Could you easily forgive someone who's just gunned down a loved one?

[Bugler]

Listen, I'm all about forgiveness and I get it....its the right thing to do, God don't like ugly, etc, etc, etc....but I'm not too sure about the timing on all this. I applaud the family members that found it right to forgive this cold blooded "white" murderer, but I would be interested to know, would the same forgiveness have come so swift, had it just been a thug trying to rob a church? Or if any of these people were murdered in their homes, individually by some thug in the neighborhood???? Would the families find it easy to forgive?

Forgiveness is a good thing and in time, its something we must do in order to flow in God's favor, HOWEVER....for me, its gonna take time. If my mother, my child, my family members were gunned down by some cold blooded murderer, you gonna get forgiveness...but that's AFTER THEY PULL THE SWITCH OR YO ASS GET LIFE.....UNTIL THEN, you gonna have to wait for the hate to get off my plate!! Again, I give much props to the families for publically forgiving this cold blooded thug, but for me, it just wouldn't be that easy, that's for me!!

I think you may not understand where they are coming from. These are very devout African Americans from a Christian congregation that teaches forgiveness above nearly everything else. If they can forgive the segregationists and slave masters that came before, then I do believe that they can offer forgiveness for this crime. is that an easy thing to do? Of course not. But I think that their offering forgiveness to this man is a profound statement of their faith.

 

[JOSweetHeart]

Should you forgive when the perpetrator has not shown remorse or asked for forgiveness?

No because I don't believe that the Lord will forgive them so why should anyone else if the Lord is not going to? People who make it as clear as crystal glass that they do not care about what their choice of actions do to other people in my opinion only deserve a good kicking where it hurts if they are going to get anything in return at all.

God bless you always!!!

Holly

 

[my2¢]

I see forgiveness as way of putting hate of the killer in the past and keeping only thoughts of my loved one. I would see it as dishonoring my loved one by associating the two. Would I have the strength to actually lose the hate is one question I pray I'll never have to find out.

 

[featherlite]

this ( for me) explains it best. Its not done by proving anything to anyone..or working your way toward it, or paying off debts to keep it
...although you will change because of it.
All of salvation, including repentance and faith, is a result of God drawing us, opening our eyes, and changing our hearts. God's long suffering leads us to repentance (2 Peter 3:9), as does His kindness (Romans 2:4).