Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said that killing an unarmed man left him uncomfortable. He is now being reviled by those who think that THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE - and being reviled by other people who think the word "uncomfortable" is a bit wet. There was the rather ghastly Giles Fraser on the radio this afternoon, basically agreeing but then when asked by the interviewer if ObL was going to hell - he dithered, saying "well, Hell is talked about in the Bible..... yes, of course he's going to Hell!" I really disliked that prevarication, he is a liberal theologian, who probably doesn't believe in Hell... but he wants to make a good populist point by proclaiming that he too agrees with the unthinking judgement. Is there really no one, not even a liberal theologian, who will not say that it is not for us to say where he is going, and that God's judgement is sovereign and not to be second-guessed by the massed ranks of obedient believers.
The extent of God's mercy is quite unknown. I agree on paper ObL wouldn't have much chance - if Paolo and Francesca get put in the Inferno obviously ObL is much worse, but then again, Dante didn't have much right to put people in Hell either. Of course in those days theology was simpler. There was hell - and if you did certain things you would end up there (unless you'd had the foresight to make a really good confession and get absolution first). But since the 13thC there have been some theological advances.... which is why I think the Bibliolators are so amusing.... they seem to believe that everything they believe comes straight out of the Bible - when it's actually just as much an interpretation as all the Catholic theology that went before the Reformation - many of the doctrines invented by the Catholic Church were simply a way of trying to understanding God, and His grace and trying to make things consistent. The Reformation went back to the Bible and conveniently ignores all the inconsistencies....
Oh, that's enough ranting. I found a blog called Anglican samizdat - I'm not quite sure what's so samizdat about it... it's hardly a secret when it appears on the first page of a Google search.
What do I think? I think the killing was politically appropriate, but morally wrong. If our theology is correct God also loves ObL although they may not have spent much time together in the last few years.
Blimey, the blog is getting v. theological. Let's stuff some politics in.
There were local elections today. I voted Labour for Thanet District Council, and 2 Labour and 1 indep (Ralph) for Ramsgate Town Council - and I voted Yes to the Alternative Vote, after thinking for a while that I really didn't care. Frankly anything that keeps the Tories down is good for me. I don't suppose we'll win AV - but it would be nice to vote Green occasionally without feeling guilty for letting Labour down.
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