Bin Laden's death a tough subject for the pulpit

AP ^ | 5/8/2011 | Brock Vergakis

[Hunton Peck]

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The killing of Osama bin Laden, a man who was America's face of evil for nearly a decade, left Christians, Jews and Muslims relieved, proud or even jubilant. For their religious leaders, it was sometimes hard to know just what to say.

There is at least some dissonance between the values they preach and the triumphant response on the streets of New York and Washington to the death of a human being — even one responsible for thousands of killings in those areas and around the world.

"Justice may have been served, but we Catholics never rejoice in the death of a human being," said the Rev. Stephen Mimnaugh.

He did not mention bin Laden during Sunday's morning Mass at Manhattan's St. Francis of Assisi, the church of the late Mychal Judge, chaplain of the Fire Department of New York and the first recorded victim of the Sept. 11 attacks in the city.

***

As he left a Quaker meeting in Philadelphia, Fred Koszewnik of Marlton, N.J., said he thought the celebrations were "kind of icky."

[a fool in paradise]

The killing of Osama bin Laden, a man who was America's face of evil for nearly a decade, left Christians, Jews and Muslims relieved, proud or even jubilant.

There were also Muslims who MOURNED the death of Osama Bin Laden and threatened to get revenge some day.

American Pravda needs to learn that lies by omission are lies all the same.

[a fool in paradise]

I also notice that some particularly antiChristian activists about town here have taken to co-opting Quakers as a way of denouncing the war on terror.

They believe Jesus is “an invisible pretend playmate”, mock His crucifixion, etc. but I am supposed to ignore that and “earnestly” listen to their appeal now that they SEE THE LIGHT and have found a faith they can get behind (for ulterior motives).

[nmh]

Exactly!

It was additional humiliation for the enemies of the Jews.

Catholicism is NOT Biblically based. Sure they are selective in what they read out of THEIR Bible but there are differences.

For example the Ten Commandments are DIFFERENT for the JEW and CHRISTIANS. Here are the two in abbreviated forms.

Protestant and Jewish Ten Commandments:

You shall have no other gods but Me.
You shall not make unto you any graven images or idols
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain
You shall remember the Sabbath and keep it holy
Honor your mother and father
You shall not murder
You shall not commit adultery
You shall not steal
You shall not bear false witness
You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor

Catholic Ten Commandments:

I the Lord, am your God. You shall not have other gods besides me.
You shall not take the name of the Lord God in vain
Remember to keep holy the Lord's Day
Honor your father and your mother
You shall not kill
You shall not commit adultery
You shall not steal
You shall not bear false witness
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife
You shall not covet your neighbor's goods

Catholic allow for “graven images” and “idols” where as the Protestants and Jews do NOT allow this. Catholics split up the “coveting” commandment into a SEPARATE commandment to make up for the LACK of a commandment against graven images and idols. Gee, I wonder why Catholics did this ... it's a no brainer!

[right way right]

Isaiah 5:16
But the LORD Almighty will be exalted by his justice,
and the holy God will show himself holy by his righteousness.

The mistake is to take credit for God’s justice and rightousness. We cannot match it.

Thank you US Navy Seals for expediting the delivery
of the arrogant fool to God.

[LibLieSlayer]

When JESUS returns, he will be coming for two main reasons:

http://www.scripturessay.com/article.php?cat=&id=634

“THE PURPOSE OF HIS RETURN
The reason for Jesus’ return is put in very simple terms in the Bible - to reward the righteous and to punish the wicked. In describing the judgment scene, the Lord said: ‘And these (the wicked) shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal” (Matt. 25:46). And Paul, in later years, said that God would “recompense tribulation to them that trouble you,” but that he would give rest to you who are troubled, “when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power” (2 Thess. 1:6:9). “Then shall the wicked be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming” (2 Thess. 2:8). “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give to me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all of them also that love his appearing” (2 tim. 4:8).”

LLS

[vg0va3]

My preacher did a masterful job. Let me see if I can paraphrase.

While we do not rejoice in the death of anyone God is just and is happy when justice is served. And Justice was served.

[Americanexpat]

I, for one, did not see anything wrong with Young people in the streets waving flags and celebrating our victory over evil. much better young people wave the flag and shout “USA” than to burn the flag and course their own country.

[Morpheus2009]

My feelings about bin Laden’s death are this, I am personally not genuinely happy on the inside, but then again, what was done was done, and that’s the end of the story regarding him. Let the dead rest in peace.

[Morpheus2009]

No, not absolute pacifism, but violence is to be avoided as best as possible, it shouldn’t be the first answer to a problem. However, in the case of someone determined enough as an enemy, or in the case of serious enough crimes, death can be used. The big point is that you don’t carry grudges after the enemy, what’s the old saying: “Show Love After Victory”? post-WWII, I feel, is a decent example. We thrashed our enemies fairly well, but put in some work to rebuild them and get them on the Democracy track after the war was won.

[Persevero]

“but violence is to be avoided as best as possible,”

Is the death penalty violence? If so, Scripture endorses it. Prescribes it, actually.

Is killing other people during a just war violence? Because God ordered several wars explicitly; and by principle teaches us when it is just to wage war.

So if the death penalty or killing during a just war is “violence,” I must disagree, violence is not to be avoided. It is to be pursued in these instances.

Now, those are two narrow categories. Violence for your own personal vengeance, or for “fun,” or to extort or commit crimes, yes, should be avoided completely.

[bboop]

Not tough at all, if you preach EVIL and HELL.

[bboop]

‘We Catholics never” —??? He doesn’t speak for me.

[DoctorBulldog]

I just thought you might like to read the response I gave to one of my readers concerning this very same article from Arab Propaganda (AP):

Maybe the AP thinks Bin Laden’s death is a tough subject for the pulpit, but not really. The Bible is certainly not silent on the subject:

“When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.” – Proverbs 11:10 (NIV)

Clarke’s Commentaries on the Bible expounds: “When it goeth well – An upright, pious, sensible man is a great blessing to the neighborhood where he resides, by his example, his advice, and his prayers. The considerate prize him on these accounts, and rejoice in his prosperity. But when the wicked perish, who has been a general curse by the contagion of his example and conversation, there is not only no regret expressed for his decease, but a general joy because God has removed him. ”

The Geneva Study Bible says in its commentary on Proverbs 11:10: “The country is blessed, where there are godly men, and they ought to rejoice when the wicked are taken away.”

Revelation 18:20 says: “Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her [Babylon] for the way she treated you.”

Clarke’s Commentaries on the Bible has this to say about Revelation 18:20: “Rejoice over her, thou heaven – This is grand and sublime; the fall of this bad city was cause of grief to bad men. But as this city was a persecutor of the godly, and an enemy to the works of God, angels, apostles, and prophets are called to rejoice over her fall. ”

Nope. Nothing tough about that. God is a just God; When God’s justice is meted out on the wicked, the saints rejoice!

Party on, my friends!

Cheers

[mad_as_he$$]

;-)

[Hunton Peck]

That’s a good collection of scripture and other thoughts on the subject. Thanks!

[PieterCasparzen]

The official plan of the U.S. government for the past 10 years has been to do exactly what was done.

IMHO, beenladins killing should come as NO surprise to anyone. It was not a secret desire, it was our #1 target all along, and this was public.

As far as rejoicing, he was an evil, evil man, who was the top leader of an organization that killed almost 3,000 innocent American civilians. He (like Bill Ayers) undoubtedly wished he could have killed more.

His stated intent is not ONLY to kill Americans - his stated intent is the destruction and subjugation of America, which is a declaration of war on the United States, not the threat of a murderer. There are and have been crime syndicates in America, but they never had a stated goal of destroying and subjugating the nation; as such they were criminal organizations. alkada - and any organization with the same intent - is not a criminal organization, but a militaristic one.

So nosama is a military target, not a criminal. And his evil intents are that of a diabolical madman - he truly was an enemy of America.

When one’s enemies are defeated or killed it is cause for rejoicing, exactly they way the free nations of the world rejoiced at the end of WWII and did not feel sorry for the fate of the leaders of our enemies. There is no honor in diabolical leaders, they are not even troubled by the deaths of their own people, so they are not merely an enemy defeated in battle, they are a vile enemy of humanity which needs to be snuffed out as soon as possible.

IMHO, we have something serious thinking to do if we have any qualms about meting out justice to such a man. The main reasons why I was not jumping up and down celebrating is because I’m not prone to, the killing was completely expected (kind of an ok, done, let’s move on), there are many, many people, certainly millions, who also chant “death to America”, etc., so we still have an enormous war going on that we have not so far actually declared war in response to, and we also have el presidente who by all appearances is literally attempting to bankrupt our nation along with his cronies, allies, backers, unwitting accomplices, etc. So please pardon me if I don’t feel particularly celebratory that we have one dead rat to feel good about, I’m certainly happy on the inside and I feel tremendously appreciative of all of the Americans who fought this battle over the past few years.

May God continue to bless America.

[RatRipper]

Another applicable scripture- Galations 6:7-8 (NIV)

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

An amazing admission to what so many of us have witnessed happening to church leaders — they don’t teach or preach, they manage a social gathering and bow to political correctness, so as not to offend.

Evil has no problem offending.

Osama bin Laden was evil.

He is dead.

Good.

[aimhigh]

I wouldn’t attend any church preaching about Bin Ladin. The purpose of the church is to preach about Jesus Christ and salvation through his death and resurrection. Any pastor who can be so easily diverted to such secular topics needs to refocus on Christ.