Well, I guess this is just the new controversial talk of time; it’s always going to be something. But for me it’s a fairly difficult debate because I feel like both sides make valid points. Those who celebrate in the “victory” over Bin Ladin say that justice has been served and this is what was best for our country and the world as a whole. But those who look at this action with disgust make the argument that we have no right to decide the fate of this man who we may deem evil. Both arguments, in many circumstances, are backed up by Scripture. So how am I supposed to decide which one is right when both make sense to me?
The people who say that killing Bin Ladin was wrong speak mostly from an ethical standpoint. Murder is wrong. No matter the circumstances. This could be argued by both a Christian and non-Christian. According to Immanuel Kant, this is just an imperative-a universal law of morality-that most people abide by whether they have religious affiliation or not. So, generally speaking, killing a man is wrong, even if it is for justice. As a Christian, I am able to take this a step further. Jesus, while in human form, was entirely God and therefore flawless in every way. He was known as the Prince of Peace, and as far as I can tell, He promoted peace in every circumstance. He tells us “not to resist the one who is evil” and to “turn the other cheek” (Mt. 5:39). He also taught that we must forgive “not seven times, but seventy times seven” (Mt. 18:22). I feel like if Jesus was here today he would not have approved of this killing, or any others for that matter.
However, others would argue “an eye for an eye”, which is also found in the Bible (Ex. 21:24). They would say that, because Bin Ladin was the cause of the death of many innocent lives, he must be put to death. Justice must be brought upon this man. But when it gets down to it, this justice seems more like revenge. Because the man was hiding in a cave in some remote area, I highly doubt that he would be a threat to anyone else at this point. Also, the guy is getting pretty old, so I feel like he would have fallen over dead within a couple of years anyway, especially in his living conditions. But of course, because the United States has to feel like they’re at the top of the world (even though we’re very far from it), not even Obama (who claimed we’d be out of war by 2009) could pass up the opportunity of doing the rest of the world the “justice” of killing such an evil guy. So, yeah, maybe ideally killing Bin Ladin is what could be considered the best option, but in reality was it really necessary?
As you can probably tell from the way I’ve written this, if I had to choose a side I think I’d lean more towards the not killing him viewpoint. But I feel like a lot of that comes from my lack of patriotism. To be honest, I don’t really like America that much and there is actually a pretty big part of me that wants to move away and live in some African tribe across the world where I may actually be useful and I may learn to appreciate what I have. Then I can look back at America and laugh at all of people who work their butts off to make it to the top when maybe the top just isn’t the best place for anyone to be. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the freedom that I have been granted here that costs the lives of many. The problem lies in the fact that most people don’t appreciate that so they’re always looking for something more. To be honest, all of the nationalistic status updates and such regarding this event were just really obnoxious to me. All of the sudden, all of America was getting out their American flags, singing Toby Keith songs, and ready to go to war just so they could bleed red, white, and blue. Annoying. Anyway, this is just a side rant that I’ll probably just have to dedicate another blog post to one day.
But I guess the reason I felt the need to talk about this issue is because I think it represents a lot of my current personal struggles. Like I said, I feel like both arguments can Scripturally supported, yet they are two different extremes. The more I read the Bible the more I become confused about the character of God. The Old Testament is filled with war and malice, while the New Testament overflows with peace and love. I know that there are some things in the Old Testament that do not necessarily apply to life today, but how am I to know what to abide by and what to consider the “old law?” The OT is where the Ten Commandments are found and I don’t know a single Christian who doesn’t strive to abide by that, but it also teaches crazy rituals that we say are no longer required of us. Where do I draw the line? How do I read the Bible in it’s entirety without constantly finding things that seem contradictory? What is the correct way to interpret the Bible?
These are questions that bother me daily. Whatever your viewpoint, I would absolutely love to hear your feedback on any of this. I’ve been contemplating these thoughts in my head for quite a while, and now I’d like to hear the viewpoint of others. Seriously. Comment or talk to me, please.
Something Like That 