Osama Bin Laden

So I have done lots of reflecting on the whole assassination of Bin Laden, and I have heard tons of opinions on both sides and I just wanted to share my own feelings on the death of Bin Laden.

First off, I am grateful that a man such as Bin Laden is dead. That there will be no more killing, terror and threats coming from the hands of this awful man. I think of the scriptures when Nephi goes to get the plates of brass from Laban. It says: 

"And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.  Nevertheless I went forth, and as I came near unto the house of Laban I beheld a man, and he had fallen to the earth before me, for he was drunken with wine.  And when I came to him I found that it was Laban.  And I beheld his sword, and I drew it forth from the sheath thereof; and the hilt thereof was of pure gold, and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine, and I saw that the blade thereof was of the most precious steel.  And it came to pass that I was constrained by the Spirit that I should kill Laban; but I said in my heart: Never at any time have I shed the blood of man.  And I shrunk and would that I might not slay him.  And the spirit said unto me again: Behold the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands. Yea, and I also knew that he had sought to take away mine own life; yea, and he would not hearken unto the commandments of the Lord; and he also had taken away our property. And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me again: Slay him, for the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands; Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes.  It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief... Therefore I did obey the voice of the Spirit, and took Laban by the hair of the head, and I smote off his head with his own sword."

I believe the words of Nephi in that the Lord kills the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. So in that I feel it right that a man such as Bin Laden is gone.  Laban is much like Bin Laden in that he was a terrible, heartless man, who sought to kill the righteous, was not keeping the laws of God, and was taking land and freedom away from the people he was supposed to watch over. He was a tyrant and he needed to die.

What I do not agree with and what I find most shameful is the way in which the death of Bin Laden was taken by the people of America.  I do not agree with how his death was handled in the aftermath. 

America labels Palestine as a place of barbarians, who have no respect for people, country and religion. There are broadcast on T.V. of soldiers being killed in the streets, hung and even beat by the Taliban.  The Palestinians have rallies in the streets, they mistreat the bodies of the people they kill and justify it as a “Holy Cause”.

The part that I find most troubling is what America did after Osama was dead,they rejoiced in his death, America also had rallies in the streets with newspaper headlines saying things such as “ROT IN HELL", “BURN IN HELL” or “WE GOT THE BASTARD”. George W. Bush, under whose presidency the 9-11 attacks occurred, released a statement saying, "The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done." I believe God will give man justice. It is for us to forgive.

I feel we should take the higher road, and reflected upon ourselves-are we not acting just as we accuse al-Qaeda of: being barbaric, setting May 1, 2011 apart as being a holy cause to avenge 9-11?  The thing that sets Nephi and America apart is the fact that, Nephi didn’t want to kill Laban, it was only when the Spirit reasoned with him that he saw that righteousness would be brought about because of it.  He did not rejoice in his glory or killing, but knew it was the only way to bring about righteousness.  No amount of hatred and killing will bring back the victims of 9-11.  We need to take the higher road and rise above our enemies.

I believe that as Christians that we should do as Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said reacting to the news.

"Osama bin Laden, as we all know, bore the most serious responsibility for spreading divisions and hatred among populations, causing the deaths of innumerable people, and manipulating religions to this end," Father Lombardi said.

"In the face of a man's death, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibilities of each person before God and before men, and hopes and works so that every event may be the occasion for the further growth of peace and not of hatred."