A Goody From Woody

GOODY FROM WOODY

Do you see the linkage of evil with evil leaders? I have been comparing Adolph Hitler, who died April 30, 1945, by a self-inflicted shot to his head with Osama bin Laden who died less than 24 hours and sixty years later, with a shot to the head by a Navy Seal during a power struggle.

When Hitler first came to office, he wrote in his journal, “This evening I have made a covenant with Satan.” (From archives printed in Hitler, the Scourge of Europe.) The “prince of darkness” really was in league with Hitler and others like the Ottoman Empire killing 1.1 million Armenians in 1915, the slaughter of Rwandan people by Tutsi in 1994, Pol Pot in Cambodia, Joseph Stalin in Russia, Idi Amin in Uganda—all could be added to the list of evil leaders in league with the prince of darkness.

Osama bin Laden, like Hitler, believed all problems had their origin in the Jewish people. They both called Jewish people evil. How ironic! Bin Laden called the West, especially the U.S. and Israel, evil!!

The Mastermind of 9/11, Bin Laden, died and all people should pause to thank God that he is no longer around to do more evil.

It is interesting to read the headlines for May 3, 2011: The New York Times stated, “Bin Laden killed by U.S. Forces in Pakistan, Obama says, declaring Justice has been done.”

As a Christian reading this headline, how should I think about this moral action? Here are my thoughts:

1. This evil leader is dead, and that is a great accomplishment, according to our understanding of a “just war theory.” (This theory is a great historic Christian understanding of how we reason and measure the justification of lethal acts of force in warfare.)

2. Osama bin Laden, like Hitler, created great tragedy for all the people he killed. Hitler killed six million people. Osama, left to his plans and desires, aspired to do the same or something similar. Thanks to the Navy Seals, that threat is gone. Al Qaeda, Osama’s organization, is still a huge threat. He organized this terrorist group in 60 different parts of the world.

3. God says in Ezekiel 33:11, “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?” Having been a soldier in combat, my response to Osama’s death is I am thankful the evil leader is gone, but I’m not happy about it, sober and pensive but not celebrating.

4. The subject of war produces different thoughts for Christians. If we believe in a “just war theory” then we use force to eventually create a culture for peace. War is the absence of peace. That is never our goal. But in a fallen world where sin exists, it becomes necessary from time to time to protect people from destruction by evil leaders. If war is the absence of peace, then evil is the absence of good and God is the ultimate “Good.” God calls us to be peacemakers and follow His Son in order to do good. James 4:1-2 says, “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.”

5. Lastly, a word about justice. Bin Laden did not receive justice. He experienced death. Justice comes from natural and divine law. It is placed in our hearts by God and that’s why we know right and wrong and ethics. Our founding U.S. documents reflected this thinking. Justice is based on law. That means when a person breaks the law, they are arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced. Even in a combat theater there is military justice that can be carried out based on law. (Uniform Code of Military Justice, The Constitution allowed congress to create this type of law in the military—Article 1, Section 8.) Bin Laden’s death robbed us of this opportunity. But where he is now he knows he will still stand trial in a higher court for his evil and God will have the final and last word.

According to the Bible, we are in a spiritual war more than a carnal war and here are Paul’s words to us: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”

2 Cor 10:3-5

God Bless,

Woody