Having visited Buchenwald Concentration Camp's Museum in the past, I thought I would ask if it is possible to forgive and forget? Seeing on display items such as baby shoes stained in blood really brought home what evil can and does exist. Perhaps it is okay to forgive but intead of forgetting surely we should be remembering and learning? Surely we should all be on our guard against such evil? Thinking of a passage in the Bible which says we should be watchful....
2007-02-08 06:15:23 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I can forgive, I just can't forget
Forgivingness is one of the greatnesses in life
Forgetfullness is a vice
if we don't make it better, then it's all just a little bit of history repeated...
I lost pretty much my entire family in the Deathcamps, and the consquenses of this are being felt by me every day as I do not have any of the social contacts that most OTHER families have
instead I advice everyone of one of the statements from the Talmud: To save one life, is to save mankind.
and REMEMBER the road that has brought you to were you are now (from generations ago until now)
2007-02-08 06:32:21 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I know what you mean. I went around Auschwitz and it's a terrible thing to behold. However, forgiveness is particularly easy in this case - pretty much all of those responsible are dead. Forgetting is different. You have to learn from history to prevent the same mistakes being repeated.
I remember hearing a comment as I was leaving - there were some Germans looking round, and someone said 'how dare they be here?'. I've heard similar expressions (and much worse) from people who've been round the Anne Frank House. These people are missing the lesson. Although it was the (Nazi) Germans who committed this particular offence, the lesson is that humans have flaws and are capable of terrible acts. And as many times as we think it cannot or must not happen again, still it does. In one form or another.
I can't tell you which passage of the bible you are thinking of. I don't know it, and feel no inclination to look it up. I'll stick with my more atheist-friendly version - people who don't learn from history are destined to repeat it.
2007-02-08 15:33:24 · answer #2 · answered by The Truth 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is a shame all the evil in the world. Sure anger is a natural feeling. I know it is hard but we are supposed to forgive others no matter what. While Jesus was on the cross he prayed to God to forgive the people crucifying him for they did not know what they have done. Also how can we expect God to forgive us, if we can not forgive others. The evil people who committed these unspeakable acts will after to answer for them before God and get their punishment in hell.
I think it is importment not to forget what was done so that it doesn't happen again. After all if we do not learn from history we are doomed to repeat it. And when people see such horrible things people will know how evil satan is.
2007-02-08 14:35:57 · answer #3 · answered by ANGIE 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Forgiveness is divine. We're only human, honey. But Vengeance is mine, so sayeth the Lord. We need to learn from the attrocities that have happened in the past. Too bad George Bush hasn't.
2007-02-08 14:20:52 · answer #4 · answered by firey_cowgirl 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Vony,
I agree. History is really important and we do need to remember how evil we can be. Man has a capacity for being bad. I hope political correctness doesn't ultimately try to hide this from us and the next generation.
2007-02-08 14:24:00 · answer #5 · answered by : 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Forgiveness and compassion aren't about letting someone or something have their/it's way. Forgiveness is about understanding and letting go of the harm a thought or concept can cause to your own mind, or to someone else after an event is over. You don't have to forget though... but you don't have to let something eat you alive.
_()_
2007-02-08 14:23:32 · answer #6 · answered by vinslave 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We must never forget. Do we as christians forget what Jesus did for us? The Holocaust memorial day is there so that we do not forget the horrors suffered by people. As someone said , the would has healed but the scar remains.
2007-02-08 16:44:25 · answer #7 · answered by Plato 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hard to forgive and forget a lot of things in this life but we can stop things eating away at us and move on to educate ourselves for the better of mankind.
2007-02-08 14:23:43 · answer #8 · answered by deep in thought 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm German living in the UK. the bad thing about people not forgetting is that they think all Germans are still Nazis. which is definitely not true.
I don't think i should be made responsible for what an evil little AUSTRIAN man did and made other people do.
I don't think people should forget, but they should know the facts.
2007-02-08 14:33:22 · answer #9 · answered by carmen1509s 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think that is why we have rememberance stautes and events to never forget the evils of man
2007-02-08 14:21:19 · answer #10 · answered by danicolegirl 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋