Leaderboard

why did you start another thread ? of course forgiveness is possible

pondering between chores... perhaps it can be said that Jesus was somehow the most developed of history, and happened to be a jewish man. and everyone who experienced him began interpreting and acting from wherever they were in their development at the time. just as we have been doing since the dawn of time. this generates streams of artifacts and activity that flow into a history already deep beyond deep with artifacts flowing from a world of people interpreting and acting from wherever they are. abraham was interpreting melchizadek. melchizadek was interpreting abraham. jesus was interpreting them both, john the baptist was interpreting jesus. every prophet, saint, rabbi, hero and villain interprets the world and the things they've read or heard about it from wherever they are. and mohammed was interpreting them all from where he was, which seems more like David, in general. and the bahai are interpreting all that. yada yada yada and we are now interpreting some aspect of that vast ocean of artifacts from where we are. we have interpreted some of the same aspects of this vast ocean of artifacts from different places at different points in our life. the worldview of everyone posting or reading this has already come a long way baby. yet, are we ever really done? no one is better than anyone else in any sort of absolute or ultimate sense...yet we are still full of qualities.

I'm long enough out of WayWorld that the idea of "forgiveness" never even enters my mind anymore. Do I hold a grudge against the organization? I don't think so. Have I forgiven them? I don't think so there, either. It would be like holding a grudge against the dog that bit you, or the tree branch that fell on you, or maybe the rock that you stubbed your toe on. None of those things do you any good, but the idea of "forgiving" or holding a grudge against them just doesn't seem relevant. They're a group of conartists - or the victims of same - that you happened to run into. Hopefully you've recovered most of what they scammed out of you, but you'll never get "even" with 'em. Like all the money wasted on lottery tickets, the only way to really benefit from it now, is to vow to never do that again. Angst about who's to blame, or how badly you were hurt makes pretty thin soup...

Read the Declaration of Independence. I just did. :)in response to another thread. "manifest destiny" comes in many forms. Just pray you're not a Native American or Mexican because God wants your land and he knows who should have it. And it's not you. "Greed is good". As long it's godly.

They cannot restore what was taken or mitigate the damage wrought in s many cases. What they could do is at least recognize the devastation, maybe even grieve with us over what was destroyed :( I think that the total disassociation from ones responsibility might even fall under the description of *conscience seared with a hot iron* Pretend that it isn`t their problem bury themselves in word studies, believing that their knowlege and busy work makes them spiritual, that what they do is important to God.

In answer to the original question, have I ever received an apology? Absolutely not. They apparently feel that they do not owe one. Rather instead, I have heard all kinds of excuses as to why it isn`t necessary. An undeniable indication that they just don`t care what they have done, an unbelievable lack of simple common decency or even basic understanding of Christian principle or responsibility. In telling people that they ought to forgive, it makes the damage perpetrated someone elses problem. No big deal, if the victim forgives, it`s all fixed pretty, wiped away, hidden from view...The perpetrators are free to present their shiny clean faces and clear consciences to the world. I have to agree with Ham, the lack of empathy, compassion not to mention down right common decency would be a strong indicator that these people never really were our brothers and sister :) Forgive them?? Not freaking likely. I don`t think it even advisable.