Regarding Justice and Forgiveness...

My recent post regarding my feelings on the military operation that ended in the death of Osama Bin Laden drew more than a few reactions here and elsewhere. To be clear, the point of my post was that I...anti-war, anti-military, pacifist-pinko-lefty-socialist JB...was proud of the actions taken and satisfied with the result.

However, that doesn't seem to be the part that irritated folks. What they took some umbrage with was my thoughts on Osama Bin Laden and our (humans) need to preserve life, and that his soul was good, etc. etc. insert hippy-dippy New Age stuff.

Fine. Let me explain my stance on THAT.

I happen to be a Christian, which to me means I am a "follower of the teachings of Christ." No, I do not believe that simply believing in Jesus (or anyone) is going to save you...real ACTION is necessary for the salvation of souls (whatever that means to you).

Part of following Christ's teachings is forgiveness. Forgiving of those who trespass against us. Forgiving EVERYone.

Not putting a bullet in their head first and then forgiving them.

We all "pay" for our crimes (by "pay" I mean, we all receive the justice that is our due) in this life or the next. Eventually, we all reap what we sow: Bin Laden, myself, George W., those punks that burgled my house and freaked out my wife.

But humans are limited in the scope of our understanding of the past, present, and future. Only the Universe/God can find a true balance of action/consequence...while man speaks of justice, may even dispense "justice" (in courts or whatnot) true justice can only be determined from a higher, enlightened (divine) perspective.

What we CAN do is forgive. We can forgive those who trespass against us. As the Christ showed us.

I try to forgive everyone: Hitler, the Israelis that invade the West Bank, the Palestinians that retaliate with violence, the jackasses that blew up the Twin Towers, WotC and Hasbro, the dudes that shot Gandhi and MLK Jr., etc. And, yes, Osama Bin Laden, too.

No person is so amoral and evil that we cannot forgive the person. If Lucifer rots in hell, it is because he prefers to rule in hell than serve God in heaven...it's NOT because God isn't all merciful and forgiving (God is All-Powerful by definition...he could turn Lucy into a cupcake if he wanted, what do you think "all-powerful" means?). The serial killers and serial rapists and suicide bombers of the world, the people that bilk the elderly out of their life savings and drive drunk and kill your child...these are awful, awful excuses for human beings. They need to be prevented from harming people.

They do not "deserve" death.

People who are "happy Osama Bin Laden is dead" feel the satisfaction of having something they fear expunged. But wishing someone dead is a trite and petty thought. All humans die eventually, and in the grand history of the world our lifespans are but a blink of the eye. Forgive and move on, work to make the world a better, happier place. I see folks that carry signs saying "Never Forget 9/11" and to me, it's like wearing a badge that says,

I will carry fear with me forever.

If you want to live in fear, that's fine. I've got news for you: you WILL die eventually. As will your spouse. And your children. And your parents. And your beloved friends and pets and everyone you know. Why waste the brief and precious time you have with them allowing it to be colored by fear?

Why waste a single moment of your life on hatred?

Yes, yes...JB bitches about WotC and WoW and 4th edition all the time. Passing thoughts, my friends...blog fodder that once posted I do my best to forget. And, hey...I'm human. It's hard to forgive sometimes!

But I KNOW that forgiveness, and loving each human being on this planet, even the Osama Bin Ladens of the world, is the RIGHT thing to do. And challenging though it may be, it doesn't benefit us in any way, shape, or form to hold onto a grudge or anger or fear.

I write this as a father who loves his son and would do anything in his power to save him. But saving him does not mean "going out and killing some people." Creating a world where deadly violence and lack of forgiveness is "standard operating procedure" is not "saving my child." It is simply creating a fearful Hell on Earth.

I stand by what I wrote in my prior post. I think that the military operation to apprehend Bin Laden was NOT a callous offing of life or piece of vengeance; I think that there are born warriors in our society for a reason, and in this instance they acted to the best of their calling. A man had demonstrated time and time again that a Live and Let Live policy was not going to suffice for our differences in opinions, and needed to be prevented from committing more crimes against humanity. We CAN be sorry that he chose to die rather than choosing to reform himself and work for a better tomorrow.

Now, can I get back to the D&D posts? Please?