'Do Not Rejoice When Your Enemies Fall'

"Do not rejoice when your enemies fall,
and do not let your heart be glad when they stumble."
Proverbs 24:17

We feel compelled to respond today to the killing of Osama bin Laden by the United States and to the jubilant response across the nation.

A nation has a right to defend itself. From the perspective of the fundamental national security of the United States, this action is legitimately viewed as an expression of self-defense.

But as Christians, we believe that there can be no celebrating, no dancing in the streets, no joy, in relation to the death of Osama bin Laden. In obedience to scripture, there can be no rejoicing when our enemies fall.

In that sense, President Obama's sober announcement was far preferable to the happy celebrations outside the White House, in New York, and around the country, however predictable and even cathartic they may be.

For those of us who embrace a version of the just war theory, honed carefully over the centuries of Christian tradition, our response is disciplined by belief that war itself is tragic and that all killing in war, even in self-defense, must be treated with sobriety and even mournfulness. War and all of its killing reflects the brokenness of our world. That is the proper spirit with which to greet this news.

This event does provide new opportunities for our nation.

President Obama's respectful treatment of Islam in his remarks, and his declaration that Osama bin Laden's body was treated with respect according to Islamic custom, offers all of us an opportunity to follow that example and turn away from the rising disrespect toward Muslims in our nation.

A second opportunity is for the United States to reconsider the questionable moves we have made in the name of the war on terror. From our perspective, this includes the indefinite detentions of scores of men at Guantanamo Bay, the failure to undertake an official investigation of detainee interrogation practices, the increase in Predator attacks in Pakistan, and the expansion rather than ending of the ten-year-old war in Afghanistan.

We also now have the opportunity for national reflection on how our broader military and foreign policies -- including the placement of our troops throughout the largely Muslim Arab world, our posture on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and our regular military interventions around the world, create a steady supply of new enemies.

There can never be any moral justification for terrorist attacks on innocent people, such as the terrible deeds of 9/11. But we must recognize that to the extent that our nation's policies routinely create enemies, we can kill a Bin Laden on May 1 and face ten more like him on May 2. Might it now be possible for us to have an honest national conversation about these issues?

May we learn the right lessons from the news of this day. For Jesus' sake.

 

 

 

Follow Dr. David P. Gushee on Twitter: www.twitter.com/dpgushee

Comments

[rsttho557949]

12:13 AM on 05/10/2011

Especailly when you realize that it was something that you did that MADE HIM your enemy!

[Jacob Aud]

02:34 AM on 05/09/2011

TOPIC: War.
[[
WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES: Jesus commanded his disciples: “I say to you, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.”—Matthew 5:44, NCE.

When soldiers came to arrest Jesus, the apostle Peter drew a weapon to defend him. However, Jesus said: “Put your sword back in its place. All who use swords will be killed with swords.”—Matthew 26:52, NCV.

The apostle John wrote: “You can tell God’s children from the devil’s children, because those who belong to the devil refuse to do right or to love each other. From the beginning you were told that we must love each other. Don’t be like Cain, who belonged to the devil and murdered his own brother.”—1 John 3:10-12, Contemporary English Version.

QUESTION: Does this religion encourage its members to participate in warfare?
]]

Jehovah God says: “Vengeance is mine, and retributio­n.” (De 32:35; Ro 12:19; Heb 10:30)

http://www.watchtower.org/e/20090801/article_01.htm

[elijah24]

03:09 PM on 05/04/2011

You're completely right Dr. Gushee, but your sentiments are not limited to Chrstians. As an atheist, I feel the same way. As John Donne said: "Any mans death diminishes me, for I am involved with mankind." The world is almost certainly better with Bin Laden not in it, but that fact in itself diminishes us as well. There are times when we do what is right, what must be done; but those actions are never the less, unworthy of celebration.

[Greg Metzger]

01:30 PM on 05/04/2011

Here is my blog debating challenging Gushee on a few of these points.
http://defendingobama.blogspot.com/2011/05/gushee-and-uniqueness-of-bin-laden.html

[A-Superstitionist]

04:50 PM on 05/03/2011

Isn't it downright silly to search in thousand year old books of superstition for guidance on how to react to the death of a world criminal? What if I claimed that the invisible pink unicorn revealed to me that I had to organize a block party to celebrate the death of that criminal? Would that be an article worth posting?

How do we compare world criminals? Bin Laden was the mastermind behind a number of terrorist attacks that claimed the lives of several thousand innocent lives and we all rejoice in his death.

In contrast, the world respects the masterminds behind the anti-condom politics in Africa that claims the lives of 2 million Africans from AIDS each and every year. Worse, the world rejoiced in the beatification of one of its ringleaders last Sunday.

As humans, we all have to work together to maximize the well-being of all conscious creatures and that means brining to justice everyone who is minimizing the well-being of others. That includes any leader of any organization or of any political party that is anti-women , anti-gay, anti-equality, anti-same- sex-marriage, anti-scientific-pro ress, anti-healthcare, anti-condoms, anti-social-security, anti-pension, anti-union , ...

[Lane Meyer]

06:42 PM on 05/03/2011

Are you suggesting that morality is outdated, or that morality is superstitious? Or are you suggesting that morality is justified only by the source from which it came?

....Thank you to the author of the article.

[NHBill]

12:07 AM on 05/04/2011

Morality is not dependent on religion.

[amanimal]

08:17 AM on 05/05/2011

"As humans, we all have to work together ..."
Absolutely - actually just wanted to thank you for mentioning 'Caveman Logic' a couple of weeks ago in a post - started reading it last night. Thanks.

[NHBill]

11:57 AM on 05/03/2011

Don't feel guilty!

He had it coming.

http://pix.posterrevolution.com/pr/1/568727m.jpg

[elijah24]

03:13 PM on 05/04/2011

There was a time when they said that about witches and atheists.
In this case, I agree that he had it coming, and I don't feel guilty, but I'm not comfortable with celebrating either.

[New Yorker]

10:19 AM on 05/03/2011

I think that celebrating the Heroes who risked their lives to end the Evildoer who produced rivers of innocent blood, war, hatred, suffering, and despair is a worthy response to that bravery and confidence in God's justice over evil. So the celebration should be a celebration of victory over evil, and death and all who seek evil. This is a costly, long sought, and eagerly anticipated victory that has cost our nation, and the world so very much in the last 10 years. A ticker tape parade down New York city's, " Canyon of Heroes" for the Navy Seals, The Intelligence Officers, and the President who made this possible is a worthwhile thing to celebrate.

[P3]

12:47 AM on 05/03/2011

Hiya Dave,
the verse you use is for "individuals" personal character building.
Civil Gov on the other hand is a "thing" with "duties" "appointed by God" to be a threat to "evil doers", and people that work doing the "duty" are honorable, if they "do not rejoice", they are honing their character, if they are rejoicing, they are Gods servants,

thanks for the article, I agree with it

[Daleri Rileda]

02:35 AM on 05/03/2011

That is a point that it seems few people see or understand.

The governing authorities have an obligation to protect us.

If not, they (we) are as responsible as the murderer for any additional deaths that could have been prevented.

[P3]

02:40 PM on 05/03/2011

Hi DR, nice of you to read and leave a note, fanned, Governments around the world are structured differently, for example some do not allow abortion, or have no military, or do not have a death penalty, whatever their charter calls for was important to the citizen/people that live there, as we progress forward in time things can change (mandatory auto insurance and no fault divorce rather recent) hopefully for the better, as the Arab countries desire change, they are looking for western governmental examples and not to combine it with religion (from what I remember Egypt will not allow religious political parties) I should have mention in my post that I understand Dave was most likely talking about people who are not in Government rejoicing, and I thought Obama handled it rather well-respectfully-decently-maturely.

[Daleri Rileda]

12:44 AM on 05/03/2011

...even so, it is like a considerable terrorist threat has been lifted like a huge weight off of us.

[thunk]

05:13 AM on 05/03/2011

You've obviously been taking his press coverage too seriously. It changes nothing.

[Dem4Lyfe]

10:22 PM on 05/02/2011

This is exactly the problem. I'm Catholic, and I first celebrated this. Then I thought, "He was a murderer of thousands, but I can't celebrate the death of someone, no matter how bad they are." I was really torn.

[NHBill]

12:06 AM on 05/04/2011

I used to be Catholic.

You were right to celebrate.

The world is a better place without OBL in it.

All that guilt is aging you prematurely.

Let it go.

[Kelli Tidwell Stawecki]

09:56 PM on 05/02/2011

well if we are "cherry picking" verses then I pick this one to fit my beliefs....When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy. Proverbs 11;10....I will not run in the streets and gloat, but I rejoice that OBL is gone... Perhaps reading the verse in its completeness ....I believe the referred 'enemy' is our immediate enemies as they are stumbling and falling around us...In the case of our country, this Binladen was an evil force in the world with potentials to destroy people throughout the world...far beyond just an enemy...So our rejoice is the for a safer world because of our military, not the death of a human being.

[P3]

12:59 AM on 05/03/2011

nicely said
F&F

[austxjr]

01:42 PM on 05/03/2011

Just goes to show you that "Christians" can cherry pick a verse to justify any actions they want to take as "Christian" and to show how anything or anyone they don't like is not "Christian" and even that they should be killed. Two books full of contradictions make it easy to follow the Ten Commandments and Jesus precepts only when you want to do so (don't want to have to do anything hard or requiring discipline) and feel fully justified in doing so. If your brand of Christianity makes it hard (doesn't validate you seeking unlimited wealth and power over others) find a sect and denomination that does! Such is the way of most modern religion and that illustrates its bankrupt morals and lack of ethics.

[nardhelain]

06:53 PM on 05/02/2011

Well said. Christian or otherwise, to rejoice, to stomp on his portrait, to revel in the news of another human being's death makes us no better than the people who danced in the streets on that horrible day 10 years ago. Five people lost their lives in that house yesterday, including bin Laden's wife, whom he used to shield himself from gunfire. That is not something to be cheerful about, whether or not you look to the Bible for advice. I think we are all justified in feeling a certain amount of relief, but save your joy and jubilation for an occasion worthy of them. The war is not won. The troops are not home safe. Peace is not assured. It will take much more than the death of one man to achieve any of that.

[Wookiee1972]

09:22 PM on 05/02/2011

This reminds me of something that happened when Saddam Hussein's sons were killed. By all accounts Uday and Qsay were deeply unpleasant men whom few mourned. But what was lost in the celebration was the fact that Hussein's 14-year-old grandson died while trying to defend his father and uncle.

We are better than that.

[guitargeorge1964]

12:04 AM on 05/03/2011

I wish we were better than that. Obviously not.

[Inhaleexhale]

06:25 PM on 05/02/2011

Thank you, I have been looking for someone to respond in this way because I am not articulate enough to have expressed exactly what I was feeling about this. We are so in need of honest conversation about the carnage of the last 10 years. I do not think the violence and social injustice we inflict on one another, as a world community, reflect, in anyway, the moral path of any of our spiritual traditions. It makes me very sad.

[temashana13]

05:57 PM on 05/02/2011

This quote originated with the old testament. I would get rid of your statement that it's just for "Christians" to think this way. If you read the old testament, as Jews, Muslims and Christians do, then you will know to follow this. Be less devisive, and more inclusive. The world needs to be like that as a whole.
Having lost a close friend, and being in NY when this horrific tragedy happened, I still cannot bring myself to celebrate the death of another human being, even if they were evil. I find it contradictory that the gov't said they were going to "bring him to justice", and at the same time there are quotes from other people in the same gov't saying this was a "kill" mission. The death of this man does not bring back any of our loved ones that were lost that day, or in the last 9+ years of war that have been raged by the US. It does not change the trauma we as a city and country have gone though.
Instead of glorifying murder and revenge, this country and all on this globe need to find a way to live together with all our differences. Violence only incites more violence.

[austxjr]

01:49 PM on 05/03/2011

But (unfortunately) that is just the point that we ONLY glorify money and violence. I can't speak for the Jews and Muslims among us, but it seems from only casual observation that is especially true of many who claim to be most "Christian" among us. It makes me profoundly happy that I cannot claim to be "Christian" like them (nor can they claim to be human like me I would assert). I warmly remember some colleagues who used to often call me their token pagan or heathen (judge not?). Look at all the Christian death penalty advocates and the Pro-Lifers who shoot doctors and heath-care workers. Their real Christian colors come out. Sad but true.

[nharburger]

05:24 PM on 05/02/2011

Thank you for the specific bible quote. As a Jew, having just finished celebrating Passover,- this distinction between recognizing a death that was necessary and celebrating that death - was fresh in my head. In the Passover story, Miriam leads the Jews in celebration for the freedom they have achieved after crossing the red sea. That act has been celebrated in our tradition. However, when the waters of the red sea crashed down and killed the Egyptians soldiers who were chasing down the Jews, and the people continued to celebrate the death of their own slave-drivers and tormentors, G-d quickly and fiercely scolded and punished the Jews for celebrating the destruction of one of his beloved lives.

I am glad Osama Bin Laden has been brought to justice, but i am also glad i am not the only one who felt uncomfortable with the outright jubilee that has occurred in the wake of his death.