as an instance of just war theory being applied. Either way we can be confident that what America’s President ordered and what the troops accomplished, was acceptable in God’s eyes.
What feelings might this knowledge lead to? We often speak of justice being satisfied, which suggests an appropriate Christian response: satisfaction, mixed with regret. I regret deeply the end to which Osama bin Laden has come. For his sake I regret his choices, I grieve over what it made this fellow human being to become, and I am saddened to think of his likely current state, as one who committed grievous evils and rejected the forgiveness offered by Jesus Christ.
Yet justice was satisfied in his case, and in that I find satisfaction. It is not good that the guilty continue in their ways, but it is good that God is just and deals justly with them. That includes situations like this one, when men act as his instruments to carry out that justice. Osama’s death, though grievous, was good.
The feeling of satisfaction is good and positive; it’s something to be encouraged and supported, when it’s appropriate. Did something feel good to you about Osama’s death? Why shouldn’t it have? There really was something good about it.
But satisfaction is a quiet thing: usually we don’t throw big parties over it. Especially when it’s mixed with regret.
Also at Thinking Christian
May 3rd, 2011 | 9:32 pm | #1
“I regret deeply the end to which Osama bin Laden has come.”
I have regrets, but this ain’t one of ‘em.
May 3rd, 2011 | 10:08 pm | #2
Is that a biblical position you’re taking there, TUAD? Note the context in which I wrote it, by the way.
May 4th, 2011 | 1:09 am | #3
Is it a biblical position that any Christian who does not “regret deeply the end to which Osama bin Laden has come” as Tom Gilson does is sinning because Tom Gilson says so?
May 4th, 2011 | 6:10 am | #4
TUAD,
Hmmm. A bit snarky. I’ll answer your question in a moment, but first, a kind of reminder of what’s going on as I see it.
I set forth a biblical case for my position. You said you had come to a different position, and you expressed it as if you were content that it was a good one. You did it without any biblical or other explanation or justification. So I asked if you had one. Based on your prior contributions here, being biblical appears to be one of your values, so it seemed fair to ask whether you have some Scripture-based reason for the position you took—especially since your position was opposed to one that had been supported with Scripture.
I also asked you to consider the context. I’ll ask you the same thing again, because the context shows just what it is that I regret about the end to which bin Laden has come, and also what I do not regret about it.
Is it a biblical position that any Christian who disagrees with that snippet of what I wrote is sinning? No. I did not represent it as such. I’ve answered your question now. I call on you to answer mine, rather than deflecting it as you have done.
May 4th, 2011 | 9:57 am | #5
My biblical position is that this is a matter of Christian liberty.
If a Christian wants to “regret deeply the end to which Osama bin Laden has come” like you do, that’s for him or her.
If a Christian does not “regret deeply the end to which Osama bin Laden has come” (unlike you), that’s also for him or her.
May 4th, 2011 | 11:03 am | #6
TUAD,
I’m going to note that in spite of my caution to you in two prior comments, you still haven’t put this “regret” into proper context. I want that to be clear for the sake of other readers who might otherwise think you were accurately representing what I had written; just as I want it to be clear that you were representing me inaccurately with what you wrote in comment #3.
I’m left wondering the biblical grounds for your position, which you still haven’t stated (your most recent answer doesn’t explain anything biblically), and which therefore I’m still not sure you have. But if you’re satisfied with an incomplete answer, I’ll just note it (regretfully) as such; I’m willing to leave it at that.
May 4th, 2011 | 11:15 am | #7
Well, if you don’t get it, you don’t get it.
And if I don’t get what you’re saying, then I’m sorry.
2 ships passing in the night.
C’est la vie.
May 4th, 2011 | 2:13 pm | #8
Not trying to be a peacemaker here, or jump in where I might not have biz’ness’ but can we define the meaning of ‘regret’?
May 4th, 2011 | 2:22 pm | #9
God is longsuffering. I praise Him for that. If not for His grace i am in Osama’s place, or even Obama’s place.
I was thinking how in this life there are those who reject Christ, and hate Him with a passion, like that comedian Griffith. And there are those who simply reject Jesus, and may even say He is a prophet. But they basically obey the laws of the land, and so do not have to be hunted down and brought to justice like Bin Laden was, or any other murderer.
Yet they will all end up in front of Christ, and He will say, “Depart from Me.” Even those who say “Lord, we did all sorts of things for You.”
Scary.
Good post BTW. Well said.
May 4th, 2011 | 3:58 pm | #10
Don Sands:
If not for His grace i am in Osama’s place, or even Obama’s place.
We know that Usama bin Laden is dead. What is it but for the grace of God about Obama’s place that you wish or do not wish to be in?
May 4th, 2011 | 4:25 pm | #11
His stance on abortion and infanticide. He is pro partial birth abortion as well.
May 4th, 2011 | 4:43 pm | #12
Yes, dear brother. Agreed!
May 5th, 2011 | 5:51 am | #13
donsands: certainly Obama’s abortion position is regretable. But Obama does not support infanticide.
Is there a moral distinction, between abortion, and infanticide? Not in my judgment.
So, Obama’s abortion position, may entail him, logically, to accept infanticide, he in fact does not accept it.
May 5th, 2011 | 9:06 am | #14
“But Obama does not support infanticide.”-Bret
He surely does.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPZCXcTwZPY
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