Explaining the taking of a life as a moral act

Even though the killing of another person is seen as immoral, on Monday there were speeches, prayers of thanksgiving and spontaneous gatherings of people delighted to hear of the demise of Osama bin Laden. How can parents explain the collision of international justice and moral teaching to their children? Temple psychologist Frank Farley suggests setting bin Laden's death in the context of war. "Unfortunately, in wartime, people get killed, and he's really a warrior on the other side," said Farley. "In a sense, that's the whole story...He can be defined as a warrior and killing happens when we're trying to survive."
May 3, 2011 | News Journal (Wilmington, Del.)