I’ve been thinking a lot about this whole Osama bin Laden thing lately… I’ve been thinking about all the Facebook status updates and Twitter updates that I saw of people rejoicing and thanking God for his death. I will be honest that it makes me shudder and it makes me mourn for humanity when I see people praising and thanking God that a human being is dead. Yes, I know that bin Laden did a lot of horrible things and that he was a horrible and sick person, but that does NOT mean that he had to die in the hands of a so-called “Christian” nation. Let me make myself clear in that as a Christian, I do not support the decision to kill Osama bin Laden and I think that he should still be alive today.
My opinion is not very popular, I realize this but I don’t think that the killing of another person for ANY reason is compatible with the teachings of Jesus Christ. Time and time again, we see Jesus teaching us to forgive no matter what and to love our enemies. Specifically in Matthew 5:39, Jesus says: “Do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” I know it’s not good to proof text, but I believe as Christians we are to follow and live by the teachings of Jesus Christ himself and Jesus was constantly preaching love and forgiveness and was constantly standing against violence.
I want to end this post by quoting the famous pacifist, Dorothy Day. The article/letter was written when the United States passed from undeclared war to declared war. It’s exactly how I feel about the killing of bin Laden and the killing of every other person in war. It is one of the main reasons why I am a Christian pacifist. To read the full text of her article, go here: http://bit.ly/mqcN46
“For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” How then are they to call upon Him in whom they have not believed? But how are they to believe Him whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear, if no one preaches? And how are men to preach unless they be sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace.”
Peace and blessings,
Jeremy
Always have the courage to stand strong in your convictions. It takes a lot of strength to go against the stream of popular believe and have an opposing view.