A Christian Response to bin Laden's Death

May 2, 2011 in Blog, Pop Culture with 13 Comments

Last night, the world learned that the US Military successfully executed Osama bin Laden at a compound in Pakistan. Immediately, the Social Media universe exploded in a flurry of celebratory, nationalistic self-congratulation. Within minutes, #Osama bin Laden was leading Twitter’s trends (narrowly beating out Hermione Granger). If you weren’t paying close attention, you’d think that those of us behind the keyboards were responsible for killing him single-handedly.

I found most disturbing the celebration coming from the Christian camp. Many of us were celebrating his death.

One of the more moderate Facebook comments I read a Facebook read, “Toast that our enemy is dead; sad though that anyone goes to hell.” Too many of us have been raising our glasses and cheering bin Laden's death. And when we're asked about it, we'll begrudgingly admit that we're sad in the abstract that a human being is now in Hell. But our tone and the tenor of our posts and comments make it clear that if anyone deserves to be in Hell, it’s bin Laden – apparently he’s been placed right next to Hitler.

That attitude makes me very uncomfortable. But how should we respond? What is the appropriate Christian response to bin Laden’s death?

Was bin Laden evil? Yes. Is the world better off without him plotting, scheming and killing? Yes. But is his death something to celebrate? I don’t think so.

Leaving discussions of the nature of God’s judgment and justice to another discussion, we can still ask what God thinks of all this. God sent a warning of impending judgment to Israel through the prophet Ezekiel, asking Israel to repent before they were destroyed. God says,
As I live, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked. I have pleasure when the wicked turn from their ways and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why should you die? (33:11)
Bin Laden was a person God created in God’s image. And yes, he was fallen (as we all are). His place in history made it easier for him to hate. His position, family and wealth enabled him to influence a large number of people to share that hate, and to act on it.

But bin Laden’s story is different from ours in degree, not in kind.

This is what Jesus explains to us in the Sermon on the Mount:
576You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (5:43-48)
We are called to be like God. And God does not enjoy the deaths of the wicked. God wants every person on the planet to repent, to quit living lives characterized by hate and fear. Lives that wound and kill. God wants that for you and God wanted that for bin Laden.

Heaven mourns the death of an unrepentant person. If we are subjects of that greatest of kingdoms, if we are citizens of that nation above all nations, then we too, ought not celebrate.

We can feel relief. We can feel gratitude. And we can argue about whether or not justice has been done. What we cannot do is celebrate that any person – no matter how evil – is dead. We must mourn that he did not repent, did not come to know the love of a God who gave up his very life to win him back from his sin.

What do you think? How are you feeling right now? What is a proper Christian response to bin Laden’s life and death?

Further resources: My best friend Tom posted this quote from N. T. Wright on his blog last month – it’s an especially poignant reminder of what’s at stake in this discussion.

Here’s a song called “The Sky is Falling” by Thrice. It’s a reflection on our reaction to 9/11 and the negative consequences borne out of it.  
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  • http://profiles.google.com/kempisosha Kenneth O'Shaughnessy

    I agree - I raised some eyebrows this morning by posting "May God have mercy on his soul". There are an unfortunate number of "Christians" who don't want Christ's redemption to be able to be applied to someone that was like what they suppose bin Laden to have been.

  • http://profiles.google.com/1beckyb Becky Brown

    JR-agree that death of the enemy isn't necessarily a reason to throw a party. (Actually I have been wondering what the backlash will be) My family has also been affected by another human who murdered my brother. However, at the sentencing when the judge said "life without parole" there was no cheering. My mom said quietly "two lives wasted". She was able to see there was no victory here. Evil had seemingly won over good as both had lost their lives. Today as I have been reading the different reactions both on social media and the news, I have been reminded that even when we think we have "won" we have lost. We were made for Eden and we live east of Eden. So even though OBL is no longer alive, his influence remains and so very many have lost their lives.
    The victory we can celebrate is that Christ lives in us because he defeated death-as we live out the life he has called us to live-we can influence others for the cause that brings life.

  • http://www.jrforasteros.com JR. Forasteros

    Becky - I love it when you comment on my posts. Thank you for this. I think your words are spot on.

  • http://www.jrforasteros.com JR. Forasteros

    Kenneth,

    I'm also saddened by the assumption a lot of us make that God is on our side and therefore couldn't even want to show love or mercy or grace to someone like bin Laden. Then I remember all my less-charitable moments and I am shamed. I need that mercy too.

  • Adam Horton

    The whole city celebrates when the godly succeed; they shout for joy when the wicked die. Proverbs 11:10

    I agree with you but am wondering your reaction to this proverb?

  • Haydn Campmier

    Well here are my thoughts:
    One being, I think we all have a little evil inside of all of us. And to say he deserves death over myself or anyone else would be completely judgmental and ignorant to think. And as I walked through the halls at school today I could almost see this sense of relief and happiness in everyone. Yet I was torn. It was just a bad day knowing that there was rejoice in the air for a death. And as one person put it in a Facebook comment "It's amazing we have the retaliation of a second grader." Which makes sense. Are we still like "2nd grade christians?" Stuck in this surface level understanding of the bible and of a God that wants love for all if they accept it. I was on the other hand THRILLED to have my three best friends mourn about this death with me.
    Secondly, I'm not convinced he's "arriving in hell right about now" (as the ever so bland, "comedian", David Letterman put it). I don't know he went to hell. I don't really think I (or any one) have the right to make that call. But I do think a God so loving and amazing after OBL died will give him another chance to see the loving grace of God.

  • http://www.jrforasteros.com JR. Forasteros

    I've seen this one getting thrown all over the place the last couple of days; I suppose it goes to show you can find a Bible verse to support every position you want to hold (and yes, that includes the verses I cited, too).

    The problem with using Proverbs is that they're not meant to be abstracted. They're concrete, everyday principles. Case in point: Proverbs 11. If you read the larger passage, it's clear that Solomon is addressing wealthy persons who take advantage of the poor (11:1-5 make that clear). He then moves on to talking in more general terms about how righteousness (in this case, just dealings with the poor) leads a city to prosper, while wickedness (in this case, dishonest business practices) will eventually destroy a city.

    And in the middle of that whole discussion is this verse. It says that when a righteous person succeeds, everyone is excited for them. True! And then it says when the wicked die, everyone rejoices. Also true. If you need proof, look around.

    But the question we ought to be asking of this verse is "Is this verse meant to reflect the heart of God?" As far as I can see, the answer is no. This whole section is meant to be a teaching tool. It's meant to remind merchants and businesspersons to be just and fair in their dealings, and it's doing that by appealing to their sense of community and justice. It's saying, "Don't you want to be a part of something that's bigger than your own personal wealth? Do you really want to be a person that people are GLAD is dead?"

    That's a long way, in my opinion, from a text that justifies throwing parties to celebrate bin Laden's death.

    What do you think?

  • http://www.jrforasteros.com JR. Forasteros

    I think you're right on, Nicole - just because God doesn't delight in the deaths of the wicked doesn't mean that he spares the wicked from the consequences of their wickedness. I love the Stavesacre lyric that says, "God showers blessings on the righteous and the wicked. I only know that that covers me."

    Thank you for your words.

  • http://www.jrforasteros.com JR. Forasteros

    A new friend of mine marveled that so many people would rejoice over a person's death; I couldn't help but agree with her. I remember when Saddam Hussein was executed; I had a friend at the International House of Prayer rally in Kansas City. She said they interrupted the rally to announce the execution and the whole arena exploded in cheers and celebration. I was sick to my stomach.

    Not because a tyrant had died, but because we were so HAPPY about it. Thanks for your thoughts, my brother.

  • mFrye

    jr - great thoughts man. i liked what you said at the beginning, "Leaving discussions of the nature of God’s judgment and justice to another discussion, we can still ask what God thinks of all this."
    the thing everyone wants to talk about is "was this real justice" and the conversation we should be having is "is death ever something to be celebrated".
    i think what people want to celebrate is the end of terrorism. the end of war. and this was one (major or minor, only time will tell) step into that direction (or at least we hope).
    also i find it interesting that this is a discussion of the severity of sin. is killing a lot of people bad? yes. is gossiping about a co-worker bad? yes. is sin, sin? yes. aren't we all in desperate need of the grace of god daily? yes. i don't know if this point is valid or not, but i think it is. now i know it's much deeper than this. and my point is very elementary, but does raise a good question; why do we cry for "an eye for an eye" when jesus told us that that was the old way of doing things?
    anyway, good thoughts man. i'm almost embarrassed by the way we have conducted ourselves these past two days. let's hope for peace, reconciliation and grace.

  • http://www.jrforasteros.com JR. Forasteros

    I think you're spot on, Matt. We are pretty convinced that we're righteous and bin Laden is wicked. I think Jesus wants us to remember that we're all on the same level - as hard as that is for us to stomach. Thank you for your words.

  • Anonymous

    I can't say anything here that hasn't been said before regarding our response. But I've been reflecting on how we ought to respond to other Christians who rejoiced (or are still rejoicing) in his death. Elisa posted on Facebook that she was sick of looking at pictures of Americans (mostly drunk), cheering in front of the White House, and it started a bit of a tiff between my sister and my cousin (my sister being more celebratory). I wanted to swoop in and "prove" that my side was the "right" side of the argument. But then I realized the irony of my response: I would have been attacking someone for not being loving enough. I'm wondering, how can we guide sisters and brothers toward this path in a loving way, without presumption or judgment? I'm still not sure.

  • http://www.jrforasteros.com JR. Forasteros

    I have been struggling with this same thing - I have been having the same reactions you have. I wonder how I can be so much more cruel to brothers and sisters than I am to a mass murderer. Surely if I can forgive him and ask for others to extend him love and grace, I ought to be able to do so with those who disagree with me?

    I think we have to model this over and over - this post was a big step for me. Acknowledging what people are feeling, validating that, rather than just trying to be right. And returning over and over to Jesus' words and example. At least that's a place to start, hopefully.

    How did you respond on the thread?