What is your opinion?

Terry

Matthew 6:14-15

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15 but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

At least on a superficial interpersonal level the above scripture requires the victim to forgive the offender in order to be forgiven in turn. From a purely ethical standpoint this is scandalous, is it not? Extortion and coercion usually invalidate the very nature of choice.

What is your opinion?

Wouldn't it be more ethical for God to say, "if you don't forgive the one who tresspassed against you I won't forgive them either?"

Why is the injured party--the victim--leveraged thusly by God?

Under the law of our land a court addresses injury to person or property by seeking to RESTORE to wholeness. In a car accident the damaged car, if repairable, will be repaired and the person who caused the damage must pay. Most often it is the agent (insurance company) who does the actual paying and the driver who caused the harm is penalized by higher rates and a bad driving record.

In a theft, the court orders the return of the stolen item or restitution by paying a fine or orders the punishment of the thief (which is counted as "paying a debt to society".)

The victim is damaged and the court views Justice as restoring to wholeness.

What about the Garden of Eden?

Was Jehovah the injured party? IF SO, WOULDN'T THE SAME STANDARD APPLY?

Nika Bee

Mat. 6: 14-15 - Under the disguise of promoting peace, a subtle and manipulative way to enable bullying, to give offenders more power and weaken victims.

This is one extreme, compared to the extreme on the onther side, pure cold justice, as applied e.g. in the garden of Eden.

This is black and white, and neither if solely applied would be very helpful for a balanced functioning society.

On another note, in the garden of Eden scene, god would be the victim and the ultimate forgiver. But he chooses not to forgive, so he can't forgive himself?

Este

What is your opinion?

We cannot be hypocrites.....

share your candy with your brother

no she said

then I will not share with you

but that is not fair

it is not fair that you do not share with your brother, so how can you expect me to share with you?

Julia Orwell

My opinion is that a Christian is required here to set an example in forgiveness. I also read in 'Triumph' by Carolyn Jessop, a cult survivor, that forgiveness does not mean you accept what they've done to you as ok and go back to your normal relationship with them ie in a position to be hurt again, but to remove resentment so their hold over you is gone and you can move forward. Maybe that's what Jesus meant, but we can never know.

Este

As humans we have done so much to violate the laws of GOD. I need to be forgiven, what about you? There is wrong that I have done others as well, that I have to be forgiven for. If I expect forgivness upon repentance, it would be bad of me not to forgive those that have wronged me......that is such a sound principle if you ask me.......

E.

new hope and happiness

Terry,

I think holding resemtment and not forgiving some ome who has "tresspassed" against me is only hurting myself. Of course for imperfect me this is easier said than done.I also think that some "tresspasses" would be impossible for me to forgive, even if i am only hurting myself.

I must say iMatthwe 6 14-15 doesnt make a lot of scence to me.

Julia Orwell

I think so too, because hanging on to resentment can ruin your life. You can choose to be a victim or a survivor. A victim always hangs onto the past and past wrongs done and goes, oh woe is me. Terrible things have happened to me this is why I'm a sad dude. A survivor goes, 'yep, crap happened but I survived and have the future ahead of me. Yes, people have been rotten to me but that is not going to define who I am.

return of parakeet

I'm not a Bible believer, but for me, forgiveness means taking the evil of the perpetrator no farther. The buck stops with me.

For example, I was emotionally abused by my parents and the WTS when I was a kid. My forgiveness consists of not emotionally abusing my own family. It does not include excusing my parents and the WTS of their offenses. Neither does it mean I will ignore the WTS and dubs as they harm others. That's why I'm here, to try to help just a little bit.

It may seem like a narrow definition of forgiveness, but it's one I can live with.

Julia Orwell

Parakeet, imho that's the broad view of forgiveness. You stop the hurt from spreading any further and to any others. That's what it's all about.

Hummingbird001

"Forgive others, not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace."

What is your opinion?

Matthew 6:14-15

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