A local man is about to be charged with murdering his two Children. During a scheduled visitation he allegedly killed his two kids to get back at the mom. As a christian I am to forgive and not to judge. And should he repent, and accept salvation, he will go to heaven. I have a hard time with this, can you offer me some words/scripture to help me cope, as my intial reaction is one of anger.
2007-09-13 05:56:43 · 17 answers · asked by MonkeyMami 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Many of you are right, forgiveness was the wrong word. He did not harm me personally, but the community is still hurting for this mother.
Thank you for those who answered seriously.
2007-09-13 06:23:15 · update #1
This reminds me of the account in the Bible of King Manasseh found in 2 Chronicles 33:1-20. He was a king in Jerusalem for a people dedicated to God,and yet he obstinately rejected pure worship, encouraged others to do worse than the natons around the nation of Israel did in their false worship. He went so far as to burn his own sons upon an alter.
Eventually, because God used the nation of Assyria to war against Manasseh, and Manasseh was captured, he prayed for forgiveness and was then restored to his Kingship in Jerusalem.
It is important to note what he did after he was restored to his kingship, that indicated true repentance on his part. He tried to restore true worship to his God in the land.
This example serves to teach us that it is God that reads the hearts of us all.
Keep in mind too, that God can restore the lives of those lost.There is nothing that any man can do that God can't correct.
It is not wrong for you to feel outrage at what this individual did. For we were created with the same qualities that God displays: Love and justice being part of those.Be assured that God's hand will not fall short in dispensing such appropiately.
Read Psalms the 103 chapter and Psalms the 130 chapter. Both speak of God's willingness to forgive those seeking Him.
Remember King David and his sin with Bathsheba as well.He went so far as to arrange the death of her husband to cover his adultery with her and her subsequent pregnancy.
You can read that account in 2 Samuel chapters 11 and 12. Even though King David was forgiven, he did suffer the consequences of his actions and he never had peace in his kingdom thereafter.
Be glad it is God and His Son who are determining what happens and not us. Even God gets angry, but we all benefit from his sense of justice that he tempers that anger with.
I hope this helps, agape' Tirshatha
2007-09-13 06:50:35 · answer #1 · answered by tirshatha2001 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's GOOD that your initial reaction is anger. Anger is like pain, it's a signal that something is wrong. It's telling you that you find the murder of children to be not okay.
It's not judging him to be angry about the murder of children. You're not saying what's going to happen after he dies.
A lot of people mistake forgiveness for thinking well of someone, or liking them. This is not the case. Forgiveness means you acknowledge the person does not owe you any (karmic) debt. One can do this and still decide they don't like someone. You can also not like brussels sprouts while not having a vendetta against them.
2007-09-13 06:10:40 · answer #2 · answered by KC 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone" - Jesus
Your feelings are perfectly human. In this case it is essential to make a conscious decision to forgive and then ask God to help you make your heart follow.
Remember there are no degrees of sin. Sin is sin. A believer who curses (alone in their car) because someone cut him/her off in traffic is just as reproachable as a murder in God's eyes.
Joel Osteen preached a good sermon on anger this past Sonday and I tend to agree with the point he made about the fact that getting angry isn't a sin. It's what you do with that anger that is the potential sin. Getting angry and working out that anger by give to causes that help victims of domestic violence is anger without sin. Getting angry and cursing this man is a sin.
Your decision on how you want to deal with this.
God bless.
2007-09-13 07:05:04 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think what you are feeling is anger, but without sin...righteous indignation. That is not sin.
Should it have happened to you, then God does call for forgiveness. Not easy by our human nature.
Forgiveness does NOT mean you accept what has happened. Are you aware forgiveness has more to do with the forgiver?
See also Ephesians 4:26 but read the whole chapter.
2007-09-13 06:43:36 · answer #4 · answered by Jed 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's one of the main problems I have with many "christian" religions. I can't accept the fact that I can do anything I want such as murder, mass murder, torture etc. and all I have to do is repent and ask for salvation and I go to heaven. same as all those who have treated there fellow humans (and the animals to) with respect, kindnes and forgiveness.
I say fry him so he goes to hell. People like that should not be allowed to remain alive.
2007-09-13 06:07:46 · answer #5 · answered by tamarack58 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is up to the ones he hurt to forgive him. If he has done nothing to you personally, you are under no obligation to forgive him. His actions caused you distress for his acts against humanity, but he has not harmed you personally.
He must seek forgiveness from the people he harmed.
You can dislike his actions, but the only obligation you should feel you have to do is pray for him and the people he hurt.
2007-09-13 06:05:23 · answer #6 · answered by I'm Here 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why do you feel you have to forgive him? They weren't your children. Just hearing about the story made me a little angry too. But I also think that anybody who kill their children just to get back at their estranged spouse clearly has some type of mental malfunction and should have a psychiatric evaluation.
2007-09-13 06:10:18 · answer #7 · answered by Subconsciousless 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are like 5 ranges to forgiveness. a million)to not desire to wreck the only that has injury you. 2)to not want them injury. 3)to be keen to befriend them (help them) 4) to be keen to have faith them. and 5) to take their sin, and supply them righteousness FOR it. needless to say in straightforward terms YAHUSHUA can do #5. we are each directed to do #a million. the middle 3 are transactional, and consequently remember on the perspective of the two events.
2016-10-10 12:25:02 · answer #8 · answered by kuder 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Anger seems perfectly rational to me. However, forgiveness is not an emotion (like anger). It is an act of will. Over and over again (seventy time seven).
2007-09-13 06:04:14 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Let's set Scripture aside for a moment and ask ourselves, "How does it benefit me to hold onto this anger?"
Does it underscore my sense of moral superiority?
Does it give me some cause to exercise my righteous indignation?
2007-09-13 06:12:06 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋