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I'm looking for a Biblical response to this question. And it's not specific to bin Laden but I'm just using him as an example.
I know Jesus said love your enemies. And Paul even showed how this can be a form of revenge.
But I can't help but wonder if a Christian could at least be relieved that the bin Ladens and Hitlers of the world were killed.
In one sense, I don't think we should be "pleased" that he is dead. God is not "pleased", which should be our ultimate example:
11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’
However, just because we should not take pleasure in his death, does not mean we cannot be pleased with the net outcome of the situation. We can be pleased that future lives will be spared.
For example, even though God did not take pleasure in the death of the wicked, he still ordered sentences of death for certain offenses (and he does all that he pleases). This was for the net benefit of the society. So, although God did not take take pleasure in the death of the individual, he took pleasure in the protection of the masses.
So while we ought to grieve his individual death, for his sake, we can still be pleased overall for the sake of others.
The most important reaction to this should be that Osama bin Laden died without Christ, at least we presume he did, as he gave us no evidence of accepting Christ as his Savior before his death.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
So we too should be longing for the salvation of all the "Osama's" of the world. We should be sad that another lost soul went to Hell but similar to Eric's comment, we can take comfort that Osama bin Laden will no longer deceive others and cause them to turn from God. Furthermore, we can also praise God for keeping His promise:
And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed .
As we all know Osama bin Laden was an enemy of Israel, therefore, I believe God fulfilled his promise against Osama bin Laden. So we can praise God for keeping His promise.
We are taught to hate the sin and not the sinner. We are called to love every brother. This would include Osama.
