Is It Impossible For Us To Forgive?

Guest Post by Mary Christine

“I shall allow no man to belittle my soul by making me hate him.” – Booker T. Washington

“Watch out that no bitterness takes root among you, for as it springs up it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives.” Heb 12:15 TLB

You don't owe people 'toxic forgiveness' | The Independent

I ask because I’m struggling with forgiving anyone associated with the mess we are in right now, particularly a friend and some family members. For the purpose of keeping this essay shorter I won’t make a list of all the wrongs we have seen perpetrated by governments, the medical industrial complex, media, and our own friends and family members.

Jesus commanded his followers to forgive. Indeed, The Lords Prayer includes this line “Forgive us as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Any of us who claim to be followers of Jesus must take him seriously when he commands us to forgive. There are parables and instructions throughout the New Testament regarding forgiveness. Most Christians are familiar with the passage in Matt 18:21-35 where Peter asks how many times we should forgive. I wonder what he was thinking when he heard Jesus’s answer? I know what I’m thinking, stay away from someone who sinned against you 77 times, Peter!

I’m far from a Bible scholar and I’m not going to continue on as if this was a Bible study. However, I know I would not be able to forgive anyone without scripture, and the Holy Spirit to guide me. So, I will fall back on some material from past Bible studies.

I think part of the problem we have with forgiving others is we don’t really understand what forgiveness is, and what it is not. Furthermore, just who is the “those” that Jesus is talking about in his prayer?

We know for sure he is talking about personal relationships, our family members, friends, people we know personally, who have hurt us in various ways. Is he also talking about the entities who have perpetrated the ongoing chaos we are dealing with? Some of them have names but we don’t know them personally, others are nameless and faceless. I believe each one of us is only able to forgive personal affronts. But why even forgive anyone? Jesus tells Peter what happens to people who refuse to forgive in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. His master had him delivered to the torturers.

What lies behind unforgiveness? Anger, of course. We have a right to be angry with the perpetrators of chaos. We can see the damage it has done worldwide. Anger motivates us to want change. We want them to pay for what they have done.  There should be consequences and reparations. How do we go about making this happen? That is a question I cannot answer with any certainty. You see Nuremberg 2.0 mentioned quite often. I would ask how well the first Nuremberg has worked? It concerns me, though, that once something starts, it could go badly, like French Revolution bad.

Those bigger questions will have to be left to someone else. I will just address our personal relationships. We can control whether we will forgive them, or not.  Forgiving them could make an immediate difference in our lives, regardless of whether or not they ask for it. Carrying around the baggage of anger and unforgiveness can actually manifest itself physically putting us at increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, impaired immune systems and elevated cortisol.

So, what is forgiveness? I’ll start by stating a few things that it is not.

Forgiveness is not:

  • Restoring trust
  • Reconciliation may or may not happen.
  • A hurtful incident can be remembered for a lifetime.
  • Minimizing the offence
  • Does not mean the offending person is never rebuked.
  • Does not annihilate healthy boundaries.
  • Does not mean there are no consequences.
  • Overlooking
  • Excusing
  • Whitewashing
  • Understanding
  • The offended taking the blame.

The list is not comprehensive but those are the major points. So, what does forgiveness look like?

Forgiveness is taking hold of personal recovery from the infraction; not just waiting for the other to make amends. That allows the offender to be in control of the pain in your heart and life.

Forgiveness is a choice.

You must stop looking for replacement, repayment, or restoration.

Forgiveness means you quit replaying the offense over and over in your head. It also means you give up the “ghost” of the offense and cease dredging up old memories.

Forgiveness is hard work, and it’s costly. For believers, it’s covering the offense and the person with the blood of Christ. It is an act of obedience.

Choosing to forgive usually requires reinforcement.

If the person who offended you is toxic, forgiveness may mean you avoid that person, maybe forever. That would be a consequence the offender would have to live with.

So, what steps need to be taken to help us move towards forgiveness once we have made the choice to forgive?

We need to start by acknowledging the incident(s) by verbalizing or writing it/them down on paper.

Take your pain to the cross and take the other there with you in prayer form.

Remember Jesus’s blood was shed both for our own sins we committed, but also to remit the sins that have been committed against us.

By burying hurt and hate, we bury the possibility of healing that forgiveness offers. We should work towards forgiveness sooner rather than later, because we never know when we will draw our last breath.

I used to use this video when I led forgiveness Bible studies some years ago. It’s 14 minutes long and Rob Bell mostly reiterates what I have already said here. But it’s an excellent illustration for why we should work on this as soon as possible. If you are pressed for time, skip to 11:13 and just watch the last 3 minutes. It’s titled Luggage and shows a lady picking up her luggage at the baggage claim and dragging it with her through the airport to her car while Bell narrates his short teaching on forgiveness. I’m sure you understand what the baggage represents.

-----------------------------------------------------
It is my sincere desire to provide readers of this site with the best unbiased information available, and a forum where it can be discussed openly, as our Founders intended. But it is not easy nor inexpensive to do so, especially when those who wish to prevent us from making the truth known, attack us without mercy on all fronts on a daily basis. So each time you visit the site, I would ask that you consider the value that you receive and have received from The Burning Platform and the community of which you are a vital part. I can't do it all alone, and I need your help and support to keep it alive. Please consider contributing an amount commensurate to the value that you receive from this site and community, or even by becoming a sustaining supporter through periodic contributions. [Burning Platform LLC - PO Box 1520 Kulpsville, PA 19443] or Paypal

-----------------------------------------------------
To donate via Stripe, click here.
-----------------------------------------------------
Use promo code ILMF2, and save up to 66% on all MyPillow purchases. (The Burning Platform benefits when you use this promo code.)
Click to visit the TBP Store for Great TBP Merchandise
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
325 Comments
Anonymous
Anonymous
January 30, 2023 8:51 pm

Wondering what the fuck is going on here?

comment image

You’re being handled into accepting what was done, and channeled into doing nothing about it.

The people behind the vaccine must be executed, and nothing less than that is acceptable.

ursel doran
ursel doran
  Anonymous
January 30, 2023 9:20 pm

PLEASE start the movement to get the jab to be NOT labeled as a vaccine when it is now well known that it is NOT vaccine!

bucknp
bucknp
  ursel doran
February 1, 2023 5:15 pm

Didn’t Donald Trump say “it” was a fucking vaccine?

Beware.

WestcoastDeplorable
WestcoastDeplorable
  bucknp
February 2, 2023 10:46 pm

He has a lot to apologize for, and if he chooses to I would vote for him. I would never vote dem.

m
m
  Anonymous
January 31, 2023 3:36 am

Irrelevant.
IF you study those things closely, you will find that if a major super-majority takes on a certain mindset, it doesn’t matter anymore what the others think, or who has the better arguments. The super-majority will steer policies, and it makes no difference what system you’re in (democracy or monarchy or dictatorship or whatever.)
And if the super-majority reaches over 90%, even most judges -including the Supreme Incompetence Court- will start to bend their decisions towards their will.

Arthur_500
Arthur_500
  m
January 31, 2023 5:34 pm

The Czar of Russia was brought down with 17% popularity of the Communists.
The BLM rioters raised hundreds of millions of dollars for BLM scam artists with lower than 17% popularity.
Judges are politicians in black robes and need no knowledge of the law.
A Super-Majority is what the media says it is. No facts or actual numbers necessary. Bo Jiden was elected with a Super-Majority. Just ask him.

m
m
  Arthur_500
February 1, 2023 3:12 am

LOL, and how high was the popularity of the Czar at the time? (83% ??)

There is some truth to what you say, but ultimately fake cannot trump reality.

VOWG
VOWG
  Anonymous
January 31, 2023 7:56 am

I am not accepting and I will not forgive. God can have a go at it but not me. I agree completely with your last sentence.

Horseless Headsman
Horseless Headsman
  VOWG
January 31, 2023 10:25 am

I will forgive them as I feed them into the chipper.

skzx
skzx
  Horseless Headsman
February 1, 2023 12:55 am

LOL…..LOL!

bucknp
bucknp
  Horseless Headsman
February 1, 2023 5:26 pm

Only 14 degrees in Fargo presently yet cold enough to keep that chipper mush from stinking.

Let the world burn
Let the world burn
  Anonymous
January 31, 2023 9:35 am

Indeed, forgiveness must be earned. Only after the victim extracts vengeance can the perpetrator be forgiven.

Eyes Wide Shut
Eyes Wide Shut
  Let the world burn
January 31, 2023 10:12 am

God’s gold standard of love and forgiveness for His creation that true believers in Him are called to emulate is the words of Jesus towards his torturous murderers as he hung upon the cross.
“Forgive them for they know not what they do”
That being said the commandment to forgive others as God has forgiven us does not mean they are not held accountable for their criminal actions regardless of any or true repentance.
Forgiveness is not mutually exclusive from accountability.
We can and must do both as true believers.

Gimp
Gimp
  Eyes Wide Shut
February 2, 2023 4:22 pm

I can believe the perpetrators in Christ’s death were not aware they were crucifying the Son of God, but the perpetrators of this vaccine, all the way from the top down to the anchormen and celebrities that pushed it every night knew. They ALL knew.

pyrrhus
pyrrhus
  Anonymous
January 31, 2023 10:16 am

And forgiving someone does not mean that they are exempt from righteous punishment…forgiveness is strictly personal, and allows you to wipe them from your mind…But in order to be forgiven, the offending person must accept guilt..

WTF - a world gone insane
WTF - a world gone insane
  pyrrhus
February 1, 2023 9:23 am

I don’t care if they accept guilt. A woodchipper does not care either.

And no, I’m not joking.

Anonymous
Anonymous
  Anonymous
January 31, 2023 9:57 pm

All men, the one’s that still have normal and natural desires, want to date younger(legal) women. But in America only the elites are allowed to do it. The rest are perverts of the worst kind for having that desire.

Now homo is different in America. The worst child molesting episode in the history of the world right in front of your faces. 100,000 male children systematically molested via homo leaders in the boyscouts. And the media pushed it EVERY day. Truth hurts and the irony is deep.

Born in sin, come on in

Falcon101
Falcon101
  Anonymous
February 2, 2023 7:09 pm

If you think about it, the B.A.R. Legal system has done this for years to condition (brainwash) you to accept this logic, if you admit to your crime, your sentence is largely reduced.

nkit
nkit
January 30, 2023 9:11 pm

I miss my son, but race and gender are not social constructs and man made climate change is a game for fools. I won’t forget, but I have forgiven.. even if he and his family don’t love me anymore….

Mary Christine
Mary Christine
  nkit
January 31, 2023 7:43 am

Wow, Nkit, that’s the worst, when your own offspring rejects you. I’m sorry. Honestly, I hate how the parasitic blood sucking people in the government, media and academia have caused this divide.

Division ?
Division ?
  Mary Christine
January 31, 2023 8:19 am

Luke 12:51 Context

48But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. 49I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled? 50But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished! 51Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: 52For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. 53The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 54And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is.

nkit
nkit
  Mary Christine
February 1, 2023 12:55 am

This is life with a self-admitted communist..What can I do?… (smirk)…

Anonymous
Anonymous
  nkit
February 1, 2023 10:51 am

In the same boat, brother and it’s awful.
But, in such cases it IS better to forgive.
I have too.

As to the perpetrators of the coronahoax I am FAR LESS forgiving.
They KNEW what they were doing.
They need a speedy fair trial and swift severe punishment.

Anonymous
Anonymous
January 30, 2023 9:27 pm

Fact is that it is women/ (betas) that think like this author that have put us in the situation we are in now. 50 YEARS of this bullshit kind of thought. No fight, always the excuse to forgive and forget, meanwhile the left/marxists KEEP MARCHING on , KEEP PUSHING and WILL NOT STOP.

The bible verse regurgitators always (conveniently?) leave out the passages that mention defense of ones person, to sell all your belongings to acquire a sword to fight. And this isnt even the old testament…

People like this author will readily march onto the train ‘forgiving’ the whole way to their end.

Mary Christine
Mary Christine
  Anonymous
January 30, 2023 9:37 pm

Agreed. Where’s the train? I’m ready🤣

hardscrabble farmer
hardscrabble farmer
  Anonymous
January 30, 2023 10:35 pm

Thank God for fighters like you.

Awesome job battling the Marxist left, anonymously.

Anonymous
Anonymous
  hardscrabble farmer
January 30, 2023 11:04 pm

Off topic-could send this just to HF but others here might benefit also. Just finished “The Complete Guide to Seed and Nut Oils” by Bevin Cohen. A great winter night’s read, even if you don’t particularly care about the oils (the illustrations are fabulous). But, pretty sure I’d not want to pursue the Argan nut of Morocco (often harvested from the droppings of goats) or the Mongongo nut of Africa (found in elephant droppings). Cohen explains in detail how one can produce oil from a variety of seeds/nuts, especially those growing in your area. Seems right up HF’s alley.

Released in 2022 by New Society Publishers (newsociety.com).

Poo Poo hachoo!
Poo Poo hachoo!
  Anonymous
January 30, 2023 11:57 pm

“The Complete Guide to Seed and Nut Oils”

Best learn to rinse the crap off’n Your Kopi luwak. 1st.

Else Your optical nerve has wrapped around Your Rectum?

SOMETHING is givin’ ya a shitty outlook on life.

Won’t mention the dreaded lackanookie disease.

Anthony Aaron
Anthony Aaron
  Anonymous
January 31, 2023 1:48 pm

There seems to be a significant amount of conflict as to the benefits or the threats of seed oils … Dr. Mercola is one of those sounding alarms about them from the sources he’s researched … BigAg is taking the opposite tack.

Mary Christine
Mary Christine
  hardscrabble farmer
January 31, 2023 7:46 am

It was late and I was tired so I mocked the anon. But I do agree somewhat that women in leadership should take much of the blame. I wonder what men were behind the 19th Amendment? It could not have been passed without them.
I ain’t gettin on no train, though. And I will make it expensive for them to try, even if it kills me to do it.

VOWG
VOWG
  Mary Christine
January 31, 2023 7:59 am

Make sure you take one down with you if you have to go.

The True Nolan
The True Nolan
  VOWG
February 2, 2023 4:27 pm

Six is better. Enough to have carried your coffin.

And do it BEFORE you are on the train. You will have a much better choice of where, when, and how it takes place.

Ken31
Ken31
  Mary Christine
January 31, 2023 8:55 pm

I like to think it was election fraud and politicians acting contrary to their constituents wishes, because that is easier to accept than my ancestors being so easily duped.

What He Actually said:
What He Actually said:
  Anonymous
January 30, 2023 11:20 pm

“to sell all your belongings to acquire a sword to fight.”

Not quite.

Luke 22:36
“Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.”

Do try reading ALL the way down, down, down…To:

50? “And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.”

You’ll feel vindicated!

And then the Very next Verse?

Luke 22:51
“And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.”

Easy there, big fella. Contextualize, or it will Pass Your Eyes pasteurize.

Doan wanna start a whole Church movement based on a few lines, lest ya can drink poison & are impervious tho the venom of Sepents, Due Ya?

VOWG
VOWG
  What He Actually said:
January 31, 2023 8:00 am

Forgive, forgive, forgive, NOT. Justice not forgiveness.

Mongoose1952
Mongoose1952
  What He Actually said:
February 1, 2023 11:29 am

Sure, we all know “turn the other cheek” but in my life, I have learned you need to stand up to evil, to the bullies in the world and there are many. But one of the best pieces of philosophy I ever heard was from Gen. Norman Schwartzkopf in the First Gulf War. He said “It is God’s job to forgive Osama Bin Laden. It is our job to arrange a face to face meeting.”

Some have the luxury, or the ego to dissect Scripture, but it is littered with examples of men and women fighting for good, for right against evil, wrong, satan who does indeed roam the earth in many forms and personas. I choose to be a Christian warrior at at my age at least support those who can.

We all know who the bad players are, at least many of them. While we do not need to take their lives, no one fights them, the Justice system is littered with people of no moral character willing to stand up and fight for principle, only for their own bank accounts. Davos? Need I say more. Saviors of the world? Need I say more? And to them and many like them, the means justify the ends.

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi? Is that You?
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi? Is that You?
  Mongoose1952
February 1, 2023 1:26 pm

“Gen. Norman Schwartzkopf ” ?

Gee, was he on steve jobs elizabeth holmes original board of directors? Too? (‘noteworthy’ cast of characters, look for Yourself?)

One of them thar suggestions says something about “No Killing”.

‘Bout the ONLY one i’m “guilty” of. Some gray areas. Not germane, other than to say @ one point in my life i woulda hunted down JA. For Free! & i dabbled a little bit here-n-there with D&A.

The military, in aggregate?

Wanted to be a ranger, had the t-Shirt, took their test, Please. Apparently, they tell everybody that they’re ‘special’. Smoked some of THE BEST pot ever on the way to the ‘unsuccessful enlistment’, return trip, and he even gave me a honking’ BIG bud when he dropped me off @ ‘home’…”You May Want To Reconsider Our Offer”.

ALWAYS sought ‘Sage’🤣 advice. So, i became a Farmer! (long story i may have spoken of here)

You do what Ya wanna, Look/Listen Around.

Free Will.

and i’m a Big Pussy, ta boot.

C.A.L.
C.A.L.
  Anonymous
January 31, 2023 1:07 pm

Exactly.
They push until we say enough but they NEVER back up. They establish their new position as the new normal. And then start pushing to the next new normal.
Forgive? I still have enough heart left for some but I will never forget.
Once you realize what they, including family and friends, are capable of, or not, how can you allow yourself to forget their limitations. Why would I even consider letting them repeat it in some new and unexpected way.
I will never forgive the Canadian govts at all levels for what they have done.
Never.

Billy the Kid
Billy the Kid
  Anonymous
January 31, 2023 2:55 pm

Worse,this author would probably join ranks with the enemy and march others on to the trains at gunpoint. Because the Bible tells me to listen to the goobaments authoritaaah! Even if it’s insidiously evil.

Remember there were once henchmen/ cops that murdered first born male babies because king Herod told them to do it all through out the kingdom. Orders man,just following orders. Yeah will,may the sword find you mr policeman just following hells orders.

Mary Christine
Mary Christine
  Billy the Kid
January 31, 2023 3:06 pm

You are sorely mistaken, Kid. Read my comment near the bottom at 2:52 pm today. It clarifies my position.

STJOHNOFGRAFTON
STJOHNOFGRAFTON
January 30, 2023 11:34 pm

Forgiveness: Must be given unconditionally BUT received conditionally.
It is only after repenting we receive the benefit and power of the forgiveness that has been given us. The person forgiving us releases the power of forgiveness in their life. Our asking for their forgiveness releases the power of forgiveness in our life.
Even if a person doesn’t forgive us, we will receive the power of forgiveness in our life through our act of repentance. (James 5:16)

pyrrhus
pyrrhus
  STJOHNOFGRAFTON
January 31, 2023 10:22 am

You can’t forgive someone who has not accepted fault….period

Aardvark-Gnosis
Aardvark-Gnosis
January 30, 2023 11:50 pm

Truly The abstract of who wrote what in what Biblical many versions of the tears of biblicallity the fraud via the Roman Flavians’, the Caesars of godly renound, who have harvested the ignorance of the masses in their time and created the New Testimate story via Josephus Bar Matthias, aka… A Jewish priest of high Caste, his mother with sophisticated elite family ties runs the course of the railroading of humans into, the so called Christian Religion he created. All one needs to do, is read the Wars of the Jews, By the adopted Jewish warlike Zealot Josephus Flavian who was captures by Caesar Titus Flavian, the son of Roman General Vespasian that conquered the Jews between CE. 66 and CE 73 and the fall of the Jerusalem Temple prophesied in Daniel… Josephus was the counter intuitive scholar who created the Jesus Christ stories… Myths that have served the romans well and the Roman Catholic Priest sence there creation.

Here to wit:
When the Jewish rebellion against Rome broke out, in 66 C.E., though he had no described military background and believed the cause hopeless, Josephus was given command of the revolutionary army of Galilee. Taken captive, he was brought before the Roman general Vespasian, to whom he presented himself as a prophet. At this point, God, rather conveniently, spoke to Josephus and informed him that his favor had switched from the Jews to the Romans. Josephus then claimed that Judaism’s messianic prophecies foresaw not a Jewish Messiah, but Vespasian, whom Josephus predicted would become the “lord of all mankind.”

Caesar’s Messiah: The Roman Conspiracy to Invent Jesus:Flavian Signature Edition (p. 21). Kindle Edition.

Here is where Faith has it limits to forgiveness!!! Brains with little to do but believe first century allegorical myth… A closed captioning of how humans will believe anything if told what to believe long enough.

Throw another log on the fire?
Throw another log on the fire?
  Aardvark-Gnosis
January 31, 2023 8:01 am

” Brains with little to do but believe first century allegorical myth”

Free will.

Shadows might be better?

Sincerely, Alley Gory

Wild Bill
Wild Bill
  Aardvark-Gnosis
January 31, 2023 10:48 pm

Siko Bastard!

Anonymous
Anonymous
January 31, 2023 2:15 am

Problem is: In order to forgive someone and have the forgiveness be accepted and have meaning, the wrong must first be acknowledged, otherwise your forgiveness is meaningless. These cretins, psychotics, and useful idiots neither admit or regret their actions, in fact they continue to do the same with no regrets for the harm they caused and will continue to cause.

pyrrhus
pyrrhus
  Anonymous
January 31, 2023 10:23 am

Absolutely…and until they do, we will not forgive them…

Common Cents
Common Cents
  Anonymous
January 31, 2023 3:53 pm

Correct! None of them has asked for forgiveness. In their mind, they did the right thing by treating you like shit. When the opportunity comes up, they will happily do it again.

Anonymous
Anonymous
January 31, 2023 5:49 am

Speaking of forgiveness, what about atonement?

David Cole, Jewish Holocaust revisionist, is on fire over at Taki’s today:

Light Skin Atone

The Morganthauing of America.

Cole’s a pisser.

pyrrhus
pyrrhus
  Anonymous
January 31, 2023 10:32 am

Cole and Fred are confronting our reality head on….Fred lives in Mexico, while Cole may have to flee there if he keeps writing such dead on columns….

How Serendipitous, Fortuitous,Timely, Whatev
How Serendipitous, Fortuitous,Timely, Whatev
January 31, 2023 7:05 am

Today’s Gift Camp Newsletter has Arrived!

“Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom.”

~Hannah Arendt

“Resentments keep us in the past, a past that can never be relived. Resentments keep a stranglehold on our mind. They keep us from appreciating the beauty of a moment. They stop us from hearing the loving voices of friends. We forget that we have a mission to fulfill God’s Divine plan for our life.

Fortunately, we can shake this hold on us, and our freedom comes when we decide to forgive whatever transgressions are made against us. This decision, with some practice, can become second nature.

Clearly the choice to resent no one is our opportunity to free our mind and heart for the real activities God hopes we’ll attend to. Our purpose in this life goes unfulfilled when we’re consumed by resentments. Now we have a program of recovery to help us develop a forgiving heart and find the peace and joy that are part of God’s will for each of us.

Holding resentments against others hurts me. Forgiveness can make me glad I’m alive today.”

Furthermore, And in Conclusion….

Amazing Facts Daily Devotional Banner

ONE SHEPHERD
January 31, 2023

Average reading time is about 5 minutes

Today, protecting sheep from wolves is not simple because wolves are endangered. In the European Union, it is illegal to shoot a wolf without special permission. Even then, the wolf must be especially dangerous, and shootings are limited to six wolves per year. In one case, authorities authorized killing a wolf that had eaten 10 sheep and killed another 62 by frightening them over the edge of a ravine.

In America, the grey wolf was removed from the endangered species list in 2011. American ranchers have always been able to shoot a wolf attacking their flock, but now they can shoot a wolf on sight. In the Bible, wolves symbolize various dangers. Jesus warned His disciples that

He was sending them out into the world “as sheep in the midst of wolves,” or men who would persecute them (Matthew 10:16). Jesus also called false prophets wolves: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15).

While instructing the overseers of the Ephesian church, Paul warned of another problem: shepherds behaving like wolves. “After my departure savage wolves will come in among you. … Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves” (Acts 20:28–30).

Nevertheless, Jesus will not leave His sheep at the mercy of ravenous wolves or untrustworthy shepherds. God promises that He will gather together all the scattered sheep: “And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land.… I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them … You are My flock, the flock of my pasture; you are men, and I am your God” (Ezekiel 34:13, 23, 31). That one shepherd is Jesus, “the good shepherd” (John 10:11).

KEY BIBLE TEXTS
“And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”
John 10:16

Anonymous
Anonymous

Hannah Arendt was a jew, right?

VooDoo ya think yore foolin'?
VooDoo ya think yore foolin'?
  Anonymous
February 2, 2023 7:08 am

“Hannah Arendt was a jew, right?”

No idea.

My primary concern?

Revelation 2:9 “I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and [I know] the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but [are] the synagogue of Satan.”

Revelation 3:9 “Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.”

MAY be 1, possibly 2 in various places like oh, eye dunno…

Follywood & other ‘media’. ‘Higher Learning’, 🙃, banking, and DO NOT hold me tuit…some allegation there even be one in the halls of “FREEDOM! $ & DEMOCRACY!”

Alas, no way to confirm the rumors.

God only know where they may have popped up. Before https://www.babelfish.com/ was needed.

One Of ‘Em For sure? AND he is… “DATED
lighthearted and carefree:”

May wanna read that, afore ya get all clogged up with seed oils, and Kopi luwak…Intestinal Fortitude Gut Health is integral to having aa Rosy Outlook!

Sincerely, Happy Groundhog Day!

Decent eating.

Anonymous
Anonymous
  VooDoo ya think yore foolin'?
February 2, 2023 5:23 pm

Don’t need a faggot jew to tell us how to make sauerkraut.

No refutation, denial, Lunatic Fringe!
No refutation, denial, Lunatic Fringe!
  Anonymous
February 2, 2023 7:55 pm

But 1 (one) person that i ‘guessed’ may have ‘Replied”. References that were directed SOLELY @ Ya.

Throughout this Article/Thread/Whateva.

So filled with venom. Not only could ya not read between the lines, Could NOT read the lines.

That ONLY applied to….Whom?

Maybe reincarnation? My little Blue Gill.

Here Fishy, Fishy. Here Fishy, Fishy. Here Fishy, Fishy… Bite.

Truly. we have quite a bit in common. No?

Something more efficacious, quick acting. To purge ya of the shit of which You are brimming to the gills?

It’s a Variant of jewish lighting.

Chicken Soup Enema. make Sure it’s not too hot.

Now if You’ll excuse me, i really need ta get to Uncola’s latest offering. That Man? Is One.

And i have been short of free time to Learn Here (TBP) in General.

Do try a little harder?

You’re obviously reely sharp very astute and possess a fine general knowledge.

Don’t waste it on me.

Anonymous
Anonymous
  No refutation, denial, Lunatic Fringe!
February 2, 2023 9:43 pm

You are incomprehensible.

The True Nolan
The True Nolan
  Anonymous
February 2, 2023 5:06 pm

I recently read Arendt’s book “Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil”.

All through the book, Arendt stresses how scrupulous the lawyers and the judge were to give Eichmann a fair trial, and allow him to make statements in his own defense. Well, not exactly ALL through the book… Right at the beginning, almost in passing and never again referred to, she says:

“Directly below the judges are the translators, whose services are
needed for direct exchanges between the defendant or his counsel and the court;
otherwise, the German-speaking accused party, like almost everyone else in the
audience, follows the Hebrew proceedings through the simultaneous radio
transmission, which is excellent in French, bearable in English, and sheer
comedy, frequently incomprehensible, in German. In view of the scrupulous
fairness of all technical arrangements for the trial, it is among the minor
mysteries of the new State of Israel that, with its high percentage of German born people, it was unable to find an adequate translator into the only language
the accused and his counsel could understand.”

In other words, the accused was tried in a court without either he or his counsel being able to clearly understand what was being said. The rest of the book then goes into excruciating detail on what a fine and fair trial it was.

Anonymous
Anonymous
  The True Nolan
February 2, 2023 5:22 pm

It was the same thing at Nuremburg.

Umglick
Umglick
January 31, 2023 9:23 am

You seem to have forgotten where Master YHWH says “Seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your Elohim.” Micah 6:8 Seeking justice comes first, before there is opportunity to love mercy…

messianicdruid
messianicdruid
  Umglick
January 31, 2023 2:25 pm

Leaders seek justice, followers love mercy, but all must be humble [ meek – power under control ].

Kerry
Kerry
January 31, 2023 9:29 am

All of this manifested due to compliance. If you ever put on a mask or followed their demands, you were part of the evil…

Aunt Acid
Aunt Acid
  Kerry
January 31, 2023 11:31 am

The entire world was subjected to and part of the evil but no necessarily “doers” of it viz, the store owner who demanded masks & shot records is part of the evil, the middle school kid forced to do those things, the victim.

Anonymous
Anonymous
January 31, 2023 9:39 am

It is not possible to forgive trespasses against you unless or until the trespasser has made amends and repented.

Guest
Guest
January 31, 2023 10:01 am

You should especially forgive if you got continuously tested, wore a mask (especially voluntarily on planes etc) and knew better. A lot of freedom fighters here did all all of those. At least many of the covidians actually believed and were not hypocrites. Forgiving is needed.
I know it would be extremely hard for many to not comply. However better try to be in a better situation going forward cuz this ain’t over.

Coalclinker
Coalclinker
January 31, 2023 10:06 am

Forgiveness I suppose means different things to different people.

To me forgiveness means letting the hate and sadness leave your heart by your own choice, and leave it in the hands of a person of higher pay scale. That sure doesn’t mean the other person will do anything to reconcile, but there is a thing called Karma and that is entirely their problem. I suppose the rest is based on hope, but you don’t have to waste anymore of your life worrying about it.

I have a friend and we had a horrible falling out 6 months ago. I forgave him right after that but he sure didn’t. There was no contact for 3 months, then we started texting each other. Finally the other day, he had bought a new Glock Compact 9mm and I had a 1940’s Colt I hadn’t tried out yet. I suggested we go out shooting, first time we seen or talked to each other in 6 months. Right before we parted afterwards he grabbed a hold of me and hugged me. Forgiveness sure does feel good when bad things become a bygone, and a friendship is renewed and made stronger.

Toujours Pret
Toujours Pret
January 31, 2023 10:16 am

IMO – forgiveness is another trait that leads “us” to be more like the Father. After all, He makes the sun to shine on the good and the evil. As for retribution “vengeance is mine says The Most High.” and in the Lords’ Prayer, the part about “lead us not into temptation…” could and should apply to keeping one out of situations that would lead to anguish of spirit-soul-heart-mind-body. Don’t forget about families being divided when contemplating avoidance of certain members. And finally, forgiveness works at least two ways – forgiving and asking for forgiveness. To answer the question, forgiveness is impossible if one chooses to take that path.

Zulu Foxtrot Golf
Zulu Foxtrot Golf
January 31, 2023 10:21 am

Blaspheme ahead:

Jesus died for my sins, so I will make those sins worth his while: God forgives. I will help arrange that forgiveness interview.

Fuck them all with a rusted chainsaw.

ZFG, out.

P.S. never forgive and never forget. Make them all pay for every transgression. If it is cold then that burning rage will keep me warm.

Aunt Acid
Aunt Acid
  Zulu Foxtrot Golf
January 31, 2023 11:33 am

Auntie loves your clarity, ZFG.

BL
BL
  Aunt Acid
January 31, 2023 11:36 am

Clear as glass ZFG.

WilliamtheResolute
WilliamtheResolute
January 31, 2023 10:22 am

Forgiveness doesn’t have anything to do with a desire for justice…I can forgive them after they are hanged.

messianicdruid
messianicdruid
  WilliamtheResolute
January 31, 2023 2:33 pm

You simply give away your personal vendetta because you trust God to bring about justice in His Own Way [ mercifully if possible ].

WilliamtheResolute
WilliamtheResolute
  messianicdruid
January 31, 2023 5:24 pm

Just for the record I’m not usually vindictive…but, when government agents try and mask me and inject me, lock me down and then destroy our economy while demonizing me for being a pureblood as opposed to a sheep…yeah, it’s personal. BTW, the hanging doesn’t necessarily have to be merciful either.

QQQBall
QQQBall
January 31, 2023 10:34 am

Yes… I guess the clot shots wiped out their memories, but I remember the WHO word torture in changing the definitions of “vaccine” and “herd immunity” right before the roll out. Fuck the MSM cunts pushing the “honest mistake” misdirection. This was no honest mistake, it was coordinated and ruthless. How about Bill Gates donating his clot shot MRNA profits to the jab-harmed?

KaD
KaD
January 31, 2023 10:38 am

Forgiveness requires admission and atonement on the part of the wrongdoer. There’s some but not a lot of admission, and nothing I’ve seen so far that resembles atonement.

Jackarlope
Jackarlope
January 31, 2023 11:16 am

“What, O man, does the LORD require of you,
But to do justice,
To love mercy
to walk humbly with your God.”
Micah 6:8

Dagobaz
Dagobaz
January 31, 2023 11:44 am

There can be no forgiveness without honest repentance on the part of the sinner; one following directly from the other. Have any of them truly repented ?

Eddie
Eddie
  Dagobaz
January 31, 2023 12:13 pm

I had problems forgiving before 2020.

It was tough sledding…..

Post 2020, darn near impossible.

Sleepless nights galore…………..

Common Cents
Common Cents
  Dagobaz
January 31, 2023 4:00 pm

Not only not repented, they jumped right on the Ukraine War Train. They were wrong about that one too. Now we can “forgive” them twice!

monger
monger
January 31, 2023 12:24 pm

Forgiveness, mostly the ability to not seek revenge ? Think about violence, and your own innocence or how it should be viewed as a rationale civilized human being.
Someone is beating a little old lady… stopping that person is doing a favor to society, and you might even enjoy it and say “good, he had it coming” or “he didn’t leave me much choice” either way… not much to be forgiven there.
Self defense, you may not have time to make a choice in the matter, instinctual, strike back to survive, you may even have time to be prepared, can’t really be blamed if your trying to survive, like everything else in nature. What’s to be forgiven ?
Then there’s revenge, the real nitty gritty, most can probably understand the basic concepts about why, and it’s probably a basic human inclination. But can you battle yourself to not seek or take it. Lot of layers to the reasons why.
It’s the rough one.

Anthony Aaron
Anthony Aaron
January 31, 2023 1:43 pm

Two quotes come to mind: ‘Judge not lest ye be judged’ and ‘Forgive and forget’.

Without judgment, would there really be anything to forgive? I need to ponder that question myself … but somehow it intuitively feels like it’s important here.

Forgiving without forgetting isn’t really forgiving … you’re still carrying around whatever grudge or injury or whatever caused your pain … and it really won’t go away without putting it out of mind forever.

None of this implies that we shouldn’t learn from the past — especially past ‘mistakes’ — otherwise how would we ever move forward in our lives without falling into the same traps over and over again or trusting the same people or entities when they should no longer be trusted.

Not sure if any of this makes sense … hopefully it does …

Personally, I recall the words of my guru — that we are to always make our very best effort and to leave the results to God. It sounded so simple when he said it — and, yet, my/the ego seems to get in the way and to question God and the results chosen for each of us on a personal and individual basis.

Know peace, Mary Christine … keep moving toward The Light.

Das Arschloch
Das Arschloch
January 31, 2023 2:37 pm

Forgiveness does not preclude criminal justice. Both have their place. The first is good for the health of the individual, the later is good for the health of society. Letting people go unpunished who have the blood of millions on their hands sets a bad precedent for future wannabe tyrants.

Billy the Kid
Billy the Kid
January 31, 2023 2:42 pm

Yeahhh…..🙄🤔 How about,fuck that horseshit! Forgiveness is fine for the repentant. Otherwise it’s just weakness. There can be no forgiveness for the continually wicked, treasonous,murderous,genocidal,scum. This line of thought is what’s wrong with the socalled modern Christian churches and it’s version of Christ. Pushovers never win.

Bobdog
Bobdog
January 31, 2023 2:49 pm

We should show our liberal friends all the good will and forbearance they have shown to us, seems to me.

They have corrupted our form of government, gutted our election system, destroyed our economy, ruined thousands of lives, sexualized our kids, and fostered hate throughout the country.

So, no, it’s gonna take me a while.

Mary Christine
Mary Christine
January 31, 2023 2:52 pm

I guess I struck a nerve. I feel like I was not clear at the beginning of my essay that I was talking only of personal relationships, not the parasitic, blood sucking so called “elites”. I hate that word and would rather just keep it short and refer to them as parasites.

I’m not forgiving the parasites. They seem to be a mix of narcissists, psychopaths and sociopaths. I believe they don’t give 2 shits about what we think.

As for our personal relationships, each person must decide for themselves what they want. This was just meant to show some reasons why it might be helpful to forgive and some steps to get one started.

I appreciate all the comments. I hope it was helpful for some of you.

Billy the Kid
Billy the Kid
  Mary Christine
January 31, 2023 3:19 pm

Mary, I get you, apologies for the eaelier harshness. My blood boils that children have been murdered ,and injured by this evil. I am not sure I want to forgive my family members or friends, I warned them. I am saddened by their illness brought on by the jabs, but the evil,and ridicule, mocking,slander,and banishment really change my outlook on alot. I am not perfect, I am not in a forgiving mood either. To each their own.

cluck cluck
cluck cluck
January 31, 2023 4:22 pm

Wondering why there’s an egg shortage?

comment image

Anthony Aaron
Anthony Aaron
  cluck cluck
January 31, 2023 6:48 pm

Even chickens and other fowl have had to endure a fake pandemic … but, unlike US, they just get slaughtered wholesale … we’ve got to take the jab and dance the dance they’ve lined up for US — and to try to endure the 10 pandemics they’ve promised by 2030.

pyrrhus
pyrrhus
January 31, 2023 4:35 pm

Another child murdered by the mother…https://gab.com/FrankGoneMad/posts/109783441600760645
Not forgiven…

Iggy
Iggy
January 31, 2023 5:05 pm

I find it easier to forgive someone when they are dead.

ze bugs
ze bugs
  Iggy
January 31, 2023 6:16 pm

I don’t forgive psychopaths ever.

Arthur_500
Arthur_500
January 31, 2023 5:30 pm

God tells us to forgive.
As Noah floated, God destroyed
I will forgive but I will not forget and I will remain vigilant and wary.
Please Lord, let me be a fly on the wall when Herr Fauci and his ilk stands before the judgement table. Can’t I have a bit of amusement?

Anonymous
Anonymous
January 31, 2023 6:51 pm

ooooh, Ouch!

259 comments on this day-old post.

Must have hit a nerve.

I have two comments about forgiveness:

First, God himself will not forgive if there is no repentance. Of course, God has never done anything wrong, and so neither needs to repent, nor owes His own debts. So be careful about applying God’s standards to your own situation.

Second, forgiveness does not require you to forget, to be a door mat, to continue to suffer, to not protect yourself, to forgo reparations, or to continue to expose yourself to further harm. Mostly, forgiveness allows you to move on, get past the hurt, and seek healing and, if necessary, rebuild or start over. Resentment is a poison that will kill the victim, not the guilty party. The act is that if you are waiting for the guilty party to come around and beg your pardon, you are a fool, and you need to wake up and move on.

That shit sandwich tastes nasty. Quit savoring it, brush your teeth, and find another place to eat.

And, though I know this, I am in a personal situation that has separated me from my family, and is virtually impossible for me to forgive.

I hope I can work things out…

May God bless all of you who are hurting.

Anonymous
Anonymous
January 31, 2023 9:14 pm

Forgive Americans for allowing the worst child molesting campaign in the histroy of the world happen without a fight?

100,000 male children systematically molested by homosexual troop leaders. Americans justify it with E=P=S=T=E=I=N. 2 Jewish people get taken down for running a dating service of younger women for elites. A smiling 17 year old along with her family get a huge payday.

Americans need a justification because they have been trained to think that homo is normal. So when confronted with the horrific truth that homo is predator and was used to molest the future best and brightest while they were chidren…the american can simply say…. LOOK E-P-S-T-E-I-N!

Anonymous
Anonymous
  Anonymous
January 31, 2023 9:16 pm

Look Squirrel!!!!!!!!!!

overthecliff
overthecliff
January 31, 2023 9:36 pm

Forgive??? sure. However, remember that this is war. Do what you gotta do.

Anonymous
Anonymous
January 31, 2023 9:39 pm

All men, the one’s that still have normal and natural desires, want to date younger(legal) women. But in America only the elites are allowed to do it. The rest are perverts of the worst kind for having that desire.

Now homo is different in America. The worst child molesting episode in the history of the world right in front of your faces. 100,000 male children systematically molested via homo leaders in the boyscouts. And the media pushed it EVERY day.

Anonymous
Anonymous
  Anonymous
January 31, 2023 9:49 pm

The truth, it can hurt. It is also damning.

Hunkered down in Wyoming
Hunkered down in Wyoming
January 31, 2023 10:22 pm

I never post here. Just drive by and see where the iron is sharpening iron. MC – you have a great heart. It leaks out of your essay and the many other posts I’ve read. Thanks for your thoughts on forgiveness. Two minor thoughts from me. First, I’ve heard carrying a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting the person who violated you to die. Not healthy for you even if you only look at this from the perspective of your health. Finally, I take God at His word. My willingness and ability to forgive will be applied to me at some point. I’ve imperfect enough to need a heavy dose of grace. My goal with personal relationships is to provide that same grace. I’m still working at this but I need to pick up the pace as I am not a young man anymore. Regarding the broader issue of “elites” and our corrupt government, I have no trouble not cutting them any slack. Well stocked, well armed, well trained in rural Wyoming….

ze bugs
ze bugs
  Hunkered down in Wyoming
January 31, 2023 11:30 pm

Forgiveness is for people who are SORRY. These scumbags are not sorry.

Walt
Walt
January 31, 2023 10:49 pm

Of course you are forgiven, Comrade. We are not monsters.
Now stand against wall, please.

Anonymous
Anonymous
February 1, 2023 12:00 am

As they say in the army, “It’s up to God to judge our enemies. It’s up to us to arrange the meeting.”

RevTKS
RevTKS
February 1, 2023 3:08 am

Anger and resentment will kill you. Forgiveness is getting rid of the anger and the resentment.
It does NOT absolve the guilty of their crime. It does not mean that no punishment is given.
It means, you have let go of the part that hurts YOU.

PA Patriot
PA Patriot
February 1, 2023 3:23 am

‘You can’t forgive someone who has not accepted fault….period’
‘It is not possible to forgive trespasses against you unless or until the trespasser has made amends and repented’
‘Forgiveness requires admission and atonement on the part of the wrongdoer’

I’ve not found this to be true. By putting these requirements on our forgiveness, we place the power for our own healing into the hands of those who have wronged us. This keeps us in a form of bondage.
Forgiveness allows us to break free of the physical, emotional and spiritual consequences of harboring hatred within ourselves.

One can forgive without forgetting. Forgiveness is about US, not THEM. God has given us a tool for surviving the evil perpetrated on us, independent of the perpetrator’s lack of remorse.
I’ve discovered a lot about this process in recent years on a personal level. Have forgiven, but found it necessary to disassociate with several toxic people. We can forgive such people, but forgiveness doesn’t require us to permit them to continue inflicting evil upon us. I found it necessary to forgive for the sake of my own health and sanity. But this doesn’t mean I have to keep them in ‘my circle’. For that to happen, yes, there would have to be admission of wrong doing and visible repentence on their part.

Forgiveness does not necessarily exclude justice. God Himself will be judging all beings, so justice is a biblical principle. I shudder to think of the penalty there will be for the slaughter of so many innocents in the name of ‘choice’ (and now in the name of ‘safety’).

As for the evil perpetrated upon the entire world in recent years, we don’t yet know whether justice will occur in our lifetime (I sure hope so!) or whether it will be delivered by our own hands or by the hand of God himself. But one thing I do know is that those that have committed it will get what’s coming to them, whether in this life or the next.

I too am struggling with forgiveness in this particular context; still too angry to forgive. I don’t for a second believe all this was not planned. I do believe I will eventually be able to forgive, but it will take time. Forgiveness may be possible, but it won’t come easy.

‘The people behind the vaccine must be executed, and nothing less than that is acceptable.’
I’m inclined to agree with this statement. Seems like an acceptable form of justice.

Thank you for posting this, Mary Christine.

messianicdruid
messianicdruid
  PA Patriot
February 1, 2023 10:08 am

“…or whether it will be delivered by our own hands or by the hand of God himself.”

Those who serve God must NOT be serving self designed retribution. If you can’t be impartial, quit.

PA Patriot
PA Patriot
  messianicdruid
February 1, 2023 1:37 pm

God often uses men/women to accomplish His purpose. Retribution would need to be at His bidding, not self designed.

bucknp
bucknp
  PA Patriot
February 2, 2023 7:55 am

God often uses men/women to accomplish His purpose.

Yeah, TrumpTarded evangelicals were reminding HillayTards and the demontoads of that with references to Romans 13. Then BidenTard gets in and TrumpTards will have nothing to do with Romans 13, can’t be so, God would never use someone like BidenTard for any “purpose”.

Absolute reason I say all the republicOns and demontoads, TrumpTards and BidenTards can go jump in a cesspool. These people disgust me.

DFJ150
DFJ150
February 1, 2023 9:34 am

The people behind this genocide program are evil and will continue to try to inject us with their poison, no matter what. We are told to put on the Whole Armor of God and resist evil wherever it manifests. Forgiving those who are intent on killing us is not a viable path. “Loving our enemies” means praying for them to change their ways and embrace salvation, not meekly giving in to them and allowing ourselves to be slaughtered. For the “turn the other cheek” crowd, this was a command to the Jews under Roman slavery. It was an insult for a Roman soldier to slap a Jew with the back on the right hand, so the act of defiance was to turn one’s head and have them slap again with the back of the left hand, signifying a level of non-submission. It applies to insults and slights in the modern world, but does not extend to allowing others to engage in serious or fatal injury to another. We are to be in the world, but not of it. It is scriptural to separate from those who seek continuously to do us harm, and to defend ourselves if they pursue us. As long as Fauci and his acolytes actively attempt to kill us, no forgiveness will be forthcoming, nor is it deserved.

Anonymous
Anonymous
February 1, 2023 9:54 am

FORGIVENESS

Once upon a time, a young girl was brutally raped and killed. The murderer was apprehended and sentenced to prison until being put to death by lethal injection. The father of the girl was happy with the outcome of the trial but was so heartbroken and overcome with grief, he began to drink himself to death. His wife could no longer live with a man in this condition, so she divorced and left him. The father died shortly after.
Because he was a decent, God fearing man and believed that Jesus was his saviour, he went to heaven and was reunited with his daughter. All was good.
One day while walking around, enjoying the beauty of heaven and talking to famous people, they bumped into the murderer….”what are YOU doing here!!” they both exclaimed. The murderer replied, “Right before I was put to death, I prayed to God and asked him for forgiveness and told him that if I could go back in time I would not have done such a horrible thing”.
The father screamed, “you mother fucker! I’m going to kill you!!”. The daughter screamed, “kill him daddy! crush his skull with a rock like he did to me!!”.
God, hearing the commotion, came down from a cloud and proclaimed to the mother and father, “your hearts are filled with hate and love has left your souls and you have threatened death to another! This is unacceptable in my kingdom and I banish you to hell!”.
Off to hell they went.
The murderer walks around, enjoying the beauty of heaven and talks to famous people.

THE END

Anonymous
Anonymous
  Anonymous
February 1, 2023 1:58 pm

“THE END”

Remo
Remo
February 1, 2023 10:02 am

Our tolerance of the evil that is STILL trying to kill us has already gone beyond all reasonable expectations.

Anonymous
Anonymous
February 1, 2023 5:26 pm

“Forgiveness without accountability is merely enablement” Hank Hanegraff

bucknp
bucknp
February 1, 2023 5:34 pm
Jackie Puppet
Jackie Puppet
February 1, 2023 9:06 pm

Forgiveness doesn’t mean you forget, either.

Over a decade ago, I had ruptured my patella tendon, and was off of work for a couple months. I came back with the understanding that I’d be on light duty for awhile as I continued my physical therapy (recovery would take the better part of a year, if completely recovered).

A couple months after that, word got back to me that one of the other employees (with whom I’d worked closely for years) went behind my back & bitched to our manager that I was lazy.

The workplace environment was like a locker-room, full of ball-busting, etc. – once I got the knife pulled out of my back, I took every shot I could get at him, at every opportunity- it was hilarious to everyone but him.

Soon enough, it got to a point where the guy who hired me years before had come back to our branch, just to fire me. I went in the office, and talked with him for almost an hour. I walked out of that meeting with a sly smile on my face, surprising more than a few people! (I did get written up – he couldn’t leave without nothing – so I wrote my rebuttal in a way that they’d get a lawsuit on their hands, and kept a copy just in case.)

The cutthroat attacks on him still continued whenever the mood struck me over the next few years, but he knew not to fuck with me if he wasn’t gonna be able to take it. I can easily hold a grudge for decades.

Eventually, I just kinda decided to forgive him in my heart for what he did to me.

I never told him I’d forgiven him – he wouldn’t have bought it anyway. We talked to each other only when absolutely necessary.

Maybe he did notice the change in my attitude towards him – I had gotten into it with another guy who didn’t know what he was doing, but he was screwing up work for me & a few others. I got called into a meeting with my supervisor & one of the head honchos. I explained my side, and they took my side – the other guy quit the company a few months later.

My supervisor had told me afterwards that the same guy who stabbed me in the back, years ago, had actually taken my side as well. That shocked me at first, but when I thought about it – that’s how he apologizes – he doesn’t actually apologize, but he will start talking to someone again, or do something that in a roundabout way, admits he was wrong.

We eventually joked around at work again, while it wasn’t quite the same as before, that was okay with me, since I could never forget & fully trust him again, but that was as close as we would get to our old friendship.

Anonymous
Anonymous
February 1, 2023 11:56 pm

As a heathen, I think forgiveness can be earned but is nothing but a choice. I don’t know why anyone cares outside of close family or loved ones.

Hey bible-thumpers, I stopped reading this at the parable of the servant. You guys do know that in either greek or latin the words used in that meant slave, right? The whole thing sounds like master-slave relations. Why the fuck would anyone but a slave care about this?

Don't be stupid
Don't be stupid
February 2, 2023 12:59 am
Rupert Smedley Hepplewhite
Rupert Smedley Hepplewhite
February 2, 2023 2:18 pm

True forgiveness requires contriteness and genuine acknowledgment of past sins to invoke forgiveness. I’m not in the habit of forgiving evil.

Gimp
Gimp
February 2, 2023 4:20 pm

I think we’ve moved into territory only God can forgive. Forgiving these monsters is beyond the ability of the best human on earth.

Xin
Xin
February 2, 2023 4:25 pm

If these monsters are not brought to justice, we will never be able to forgive ourselves. They cannot and MUST not be allowed to escaped justice.