We condemn the assassination and the killing of an Arab holy warrior. We ask God to offer him mercy with the true believers and the martyrs.Senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh
(reacting to the death of Osama bin Laden)
I rather suspect there will be little mercy for someone who remorselessly killed thousands and brought untold misery to many more. And these are the very leaders which people (including some Christians) expect Israel to make peace with. There can never be peace with Hamas.
(See Haaretz and Reuters for further details)
12 comments:
Calvin you wrote; "I rather suspect there will be little mercy [from God] for someone who remorselessly killed thousands and brought untold misery to many more." But as the saying goes, 'one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter,' so how should we judge who is right in God's eyes?
The problem many of us have is that the West's war on terror has involved lots of illegal actions, lies, murder, excessive force, bombing in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan with drones, depleted uranium etc. I hope and pray that God will have mercy upon us all for failing to represent Christ-like values in our response to terrorism. Lack of forgiveness, brutality, excessive force will not turn Muslims to Christ, but will only perpetuate the error of the crusades that tried to impose Christian love through force. Bin Laden's death will not bring peace closer. We have the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the sword of the Spirit - the Word of God, but we trust in physical arms more, just as ancient Israel did at Mt Sinai where they did not want to hear God's voice, and as the modern Republic of Israel does in its rejection of its King Jesus Christ.
I think people will be quite surprised to learn how you question whether we can judge someone like Bin Laden (particularly as you have no qualms about judging Israel's actions). I would hope all Christians could agree he was no freedom fighter.
You talk of the West's actions against the Muslim world. Last night the BBC's Middle East correspondent Jeremy Bowen pointed out Bin Laden had killed and maimed far more Muslims than the thousands he had killed in the West.
Calvin - I'm asking how we should judge - that is to judge carefully, so I am not questioning whether we should judge. Romans 2:3 "So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?"
The West too has killed thousands of people, many civilians and chilren, through its actions, often justified on fabricated evidence now known to be false. I am not seeking to defend Osama bin Laden at all. But consider for instance there are continued reports of deformed births in Fallujah because of action there involving who knows what, perhaps white phosphorus and depleted uranium encased conventional bombs. Can the West claim to be fighting for freedom in light of this and do the ends justify the means? Are we really any better than Muslim fighters when we care so little for the lives of Muslims (who too need Christ)?
The whole basis of the 'war on terror' is not really a Christian approach, but is a category mistake as it has always been one of revenge for 9/11. But Muslims will see it as Christian action thus we allow Christ to be defamed because we fight fear with fear, eye for an eye, instead of fighting fear with love. Does not perfect love cast out all fear?
There's a big difference between 9/11 or the thousands Bin Laden had blown up in Pakistani markets (both deliberately designed to cause as many deaths as possible), and the West's actions. But by all means, try to make it a West vs Islam issue if you want (like I said, he killed called countless more Muslims than Westerners). The original post had nothing to do with that and I'm simply not going to argue with you about it.
Wait, as a Christian shouldn't you join with the Islamist in praying that God would offer him mercy?
'There can never be peace with Hamas' sounds like a remarkably convenient statement for someone who wants Israel to extend its apartheid rule across an ever greater area.
"Wait, as a Christian shouldn't you join with the Islamist in praying that God would offer him mercy?"
Er, no.
"... sounds like a remarkably convenient statement for someone who wants Israel to extend its apartheid rule across an ever greater area".
Really? How do you know? Actually, your comment sounds suspiciously like you're the one with an agenda. Tell you what: stop hiding behind a cloak of anonymity, explain who you are and your vested interest, and then we can discuss it further (though I rather doubt you will).
Hm, I thought that Christians were meant to be forgiving. And I also thought they were meant to turn the other cheek, rather than be aggressive.
Is such bellicosity really a Christian virtue? Up there in the list of the fruit of Spirit. Love, joy, unforgivingness, peace, patience, picking fights, etc.
Like I said, when you courageously explain your identity and vested interest I'm most happy to discuss it further.
More macho posturing. Priceless.
(yawn)
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