Forgiveness

[Furrowed Brow]

• Scenario: x murders y’s daughter. x is eventually caught and put on trial. Y gives evidence. During the cross examination y admits that they no longer feel anger or resentment towards x; they have forgiven x. When y says this they are being sincere, they no longer feel anger. The outcome is that the jury find x guilty and the judge sentences him to death. This is also a court where the opinion of y is taken into consideration. If y had agreed clemency the sentence would have become a life sentence. But Y asks for the death sentence. So x is executed.

Did y really forgive x?

Does forgiveness mean:

• 1/ feeling no anger etc. AND showing this as a behaviour and choices made i.e. clemency
  2/ feeling no anger, resentment etc and has nothing to do with behaviour and choices.

[Hespera]

In the Bible does God promise to forgive in all cases or is it only for someone who will truly repent? I wonder, what are we supposed to do compared to Gods rules for this?

I think some people are 100% incapable of repenting. You have to have a conscience in order to repent.

So what about a sociopath or psychopath who has no conscience, only knows how to pretend to be normal? Some are very good actors. Do you say its nsot their fault how they acted so then you can forgive them if its not their fault?

I could pretend to forgive people who have never tried to show they were sorry and would do anything to make it up for what they did. But I cannot fool myself this way. Also, forgiving someone who is not sorry makes no sense at all.

I have a lot of hurt and anger in me that I must learn to deal with it. But I dont think I can do that by lying to myself.