People are wanting to see a photo of the dead bin Laden. I think it is a terrible idea. If you go into a Catholic church, or into many Catholic homes, what is front and center? The crucifix, a sculpture of the martyred Jesus.
I don’t know when the crucifix became the symbol of early Christianity, but I would guess that it was used as a symbol to help the Christians spread their faith in the face of persecution, oppression, and murder – i.e. to become martyrs to the faith and follow in the footsteps of Jesus to suffer and die if needed to save the world.
There could have been many symbols of Jesus that could have become his iconic image. Why not symbols of miracles – fishes, wine, walking on water? Why not his resurrection – rising from the ashes and reborn anew? Why not love and healing – making the lame walk or curing lepers?
I expect the choice of the crucifixion was a choice that did the most to encourage the faithful to keep going in the face of great odds, lions in the coliseum and other persecutions trying to stop the spread of a new religion.
The last thing Obama needs to give the world is a picture that could become a symbol of Jihadist martyrhood to incite the fanatical bloody jihadists.
