A recent comment to the blog Refusing to Forgive: 9 Steps to Break Free said:
I really enjoyed this article but I could not help wondering why in my opinion, God was not mentioned? I feel that it is truly helpful to recognize that our sins are forgiven on a daily basis. This allows humility and reality to help ease the blow. ~ Jenny Wood
First let me say that as a reader of this blog you may have a deep understanding or a particular spiritual or religious tradition and I’m hoping you will interact in the comments below to expound on this important topic of religion, spirituality, and forgiveness. Across the board, religious and spiritual traditions support the practice of forgiveness. If you are find meaning in a specific spiritual tradition it can be a great strength to use the processes set forth in that tradition to go about forgiveness. It’s important to note that while most, if not all, spiritual traditions promote forgiveness; they go about it in different ways. This may be a great opportunity for you to become more intimate with the process of forgiveness in your own tradition. If you are a believer in a higher power, how can you draw on the strength of this power to support you in forgiveness so you can let go of the suffering you are feeling.
The bible begins with sin and forgiveness as Adam and Eve are expelled from the garden and then forgiven by God. Therese Borchard, author and blog writer, writes about how her faith in Christianity supported her in the act of forgiveness. In Matthew 21, Jesus declares that those who, “sin boldly” and then repent, will enter the kingdom before those who think they’ve got it all together. Millions of people can benefit from these beliefs. In the Jewish tradition, there is a mandate to take action to seek forgiveness from those who you wronged. It’s built into the yearly calendar. In between the two holiest days of the year, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, you are to spend time going to the person you have transgressed and asking for forgiveness. In Islam, the Quran says “…if any of you did evil in ignorance, and thereafter repented and amended (your conduct), lo! Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” The Buddhist tradition is very clear that when we find it in our hearts to forgive, we cultivate more compassion in the world. This belief is something greater than ourselves can allow for great humility.
On the other hand, we are all human and interpret our various religious and spiritual traditions differently. Some of us believe that our God is the only God and his will must be realized. Therefore other traditions that are not in line with this “Divine Will” must pay the price in the name of this God. This makes it very difficult to forgive. Others believe in a vengeful and fear-laden God and while there may be forgiveness somewhere there, there is the idea that we are going to pay for our sins by going to hell. This can instill great fear while living on this planet earth.
When we look at the psychology of spiritual and religious traditions, they all suggest methods to deal with our own guilt and the process toward forgiveness. If you have this strong belief, this can be quite a strength. If you don’t have a belief in God or a higher power, it is unlikely this will serve you. Forgiveness can be very difficult when the transgression is intense and sometimes we need the support of something greater than ourselves. Mindfulness teacher, Jack Kornfield, once gave a suggestion to create an alter with pictures and symbols of all the many spiritual figures from Jesus, to Jewish prophets, to Buddha, to Allah, and others to gather the strength of all of them. In other words, to have them backing you. Some might say, “It couldn’t hurt.”
If you have strong feelings about how your faith or spiritual tradition has helped you in the face of forgiveness or you struggle with it, please interact in the comments below. Nobody has THE ANSWER, but community is where we can find the greatest wisdom and support.
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abundance (June 9, 2009)
I grew up in an atheist family in the USA. I spent much of my childhood avoiding assaults by people who thought I should be beaten for not believing in jesus.”What do you mean you don’t love jesus….bam pow smack”!!!
My father a scientist helped me forgive them.
He explained that not knowing, those voids in our knowledge, are hard for most people to deal with, so they make stuff up to make themselves feel better. Fear and ignorance are dangerous, as is low self esteem. The ignorance covered with myth, which then lowers their self esteem when confronted by someone who sees through their fairy tales, like a 3rd grader sees through santa makes them feel bad and thus act out. I was taught to forgive them just as I would any disabled person whose disability caused me inconvenience.
If we really want to grow and get better, we need to give up magical thinking. We live in a very real world, myths are entertaining but eventually dangerous.
As Christians we are commanded to forgive as we have been forgiven by Him. From personal experience I can say that the benefit is immeasurable in freeing us from the hold that person or situation has over us because of anger, resentment, hatred, whatever. Forgiving doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to resume a relationship particularly if that person continues to be abusive or toxic. The last comment I would like to make is that forgiveness is a decision rather than a feeling.
Religon and forgiveness is the topic?
Speaking about the true God Jehovah as taught to me by Jehovah’s Witnesses, I must say that learning and really grasping forgiveness and where it applies, and how to apply it, and why to apply it is so key to emotional and mental health.
Jehovah God is the originator and perpetuator of healthy life and future longevity of life for his servants.
He requires us to be nothing but joyful.
That would require forgiveness and letting go of anger.
Happiness and self control are fruits of his holy spirit, which means he is the source to tap into for assistance with anger, resentment,unhappiness, self-control issues etc..
In order to achieve and maintain positive states of health, I have learned to be quick to forgive:
“Let the sun not set with you in a provoked state.” (Ephesians 4:26)
“It is beauty . . . to pass over transgression.” (Proverbs 19:11)
Another thought is: (Nehemiah 9:17) . . .But you are a God of acts of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness, . . .
Because the Bible has taught me that I am created in God’s image as far as having His personality qualities and the capability to develop them more fully, and that God requires me to do so in this reguard, I find it beneficial to strip off my sinful inclinations and strive to line up with God’s way of thinking and behaving.
This is healthy.
As an RN BSN, I appreciate healthy states and am interested in prolonging life and preventing premature death.
Do you remember the song: What The World Needs Now Is Love Sweet Love, its the only thing that there’s just too little of…?
If we all would choose to love, what a peacefully different world we would have.
I am still learning to love–taught to me by a God that IS Love.
By studying Jesus’s behaviors recorded in the Bible, I then have something to use as a template so I can continually cut my sinful personality around such a perfect pattern of love.
I look forward soon to the fulfillment of these scriptures: (Psalm 37:10-11) . . .And just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more; And you will certainly give attention to his place, and he will not be. But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, And they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace. (Psalm 37:29) The righteous themselves will possess the earth, And they will reside forever upon it.(Psalm 37:34) . . .Hope in Jehovah and keep his way, And he will exalt you to take possession of the earth. When the wicked ones are cut off, you will see [it].(Psalm 37:37) Watch the blameless one and keep the upright one in sight, For the future of [that] man will be peaceful.
I look forward to a new world soon to arrive as we finish these last days. Up ahead is a new earth where only the meek and kind will survive the world’s end to take possession of the earth.
Those who didn’t want to learn love and forgiveness will have been pruned off so as not to mar the peace of the meek.
If anyone would like to learn more about Armageddon or any other Bible topic of interest; I volunteer my time to offer free Bible education discussions. I welcome your opinions and questions about God’s Word.
If you would like to learn more about health and longevity please speak with Jehovah’s Witnesses when they visit your neighborhood, look them up in the phonebook, or on the web at jw.org, watchtower.org, and jw-media.org..
You may reach me at jfaithweiss@live.com
With guidance from God’s Word, I personally strive to find true joy in all that I do. Not that I am as successful as I would like to be. Its relative but adequate. Joy is difficult to achieve with a melancholic temperament that is bent on the negative and pessimistic side,but it can be done.
I accept that I must learn to co-exist with my mental handicaps inherited from Adam as I look for real and permanent relief in God’s new world.
In the meantime, the main focus of my concern is not to have perfect mental or physical health, but to prove my Christ-like integrity.
Suffering from a mental disorder may make this frustratingly difficult.
But many servants of God, like the apostle Paul, have faithfully served with “a thorn in the flesh.”
I have battled with depression, avoidant personality disorder, OCD, generalized anxiety disorder…for 25 plus years. These defects are just as strong today within me as they were then, but I have received soothing relief from God’s Word and a hope….
I have learned to rely on Jehovah.
–Faith Weiss RNBSN,Jehovah’s Witness
You forgive to go on with your life. So you are no longer being hurt by the actions.
You are nice to people because it creates a better environment for you to live in.
If someone is mentally retarded or psychotically violent you tell them to be good or you will hit them, or the boogy man will do it. Tysons trainers held a gun to his head to impress on him not to fight outside of the ring.
I always find it odd when people declare they are good because god told them to. Can’t they figure out a good reason to be good on their own? If they did not believe would they be serial killers.
I am scared of religious people you can’t trust them.
Please do not try to shake another person belief system - that may be their anchor;
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