THE Indonesian Government has advised that the three Bali Bombers who killed more than 200 people including 88 Australians are scheduled to die by firing squad in the very near future.
They committed a terrible act of violence. Now they are to die by an act of violence.
Can we as Christians justify approving of their violent deaths – killing the killers?
I hope and pray that we do not seek revenge disguised as justice.
Could we all pray for them that they may repent of their act – that they may acknowledge how wrong they were and to ask for forgiveness of those families suffering dreadful loss and ask the forgiveness of the Almighty but just Judge – a judge whom we all must face eventually?
It’s difficult for many of us – but if they were permitted to live and the president of Indonesia was to commute their sentence to life imprisonment perhaps in time they may repent, ask for forgiveness and then convince other young potential killers to not follow their path; that they are no longer proud of their cowardly deed and by their conversion, they may convert others and convince them to use peaceful means to attain their objectives.
They have to be alive to do this. In any case, please, as Christians let us pray for them, that they may repent, ask God’s forgiveness and be saved from eternal punishment.
PETER SMITH
Mount Isa, Qld
