I've spent the past week watching the reaction to bin Laden's death with great interest. I've also given myself this week to process the information and form an intelligent opinion on the whole situation. Of course my knee jerk reaction was, "Good! It's over now." But really, that reaction is wrong on many levels.
One thing that struck me about the initial reaction to the announcment of bin Laden's death was the bloodthirsty tenor in which people responded. Don't get me wrong, I understand that people were relieved, but to literally rejoice in someone's death? It struck me as wrong.
Something that really bothered me about the whole thing was that this man is now in hell. He won't ever leave hell. He will suffer for the rest of ETERNITY. Our minds can't truly comprehend eternity. Nor can we truly comprehend the horror that is hell. It bothers me to think that anyone will have to spend their eternity in hell.
Yet...
It is what he deserves. The Bible tells us that everyone in their lifetime will have the gospel presented to them. They will have a chance to make the decision to either accept salvation or not. Obviously those who don't go to hell.
bin Laden also did horrible things and encouraged others to do terrible things. So, yes, he deserves hell. Just like Hitler and Hitler's cronies.
Regardless, I cannot bring myself to rejoice in bin Laden's death. I am glad that he is gone and no longer able to lead people to do bad things to others, but even that is only temporary.
Hence the reason I earlier stated that my knee jerk reaction to the news of his death was wrong. So bin Laden is gone. There's another to take his place. Al Qaeda will continue with its terrorist activities under a new leader. Those activities will probably be intensified as bin Laden becomes a martyr to these people.
Regardless, I understand and agree with the fact that he had to go. Martyr or not, bin Laden had to be removed. Unfortunately, we're going to have to decide what to do about the next leader now.
I also think that people in some way equate bin Laden's death with the end of our military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. While it would be nice if that were the case, I believe people are forgetting that it's the Taliban, not Al Qaeda, that we are pitted against in Afghanistan. And in Iraq we've decided to take on the role of nation building. Unfortunately that role is not dependant upon a change in leadership of Al Qaeda. Bottom line: We're stuck.
Which makes me wonder: What now? After ten years we've found and removed bin Laden, but what have we truly accomplished? What does this really men for the US both in the immediate future and down the road?
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I might be a simple person, but I see simple answers to your complex questions. Twice you pondered the question about the future. My answer for that is... only God knows the future, for sure. And you asked what have we truly accomplished? A mass murder was brought to justice. There is a time and a season for everything and everyone according to the Word of God. bin Laden's season has ended.
ReplyDeleteAgain I might be a simple person, but that is just the way I see it.
You didn't ask this question, but so far as rejoicing over bin Laden's death... I see know wrong in rejoicing when justice triumphs over evil.
Janeta
Janeta,
ReplyDeleteTo a degree I agree with you. It is good and right to rejoice when good triumphs over evil. But what I usually hear is just people rejoicing in the death. They aren't looking at good over evil or anything else. They are just rejoicing in death. And, to me, that's wrong. Maybe not to others, and that's OK. I'm certainly not going to get up in someone's face and go off on them just because we don't see eye to eye on a subject.
As for the question of what the future holds: You're correct. Only God knows and I would do well to remember that.