What Does the Bible Say about Bin Laden’s Death?
Like so many things, Scripture does not offer us clear responses to contemporary events for the Canon of Scripture is not an answer book, but the historical and religious medium of Divine Revelation. I am grateful to those who have brought these two quotes, one from the Hebrew Wisdom Tradition and the other from the New Testament, both passages considered Holy Scripture for Christians.
Proverbs 24:17-20
Do not rejoice when your enemies fall,
and do not let your heart be glad when they stumble,
or else the LORD will see it and be displeased,
and turn away his anger from them.
Do not fret because of evildoers.
Do not envy the wicked;
for the evil have no future;
the lamp of the wicked will go out.
Matthew 5:43-48
“You 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 the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even 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.”
As I have already said elsewhere, this is not a moment for “triumph” or “celebration,” contrary to what so many television pundits and so-called patriots will suggest. It is indeed an important moment in our national and global history, something to take seriously and reflect upon, but the celebration of the death of a human being is not what Christians are called to do as Jesus makes quite clear above.
God does not desire vengeance and this is not God’s form of justice.
It is a sad day, the most recent in many sad days over the course of the last decade. May we take this moment to recommit ourselves to peace and raise up to respond to Jesus’s invitation for us to follow in his footprints, living the life of the Gospel. The Gospel of forgiveness and peace, the Gospel of life and humility, the Gospel that calls for the end of all violence.
May 2, 2011 at 5:22 am
Thank you Dan, thank you.
May 2, 2011 at 6:39 am
[...] Death of Bin Laden. May 2, 2011 by Henry Karlson There was much rejoicing. But should there be? Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles; lest the [...]
May 3, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Psalm 58:10 —- The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they bathe in the blood of the wicked
May 3, 2011 at 2:14 pm
Psalm 137:9 — “Happy shall they be who take your children and dash them against the rock!”
Ryan, I would be very careful about which texts are used out of context, especially as it concerns violence and Christian action. That is, unless you feel that we should be killing children violently as much as the righteous should bathe in the blood of the wicked. We must always remember that Scripture is the normative source of theology, but not the only nor is it the literal source.
May 2, 2011 at 8:40 am
[...] after the Twin Towers collapsed.We’re better than that.Aren’t we?Blogger Dan Horan notes:This is not a moment for “triumph” or “celebration,” contrary to what so many television [...]
May 2, 2011 at 8:52 am
[...] biblical view on Bin Laden’s [...]
May 2, 2011 at 9:46 am
Thanks for this and your earlier post.
I read that some outside the White House sang “We are the champions… of the world.” If that’s true, the country is in a sorry state and needs your wisdom.
Blessings
May 2, 2011 at 1:58 pm
Thank you for me not being the only one who thinks this way.
May 2, 2011 at 3:50 pm
Proverbs 11:10
May 2, 2011 at 6:04 pm
I was having a difficult time dealing with this! I know what the bible says and would agree, but then I think of all the lives that were lost that day! I don’t know, I’m just confused!
May 2, 2011 at 8:13 pm
A better response than yours, my friend…
http://powip.com/2011/05/my-name-is-johanna-and-i-rejoice/
May 2, 2011 at 8:55 pm
A better response? Interesting, but I humbly disagree. I am very proud of the Navy SEALs for their ethical pursuit of Bin Laden and the admirable job they did. I cannot rejoice in his death. Can someone’s “rejoicing” ever be an act of the will? I did not choose to be saddened by the death of Bin Laden–it was a natural response. I think it flows from the Eucharist that I shared in Mass Sunday morning and the way that God has moved in my heart. If a person does rejoice, it is not a choice…it simply “is” what it “is”.
May 3, 2011 at 6:46 am
Vengence belongs to the lord God and Christ. When I heard on the news about finally getting revenge on what Mr. Laden did after 9-1-1, just the mere word revenge alone made me want to preach the good news.
Vengece you don’t have the right to do so, carry out God’s job of revenge then you are in the wrong… not others.
May 3, 2011 at 8:44 pm
Romans 13:1-5 states clearly that government is God’s servant to punish the wicked. That is not revenge. Pay particular attention to verse 4.
“1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. “
May 3, 2011 at 8:50 pm
Take a look at Romans 13:1-5, especially verse 4:
“1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. “
May 3, 2011 at 9:56 pm
You cannot read Romans 13 without Romans 12:14 — but don’t just listen to me, listen to Prof. Stanley Hauerwas of Duke Univeristy http://bit.ly/JSJvO He says it so much better than I.
May 22, 2011 at 7:17 am
You cannot read Romans 13 without Romans 12:14 or perhaps the context of how we got kings in the first place.
1Sam.8
[5] And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
[6] But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.
[9] Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.
[10] And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.
[11] And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
[18] And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.
[19] Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;