Discussing
Osama bin Laden, Ezekiel and justice vs. vengeance

A new comment on the ThinkChristian Facebook page: "I was surprised and then felt primarily sad. Sad at the awful events he was responsible for, but also sad that it meant another loss of life. Just feels like the sum total is major brokenness all around. (Anne Larsen VanderWeele)

Bin Laden certainly had the rap sheet to justify the raid but I agree with Michael's posting of Ezekiel 18:23 and Sharon's remarks about Muslim children dancing in the street after 9/11. I think it's time to pray for safety for our troops and travellers. It's time to pray for God to turn stone hearts to flesh again.

I fail to see what it really accomplishes, to be honest. He was really a hands-off symbolic figure, and one that was becoming increasingly irrelevant as far as I could tell.

I was just looking at the civilian casualty figures for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and it's just not proportional in response. Almost 9,000 Afghani civilians dead (close to three times 9/11), over 850,000 Iraqi civilians... and people are saying that justice has been served?

I'm not trying to attack anyone here, just presenting my opinion as someone from outside the US (in New Zealand).

Matthew 5: 44-47

There must be a difference in vengeance and justice better than those available online (not counting scholarly articles available only by purchase, not read).

Perhaps it is proportional, or perhaps the word persecution but not prosecution helps, of concepts of family guilt 'unto the third generation,' or tribal guilt, in seeking justice. By that definition, the death of Bin L was appropriately just, and the deaths of family and friends necessarily incidental to BL's death. If his innocent relatives or his extended family had been hunted down and killed elsewhere or imprisoned, that would be vengeance by this concept.

It gets bogged down in WWII and Iraq, of course, unless one considers the concept of war mobilization of entire economies involving decentralized production, imposed by totalitarian government.

A better question is when could a war again be prosecuted against an e great proportion of population as just and not vengeful. Perhaps the answer is no longer, or when "city busters" comprise an initial attack by a national dictator. BLT (the terrorist) didn't even come close to that .

Osama was a real and immediate danger to the innocent populations of the world. He was intentional about targeting the innocent. He used his family construction empire billions to finance the most horrendous, destructive mass murders. He was actively engaged in planning and financing more mass murder, exploring germ warfare, nuclear dirty bombs and enabling suicide bombers. He was indiscriminate and killed many more muslims than westerners. He was not irrelevant, nor did he live in a cave in Afghanistan. He lived in a multi million dollar high security compound stuffed with computers serviced by daily couriers. This was not a mission of vengance or even justice, this was genocide prevention. That said, my first impulse when I heard he was killed was to say, “Lord, I hope in those last seconds he asked for grace.” I don’t relish seeing any human being, no matter how evil, perish in hell.
“When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.”
Proverbs 11:10.

The Ezekiel verse struck me when I read it Monday. As I thought it through it seemed impossible that bin Laden could have repented and turned, but then I remembered another terrorist long ago named Saul who God brought to repentance in spectacular fashion. What if bin Laden had repented? Imagine the effects. Doing so will shed more light on how the Christians must have felt about Saul's transformation into Paul. God confirmed my thinking along those lines when my Bible reading for yesterday happened to be from Gal. 1:1-24, where Paul talks about that transformation. I see why God prefers repentance over the death of the wicked. It reminds me to be praying for my enemies.

That being said, our God is a God of justice. We may rejoice in justice. We may rejoice that at least one person bent on evil has been stopped and celebrate that victory.

Another verse quoted often has been Proverbs 24:17 "Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice." I think there is an important difference between gloating over the demise of our enemy and celebrating a victory over evil. I will celebrate those who were victorious in stopping a man bent on evil, but I not gloat.

All I know is, I am a sinner in need of salvation. All have sinned, and, according to Jesus of Nazareth, nurturing anger and a smug, self-righteous attitude puts one in danger of the fire of hell (Matt. 5:22).

Some other words the carpenter is alleged to have said, ‎"Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, 'Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because the...y suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.' ” -Luke 13:1-5

I'm also reminded of the fact that no direct physical evidence links bin Laden to the attacks of 9/11. Barring some sort of trial where evidence is weighed and witnesses are cross-examined, what we have is an extra-judicial killing: a political assassination by agents of the United States under the command of President Barack Obama.

God have mercy.

Ezekiel 18:23 must be understood in its context. God does not take pleasure in wishing the death of the wicked person who is still alive and still has an opportunity to repent from his or her sin. But God still warns that the wages of sin is death. Once a person dies and has not sought the grace and mercy of God and forgiveness of sin in Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus), their destiny is sealed. That person is separated from God for eternity.

Regarding Osama bin Laden, he has murdered countless numbers of innocent people, including Muslims. While bin Laden was alive, God desired that Osama turn to Him from sin and receive forgiveness through Messiah. While Osama was alive, God wasn't taunting him, saying, "Burn in Hell, sinner! There's no hope for you!" But, there is no evidence that Osama bin Laden ever considered the gift of salvation in Messiah in his life. He kept up his holy war against "infidels (Jewi"sh, Christian, Muslim, etc.), and he has now died. The God of love and grace is also a God of justice. Proverbs
11:10 says, "When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy." Justice has been served by God Himself through the U.S. military. The families of the fallen victims of 9/11 have had to endure and many probably still endure the pain of the memory of 9/11. The fall of their loved ones has been bitter, but the fall of Osama bin Laden is sweet to them.