On Empathy, Saddam and Death
December 31, 2006
My friend Deborah commented on my last post about Saddam Hussein’s execution that, “sympathizing with saddam even for humane reasons is doing a major disservice to the memory of his victims.”
But I’d like to point out that there’s a difference between sympathy and empathy. I feel no sympathy for Saddam. If I had been able to stop his execution, I’m not sure I would have. But I do understand and feel the weight of what has been done by executing him. Evil or not, deserving or not, a violent death is always a sad thing. When it comes at the hands of the state, it is especially disturbing. Just as the deaths of Saddam’s victims-slaughtered at the hands of the state-is cruel and disturbing.
But being able to empathize with a condemned, albeit evil man does not render me incapable of empathy for his victims or their families. They all deserve our sadness and our prayers. In death and in the eyes of God, nobody is above any other no matter what they have done.
Call me half-witted for saying this, but I truly do believe that God will sort it out. Somewhere right now, Saddam could be honestly and humbly seeking forgiveness from those he slaughtered. Somewhere right now, the people into whose lives he brought enormous suffering could be giving him that forgiveness. I pray that it’s true for the sake of this messed-up, crazy world.
I recognize that this view may not be popular, and it’s not one I expect anyone to share. But I do hope you will at least respect it and give it some consideration.
i do see where you’re coming from, but despite our (shared) beliefs of the afterlife, i still think it would’ve been completely just to inflict humiliation upon him in his death while he was still here with us on earth. can you clarify your position on who should have the right to execute, if not the state? would it have been better for his victims’ families to have literally executed him in their chosen fashion (since by extension they did sentence him to death)–which actually wouldn’t be such a bad idea? or are you wholly against the death penalty?
on another note, i don’t get the 5.11 resolution? is this more geek terminolgy i’m not up to snuff on? and here’s a new word: gerd. geek + nerd = gerd. yay!
and regarding the comment about “in the eyes of God, no one is above any other…” in a sense i agree because we are all sinners. but there is a difference between those who truly repent and are sorry for their sins and seek forgiveness and those who don’t. saddam never repented before his death and was proud of his deeds and all the groveling he does in his afterlife won’t do him any good come judgement day. i am reminded of the parable about Lazarus. i do believe there is a special place in hell for people like him, but like i said before, while we had him we might as well have helped him along his way. and i’m glad we did.
Wow, Teresa, posting empathy for Saddam is definetly opening up a can of worms, and I feel that I should congratulate you on that count! I also agree with you, or at least with what I think you’re saying. I also find the idea of Saddam’s execution to be somewhat troublesome, even if his actions make him one of the most evil men of the modern age. It probably has to do with my firm belief in the power of redemption, and God’s mercy and grace.
Would Saddam have ever gotten down on his knees and prayed the sinner’s prayer, truly and completely repenting for everything he’s ever done. Probably not. But it bothers me that now he will never have the chance.
Of course, out of a need to qualify myself, I am not in any way lessening the evil of the man’s deeds. I’m just responding with my own, personal reaction to the situation.
Now I’ve opened up the can of worms even wider, haven’t I?
Oh well. Contreversy is good for the soul. Take care.
Deb: I agree with you that there is a difference between those who repent and those who do not. But that difference is only in the eyes of human beings, and we are right to see it. If we were to go around forgiving people indiscriminately regardless of whether we believed that they were truly penitent or not, we would be constantly offering second, third, fourth and fifth chances to people who have hurt us in the past and will only hurt us again.
There are truths that exist because human beings need them to survive our reality, and then there are universal truths. I cannot claim to know universal truths because I am only human. But personally, I believe that God forgives us whether or not we ask for his forgiveness.
Even human parents must come to a point where they cannot allow their children to hurt them any longer. A mother whose child is a heroin addict must eventually cut her off financially to protect herself. But we cannot hurt our parent God in the same way with our selfish human transgressions. And when a parent is in a position to extend his child mercy, he will extend it regardless of the transgression. That is how I believe it is with God.
Matt: Cans of worms are fun, yes? Controversial debate, as long as it’s civil, is one of my great joys in life.
I am also troubled that Saddam will never have the opportunity to truly repent his sins in this life. I don’t think that’s a bad personal reaction to have. I’m sure it’s shared by others.