greenlikethecolour: typing (Default)
green (like the colour) ([personal profile] greenlikethecolour) wrote2011-05-04 10:17 am

Osama Bin Laden

The boys had their housewarming last weekend, which was fun. We are having ours this weekend, which I hope will also be fun. Also, Osama Bin Laden's been killed... I've been thinking about that. I'm not American, so obviously I don't have as many raw emotions regarding this man or what he did as some would. I do know that he served evil. It has reminded me of something I've often thought about as a Christian.

I've never really been able to make up my mind whether I'm a passifist or not. I certainly have a lot of sympathies with passifists... and I think I was a lot more of a passifist when I was younger. And... I think that's appropriate. Perhaps all children should be passifists.

But the older I get, the more I understand the role of the protector and the need for justice in the world. However, I think the human heart is too prone to violent tendencies that we do have to be very careful.

As a Christian, what do I think of Osama Bin Laden's death? I think that perhaps he had to die, but I think our motives need to be examined carefully as we respond to his death. I think he had to die. I think the Americans did the right thing by killing him, and considering my tendencies towards passifist ideals in the past, this thought actually surprises me a little.

I am not glad that he is dead, though. Don't get me wrong, I am not sorry that he is dead, but I am sorry that he made it necessary by his actions and his hate that he had to be killed. I am sorry for the circumstance of his soul that made him dying in this way necessary, that his complete disregard for life made the sacrifice of his life necessary.

I think it's important for Christians to have a sombre attitude towards his death. I think relief and a sense of closure are good feelings to have, nor do I think there is anything wrong with being hopeful for the possibility of peace because of this. But I think it's important to not let our minds and our hearts to be moved for violence, not to rejoice in the violence. The violence of his death may have been necessary, but that someone had to kill him is not something that should cause us joy.

I think that, now that he is dead, it is time for forgiveness.