http://www.npr.org/2011/05/02/135927693/is-it-wrong-to-celebrate-bin-ladens-death

This is a brief article that analyses the moral issue of celebrating bin Laden's death.  Basically, there are four possible reasons to celebrate:
(1) to celebrate for his dying
(2) to celebrate for the defeat of an enemy in war
(3) to celebrate retribution for heinous criminal acts
(4) to celebrate his being disabled and rendered harmless

I agree with the official Catholic position, as stated in the article.  I appreciate that bin Laden is rendered harmless, but I take no part in celebrating death, revenge, or war. To do so, is to emulate bin Laden's way of thinking.  I choose to emulate Jesus's way of thinking.

I didn't see it as celebration. I saw it as catharsis.

Calling it celebratory implies a very different emotional state than calling it cathartic.

It wasn't justification, it was clarification.

Posted by antonsirius on 5/3/2011 10:54:00 AM (view original):
Calling it celebratory implies a very different emotional state than calling it cathartic.

It wasn't justification, it was clarification.

It is an interesting point, nonetheless.  A celebration is a behavioral action and a catharsis is an emotional experience. They are categorically disparate. A celebration is a deliberate act expressed outwardly and a catharsis is an internal emotion experienced inwardly. Besides that, the two are not mutually exclusive. Furthemore, what constitutes a celebration is much broader than what constitutes a catharsis.  A cathartic experience is a purging of pent up emotion. The emotional experience that accompanies a celebration can encompass many different emotions, and catharsis can be a part of that experience. It isn't that people having catharsis do not celebrate or visa versa, as I think you are saying.  Besides, clearly, If people are haingin out in front of the White House late at night cheering, drinking, and chanting "U-S-A" then that definitely qualifies as a celebration. 

" It isn't that people having catharsis do not celebrate or visa versa, as I think you are saying."

Not exactly what I'm trying to say. Calling it a celebration, to me, implies that the only emotion involved is joy. Calling it a catharsis doesn't rule out joy, but brings in a host of other emotions as well - relief, grieving etc.

It's like calling a wake a party. You're not wrong, exactly, but you're missing a big part of the picture.

dahsdebator I understand what your point is and I think a nation or nations who celebrate an attack like 9/11 and those who were cheering the death of the man who made it happen are two very different things.