MadPreacher1AD
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2019
'Forgiving some deeds is in and of itself an act of evil' is an interesting philosophy. Obviously a completely different worldview. but most Christians would disagree. While objectively it's easy to prove that 'forgiving' in the sense of 'not-punishing' crimes like murder is dangerous and evil, that is not using the Christian definition of forgiveness.
In general, most Christian theology (obviously there are sects) would say that because all humans are fallen and sinners we really don't have the grounds to be holding things against each other. That's what the parable about the Unforgiving Servant was about. God forgives us, even though we deserve to be punished, so we forgive others. And it doesn't matter if we've never done the worst things mankind is capable of, God is the only righteous judge. Just like in our modern legal system, a judge that has stolen and lied under oath would be disbarred and wouldn't be allowed to judge a pedo.
Also most Christians would agree that Christian forgiveness doesn't prevent you from receiving the earthy punishments you earned from breaking earthly laws. That's why Christian countries would offer death row inmates priests and pastors before executions. So they could get Christian forgiveness from God. And the families of those harmed would be expected to forgive the murderer and pray for his soul. But most theologians of different denominations would say the judge and executioner didn't preform some kind of damnable sin by condemning a man to die.
You don't have to like it, or agree with it. But Christian forgiveness is so distinctly different from human or secular forgiveness because you have a giant crucifixion shaped thumb on the scales. The fact that, in the Christian's eyes, God allowed man to torture and kill him. The being that they believe created this universe and thus this entire causality chain of pain and murder, was punished for it. If you don't believe in that thumb on the scales of justice, you're going to see things differently, and withholding forgiveness is just.
Lots of Christians wouldn't say it like this, and lots of Christians are judgy asshats burning heretics and holding grudges, but if you dig down into the theology that's not how it's supposed to be practiced.
A well thought out and succinct post that explains the core behind Judeo-Christian beliefs. I would like to add to your excellent post something that is frequently overlooked.
Part of forgiveness is that we are to not judge someone based upon their sins in a way that we determine where they'll end up at once their life is over. Matthew 7:1-5 is very clear about this point. This is because the priests often sat in judgment for crimes that were committed. They had oftentimes declared that a person would end up in the evil side of Sheol which meant eternal damnation. Only Yahweh could make that judgment, which is why Matthew 7:1-5 and other scriptures on the subject exist. If someone commits a crime like murder we can judge them on that murder in the earthly realm, but we cannot judge them on where they will end up in the afterlife. Only Yahweh can do that.
There is also the matter of the adulteress that was about to be stoned according to Torah Moshe. A group of Pharisee hunters captured the woman and tested Yeshua's judgment. The law of Moshe is quite clear in that an adulterer/adulteress are to be put to death for their crime. However, the Pharisees only captured the woman and let the man go. That would have unjust for her to be put to death while the man still lived. This is part of the reason why Yeshua forgave her and told her to sin no more. One cannot be just when rendering unjust verdicts. It is best to render forgiveness, a just act, then to be unjust.