What is "Forgiveness" to you? To yourself? To others?

Question

A quote I just received::

Forgiveness means giving up all hope of a better past.
-Landrum Bolling

Namaste

Peace and Love

Answer 1

to forget

Answer 2

I met a Jewish lady Eva Mozes Kor who survived Auschwitz and Dr. Mengele's cruel experiments that nearly killed her), and she has forgiven the Nazis. This made other people very angry at her because they thought it was excusing the crimes or that it meant forgetting the evil. But to her it was a way to be able to heal from her pain, and not let Hitler and Mengele continue to ruin her life. It was not excusing or forgetting the evil- it allowed her to educate people about the evil without being destroyed by the anger and pain.

People have extremely different definitions of what forgiveness means. To some from a religious point of view there are very specific steps, the perpetrator has to ask forgiveness and make repentance. People have suggested that she should not have forgiven since Mengele did not express any remorse or ask forgiveness. But she said that if you have to wait for someone to ask, then they are still in control. There is a movie about this called Forgiving Doctor Mengele. She has an organization called CANDLES.

Answer 3

I remember the slogan used in Love Story back in the 70's. "Love means never having to say you are sorry." I think that refers to forgiveness, a natural understanding that stems from loving so much that nothing is considered a personal slight no matter how much it seems that way.
For example, if I love someone and he or she is lashing out and angry and some of that anger is directed at me, I know deep in my heart that the anger is not about me. I am able to look back at the person with eyes and heart full of total understanding. I am past forgiveness. There is no need for it. I am operating on a higher frequency than when I need to forgive someone, so I can let go of the hurt.

Answer 4

Forgiveness is for the know nots.
"Forgive them, for they know not".
However, such is before the cross.
After the cross it's destroy them all.

To err, and demand forgiveness, is bwd<--BC.
Not guilty by reason of insanity is common in law.
Not to mention Law vs Law is as Loser vs Loser.

To know, and not require forgiveness, is fwd AD-->
Ye shall know the truth...shall make you free, of err(law).

Forgiveness is conditional in the Lord's Prayer:
Forgive us our debts "as we forgive others".
PS: if you don't forgive all men all debts,
then neither do you get any forgiveness.

Forgiveness a mission impossible via the Ghost.
Blasphemy the Ghost is unforgiveable,
both in this world and in the to come.
Everyone has spoken against law,
even if to say as a child it's not fair.

Yet God hath forgiven you for Christ's sake: Eph 4:32.
I wonder how God did that, if blasphemy unforgiveable?
Perhaps it has to do with: we are delivered from the law.

Our Father, deliver us from evil: Mt 6:13
We are delivered from the law: Rom 7:6

Charity never fails is "above" forgiving one another,
because charity thinketh no evil (no law: sin & death).

The GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ with you all. Amen.

Answer 5

I'm not sure forgivness is quite real. I think it is only important to know your mistake and not make it again, that is why christians confess to a priest - embarassment, and saying the words can make you more aware of your mistake.

For what I could see, many of the things we do, both good and bad, return to us in some way. But, it's just a theory...

Answer 6

I love that quote. Forgiveness to me means that I don't give any power to the person who I perceive as having done me wrong. I decided that I don't need to feel anger towards any one anymore and I move on with my life.

Answer 7

Forgiveness to me is accepting what IS and knowing that no matter what anyone does to me that divine essence inside of me can never be effected. It is only the ego that can't forgive.

Answer 8

Interesting quote.

Forgiveness to me means that I let go and don't hold resentment for past actions. However, I have to be honest and say that I don't "forget." If someone hurts me, especially repeatedly, I don't resent them, but I do limit how much of myself I invest into their life, and how much I let them into mine in the future.

As far as forgiving myself? Again, I try to let go of the past, but I don't forget--remembering mistakes that I've made helps me to be more careful in similar situations in the future.

Answer 9

right on rebel