I'm inspired by x'tians who say we should love Osama, saying we should love our enemies

[newcrasher]

…and pray for those who persecute us.

Just kidding. I don’t really hear Christians quoting Jesus when it comes to killing enemies.

[Shmendrik]

@newcrasher

…and pray for those who persecute us.

Just kidding. I don’t really hear Christians quoting Jesus when it comes to killing enemies.

Are you serious?

I saw all kinds of wimpy crap from my conservative Christian friends on Facebook about praying for Osama last week.

For example: (heavily redacted by me)

@Highland Baptist Church

I have had several folks at Highland ask for my take on the news of the death of Osama Bin Laden. Specifically, people have been wrestling on just how Christians should respond to this news… The following are the seven immediate responses I had whilst watching President Obama’s address:

I am mindful of those who lost loved ones in 9/11...
I am relieved that a threat has been removed... But am not necessarily celebrating the event in the same way I celebrate a sports victory.  It is more like removing a thorn from my finger.  I am thankful it is gone, but I am not necessarily jumping up and down.   
I am thankful for military and intelligence communities...
**I am sad that we live in a fallen and corrupt world of creation (Genesis 3; Romans 3:23). The story we just learned is that one man was killed by a group of other men. There is nothing to celebrate in this story.** Death is still a final decision (Hebrews 9:27). And, if it is true that Mr. Bin Laden did not pray to receive Christ then it is also true that he is going to live in an eternity that is apart from the goodness and abundant life in Christ (John 10:10).....
I am hopeful in the return of Jesus Christ... The only peaceful future will occur when Jesus comes to make all things right (Revelation 19:11ff).
I am confident in God. I am neither more confident nor less confident in US military or national prowess...
**I am praying for Al-Qa’ida. I remember where I was during 9/11.  I watched the buildings burn.  I watched the plane crashes.  And I was hurt.  Jesus gives us a directed channel for our pain, anger, and hurt in Matthew 5:43-48. He says to love our neighbors AND to pray for those who persecute us.  So I am praying for Al-Qa’ida.

**
It is on the last point that I want to make a connection. There was once a terrorist with Semitic origins who hated Christians with the same hatred that Mr. Bin Laden had for Western Countries… But in Acts 9 Jesus spoke to this terrorist and converted him to Christianity. And soon, the Apostle Paul, was preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to the extent that Christians asked, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name?”

Here’s a Thought: Imagine a world in which Osama Bin Laden prays to receive Christ and then becomes an evangelist for the gospel of Jesus Christ…

I am sad today because that possibility is over. But perhaps God might save members of Al-Qa’ida, Real IRA, PFLP, or any of the other 47 terrorist groups listed on the FTO. Perhaps God will convert some terrorists and bring about revival.

And, I am praying for revival.

[Inigo_Montoya]

I heard a couple say, “Rejoice not when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles.”

I really don’t have much a problem with Jesus. It’s the majority of Christians that irk me with their “Eye for an eye…” shit

[Tom_Tildrum]

There’s a ton of discussion of this issue on Christian websites and blogs.

[Johnny_L.A]

It’s easy to love thine enemy once he’s dead.

[nani]

It’s purely anecdotal, but pretty much every response to bin Laden’s death that I identified as “Christian” that I’ve seen in my daily real life has appealed to the “Love your enemies” idea.

And actually, it has been inspiring to me personally.

[The_Second_Stone]

When your dog gets rabies you still love your dog. But you put him down like a rabid dog.

[Cort]

However, you generally don’t get a chuckle imagining your dog being forced to suck pork battered Jew cock in Hell until the end of time while wearing the American flag for a bib.

[Gyrate]

Bin Laden has been rendered unto the seas (fnar fnar).

Some (and I’m not putting a percentage on this) of the “We should be sad about bin Laden’s death” rhetoric I’ve seen has had distinct undertones of trying to twist this against Obama, as in “Sure, he ordered a strike against a key enemy of America but let’s minimize the credit he gets by pointing out how unChristian killing people is”.

[newcrasher]

@Cort

However, you generally don’t get a chuckle imagining your dog being forced to suck pork battered Jew cock in Hell until the end of time while wearing the American flag for a bib.

Quite a stunning turn of phrase. Well done, sir!

[Inigo_Montoya]

@Gyrate

Some (and I’m not putting a percentage on this) of the “We should be sad about bin Laden’s death” rhetoric I’ve seen has had distinct undertones of trying to twist this against Obama…

I’ve noticed that, too. Personally, however, I got my sense of decorum from playing high school football when we were taught how to handle winning or losing with class. So many of us have no class.

[Shodan]

I don’t think it has anything to do with “loving your enemies”, but the private school my kids used to go with was affiliated with a non-denominational, Christian, fundamentalist church. They always prayed for the President, and had his picture up so students would be reminded to pray for him (based on 1 Timothy 2:1-2) Then Clinton, the pro-abortion Democrat was elected.

On January 20, Clinton’s picture was up, and they prayed for him just exactly in the same way and using the same terms as they did for any other President. So in that case at least, they stuck very much by their Christian principles.

Regards,
Shodan

[Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge]

I see it as a reaction against supporting anything good Obama has done. If Bush took out Osama, I doubt there’d be any “love your enemies” crap.