Should We Forgive Osama Bin Laden?

To be honest, the question of whether or not we should forgive Osama Bin Laden has never really come to mind.  My first response would be no.  Why should we forgive someone who maliciously attacked our country and killed thousands of American people?  9/11 is a day that no American will ever forget.  Although I do not remember the day in great detail, I am aware of the effects it had on this country.  Many people who lost family, friends, and loved ones, are still affected eleven years later.  So why should we forgive Osama Bin Laden?

After reading Mike Hayes post, my view on this topic changed a small bit.  Mike Hayes writes, “…forgiveness does not give assent to the horrible actions committed by another.” He later goes on to write that forgiveness allows us to move on with our lives and break free of the anger that still controls our lives.  I believe Hayes has a good point.  If we the American people forgive Bin Laden, we can try and move on.  We do not have to forget what happened and we don’t have to think what happened was okay, but we can take a step in the right direction.  We can learn from what happened on 9/11.

We as Catholics are called to live like Jesus and follow his example.  When thinking about this question, Jesus nailed to the cross comes to mind.  When Jesus was dying on the cross he forgave every single person condemning him.  This in no way is different.  Jesus was in pain, upset, and betrayed, just like the American people on 9/11.  We need to be like Jesus and forgive Osama Bin Laden.  Like Hayes writes, “…we are indeed called to forgive Osama Bin Laden.  In doing so, we become more like God.”