Osama bin Laden and Romans 13:1-4

The most wanted terrorist in the world is now gone. The man who masterminded the 9/11 attacks, who gave evil inspiration to al Qaeda, is history. U. S. elite troops did the job they are trained to do, and in turn secured a huge victory in the ongoing global war against the terrorist organization.

Reaction to the news, announced first by the media and then the President, was immediate. People took to the streets (and their computers) and celebrated this achievement. Meanwhile, others reacted less favorably. Brothers and sisters in Christ, disturbed by the videos of throngs of folks chanting "U-S-A, U-S-A!", gave vent to their misgivings. Old Testament passages were cited, indicating that God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Further passages were quoted which seemed to condemn people for celebrating.

How SHOULD we respond?

Well, allow me to give my personal take on all of this. Adolf Hitler murdered millions of Jews and gypsies, as well as many other groups. He ignited World War II. His evil philosophy (and that is what it was, EVIL), if left unchecked, would have enslaved the entire world (and that is EXACTLY what he had in mind, according to previously unreleased Nazi documents).

Josef Stalin butchered somewhere between 12-20 million of his own people in the years PRIOR to World War II. He terrorized countless millions of others. All of this was in service to a godless philosophy--communism--which was started by Karl Marx and perpetuated at first by Vladimir Lenin. Both of those individuals detested religion, as did Hitler.

Mao Tse Tung held China in an iron grip, launching first the "Great Leap Forward" and then the "Cultural Revolution," during which millions of innocent Chinese were slaughtered. Mao himself was not bothered at all by the genocide, since he believed in it being done for the "greater good."

Then, there is bin Laden. He claimed to be a "spiritual leader;" yet, he had no qualms about ordering multiple attacks, over a 15 year period, against the West. He was violently opposed to the God of the Bible, Christ, and Christianity. He also had no problem with killing people within his own religion of Islam. If bin Laden had been in control of a country, his death toll likely would have rivaled Mao's, at the least.

I have said all of that to make these few points. FIRST, bin Laden was an evil man. So, I am more than a bit dismayed when some of my brethren try to compare him with the apostle Paul. Yes, Paul persecuted Christians to the death; yes, he was converted to the Truth by Ananias (Acts 22:16). Yet, there are significant differences. Paul, unlike bin Laden, believed in the God of the Hebrew Scriptures, not "Allah." Unlike bin Laden, Paul did not orchestrate a mass attack against heavily populated areas. Unlike bin Laden, Paul "lived in all good conscience before God" (Acts 23:1). His heart could be touched. And, it took a miraculous appearance of Christ to get Paul's attention and convince him he was wrong. Paul was not evil; he simply did not know the truth. Bin Laden cast open contempt upon the foundation truths of Christianity.

SECOND, Romans 13:1-4 is a much forgotten passage of Scripture. It reads: "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil." Was bin Laden evil? Of course he was. The U. S. military did what it had to do--and, our country is that much safer as a result.

THIRD, I continue to think about the celebrations that took place after Hitler died and World War II ended. Were those people wrong in celebrating? Yes, I know the current war is not over; but, a significant victory has been achieved. It is quite natural for a weary nation to be exuberant in the fact that one of its avowed enemies is gone. When my late grandfather, John DeLenne, came home from Europe in 1945, he was tired of war. Yet, he was happy that we had won. And, he had no problems with celebrating. Grandpa served faithfully as an elder for over 50 years until his passing. He knew how evil Hitler was. He also had no problem, after 9/11, with going after al Qaeda and bin Laden.

A friend of mine posed this question: "Who is to say that this matter wasn't in the realm of the providence of God? Where is rejoicing condemned when justice is served?" Indeed. My direct ancestors, who fought in every war from the Revolution to Korea, served their country--and some even died for it. The families of those who lost loved ones during 9/11 now know some measure of relief that the maniac who ordered those deaths is now gone. Let us not defend a terrorist; let us get about the business, rather, of preaching the Truth--and allow the "higher powers" to take care of the evildoers. As Americans--and as Christians--we can rejoice when good triumphs. In this case, there is NO DOUBT.