Over the past two weeks I have either attended or walked by several vigils and memorials dedicated to the memory of those who perished in the terrible tragedy.
There has been an abundance of prayer for the victims and their families, as they are in much need of our concern. But one observation I have made is that no one seems to be praying for Osama bin Laden. Am I presumptuous to believe that his soul is in need of more prayer than anyone else?
He may be responsible for countless deaths, but he is still a living soul, and his influence in time cannot be calculated.
Maybe a little prayer for him will do some good; at the very least it cant hurt to send out a positive vibe.
As our Christian leader embarks on a campaign to blast bin Laden and all the other people of Afghanistan straight to a fiery hell, maybe those who support this theology should recall these words from the Bible -- whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and the blood of the Lord.
A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself (I Corinthians 11: 27-29). I don't know about most Americans, but I can imagine that there are people in Afghanistan who do not want to die in this senseless war.
Does religion really lead a person to God when death and destruction are necessarily involved? As their self-appointed judges, maybe we should be praying for those people as well.
Jason R. King
Senior
English and Philosophy
