Celebrating the Immoral: "American Justice and Divine Mercy: Thoughts on Osama bin Laden's Death"

On September 11, 2001, America’s world stopped turning. A war against those who had attacked us was declared and we swore to bring the one behind the attacks down. Over three years ago, SEAL Team 6, a team of elite American Special Operatives, fulfilled that promise and the world celebrated. Many Americans’ claimed that “justice has been done.” (111) Patrick Clark, a Catholic blogger, responded to the “outpouring of “solidarity” among American[s],” (112) in celebration of this death. While using a lens of Catholicism, Clark is able to question whether or not true justice, as taught by Christ, was done. Through artful use of rhetorical questions, drawing unlikely parallels, and bringing coincidences to light, Clark creates a successful, thought provoking argument in regards to bin Laden’s death and Christian Americans’ reaction. Clark efficiently convinces a united audience that although we may “yearn to celebrate his death,” (113) this jubilation would be highly immoral, as the “expression of forgiveness [in regards to the execution of Osama]” (112) is disconnected from “divine mercy proclaimed by Jesus to Saint Faustina,” the saint associated with Divine Mercy Sunday.

Clark poses thought provoking questions, such as whether or not “it [is] appropriate to feel . . . a little uncomfortable with” (111) calling Osama bin Laden’s execution a just action, to begin the overarching process of reflection in the audience’s mind. Clark is able to tie questions like this throughout his blog post, asking the audience to do a double take on whose justice had been done. Through this, he is able to evoke strong emotional ties to traditional Catholics masses, where priest often ask similar questions. These range from the appropriateness of celebrating the “death of the unjust,” (112)  to how the “utter absence of any public expression . . . of forgiveness for crimes. . . [Should] bother us as Christians.” (112) Clark uses his audience’s primarily Catholic beliefs, alluding to messages brought  to Saint Faustina and teachings of Augustine, to tug at the heartstrings of his audience, making them question their own morality in the wake of Osama’s death.

Moreover, he questions whether or not the “blood of the slain . . .  find[s] its answer in the blood that pours from Christ’s side.” (112) Clark asks the readers whether or not their belief in the redeeming power of the crucifixion was truly fulfilled on Divine Mercy Sunday, prompting their answer in a way that is in line with the thesis of his blog post. As he asks this question, Clark is able to convince the audience using both logic and emotions that the morality of the “outpouring of solidarity . . . in the wake of bin Laden’s death” (112) is incongruous with the “divine justice and mercy” (112) that was achieved through Christ’s sacrifice. Through underlying questions, Clark is able to call American’s to repentance, stating that their belief in Christ’s mercy is not apparent by their acts of elation.

Patrick Clark not only calls readers to repentance through rhetorical questions, but also through using unlikely parallels. First, Clark embellishes similarities between bin Laden and Christ’s death in order to make the reader uncomfortable with their acts of celebration. Both deaths were called by many as “an act of divine mercy,” yet Clark emphasizes the parallels by associating “the bullet-hole in bin Laden’s head with the hole in Jesus’ side. . .” The gross association unseats the audience, by comparing someone so vile with the Christian ideal of perfection. Both deaths, while vastly different in purpose, could be considered the same, as American Christians celebrated both as an act of divine mercy. Through this seemingly fallacious argument, Clark is able to convince the audience that death of this terrorist was not an act of mercy or justice in traditional Christian sense of the word.

Clark also argues that our jubilation, with “waving our flags and honking our horns. . .” should not be compatible with “the Jubilate Deo of Psalm 100.” (112) Psalms 100, in the Catholic cannon of scripture, is a celebratory psalm, worshiping and praising God for his mercies. American’s reaction to Osama’s death, with “waving our flags and honking our horns,” (112), is comparable in Clark’s eyes, and through rhetorical questions, Clark is able to invoke the harsh reality; Americans’ praised bin Laden’s executioners in similitude of praising God. He argues that we “commended [our] enemy . . . to the Navy SEALS,” (113) and in turn, praised them for this act of divine mercy and misplaced their trust in brute force, rather than Christ like love.  Clark creates a paradox in the readers’ minds by drawing this parallel between both celebrated saviors. He uses the allusions in a way reminiscent of the Savior’s parables, and through paralleling two opposites, initiates a self-reflective thought process in which the audience is convinced that the “acts of “justice” . . . carried out” were “unjust, unnecessary. . . [and] even blasphemous,” (112) especially considering our jubilation. In calling the reaction blasphemous, Clark evokes a feeling of guilt, creating a strong argument towards the lack of compassion and justice in this action. Through paralleling the two acts of celebration, Clark effectively criticizes the lack of thought given in celebration towards Osama bin Laden’s death.

While parallels between Christ and Osama, and SEAL Team 6 and God, are woven throughout Clark’s blog post, he does not fail to address the audience in regards to how the response should have gone. In referencing John Paul II’s forgiveness towards a hit man, Clark criticizes American’s need for the death of a terrorist to gain justice, arguing that instead, we should have responded the way the late Pope did, “embrac[ing] and forg[iving] the enemy that sought to take his life. . .” (113). Here, he directly addresses his primarily Catholic audience. John Paul II was beloved by the majority of Catholics. As with Mormons and the Prophet, Catholics often look to the Pope for ideals on how to live and obtain true happiness. By drawing the stark contrast between the two reactions to an enemy, Patrick Clark reprimands the audience, communicating a failure of the model of holiness that was honored on Divine Mercy Sunday.

Divine Mercy Sunday is an often repeated date in Clark’s post. This Sunday is one held in high regards by Catholics, as it not only follows Easter Sunday, but is also the day for true forgiveness and benevolence.  The repetition is picked up by the reader and Patrick Clark does not fail to use this to his advantage. Coincidentally, this Sunday was also the day that Osama was killed. In recognizing this unintended occurrence, Clark points out the failure of Christian mercy, as this day was for true compassion, but was also set aside for the beatification of John Paul II. This coincidence is emphasized several times throughout the paper, especially highlighting his teaching of “total gratuity, forgiveness, and reconciliation.” Clark is able to persuade the audience that contrary to popular belief, the “justice [that] has been done” (111) is not in line with what Pope John Paul II taught, as well with the audience’s theology. 

May 2, 2011 was not only a day of solidarity among Catholics worldwide—the day Pope John Paul II was beatified--was also a day of unanimous celebration among Americans, for the enemy of the country was served justice. Patrick Clark is able to argue through communicating coincidences, exaggerated parallels, and using rhetorical questions to appeal to the traditional Christian audience, that bin Laden’s death is not in line with the doctrine of Christ’s mercy nor his sacrifice to satisfy the needs of justice. Throughout his argument, Clark is able to communicate the need for Christian justice, quoting Pope John Paul II that “one’s neighbor must be loved, even if an enemy, with the same love with which the Lord loves him.” (113) While “Osama bin Laden was a murderer and a criminal,” (113) Clark reminds his audience that while “celebrating his death,” (113) would tempting, such actions go against the very “justice and mercy of our Lord.” (113)

Bibliography

 Clark, Patrick. "American Justice and Divine Mercy: Thoughts on Osama bin Laden's Death." BYU. Perspectves on Religion in America. Provo, UT: BYU Academic Publishing, 2011. 111-113. Textbook.