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."

[RatRipper]

I don’t disagree at all with your point about spending time preaching about it. But bin Laden is certainly a poster child for being the antithesis of what Christianity is all about.

I would forcefully disagree that bin Laden is a secular topic. He is a caricature of what the life of somebody can become if they reject Christ and follow false teaching.

[aimhigh]

I would forcefully disagree that bin Laden is a secular topic. He is a caricature of what the life of somebody can become if they reject Christ and follow false teaching. The New Testamant gives us more warnings about wolves in sheep's clothing than about outright evil men. Obama fits that better, since he's a wolf in sheep's clothing.