The Lesson of Saint Thomas

The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Caravaggio

I have been thinking. Should the images of the slain Osama bin Laden be released by the government?  They are not anything I would want posted on any of my sites. I do not need direct evidence.

Yet there is reason to be skeptical and cynical of government in general.  Clarity and honesty are paramount to trust. In this instance, what to do for the sake of clarity? Even little bits of misinformation feeds distrust. For example, Islamic law is that the bodies of  deceased are to be respectfully disposed of in a timely fashion. But burial at sea?  ONLY when the person died shipboard. 

I believe I found the answer in the Bible. In the New Testament. In the story about the disciple's reaction to the death of Christ. The one centered on whom we know as Doubting Thomas (John 20:19-29). 

The risen Christ showed his wounds. Proof that God finds value in providing physical evidence.  I understand, such open disclosure is not without risk. But certainly not with any more peril than we are without it. Not providing the images is only going to provide fertile ground for misinformation.

So, President Obama. Please. Release a picture. I will take it as a sign of respect for the American people and those who fight to protect her.

Then we can move on to more important issues. Such as regards foreign aid. When is it good and when is it simply enabling bad behavior by unscrupulous souls? If someone hid bin Laden because they were paid so much money to "look" for him: the implications of that question are more important than pretending we had any respect for the man who disgraced the name of  bin Laden.