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The chief danger that confronts the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost,
Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration,
politics without God, heaven without hell.
William Booth
“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.”
― William Saroyan
The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery. -- Winston Churchill
Ignorance is not an opinion, liberals
I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. C. S. Lewis
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14
THERE WILL BE NO THREATS OF ANY KIND AT THIS BLOG, TO POLITICIANS OR OTHER COMMENTERS. thank you.
geeez2014
GeeeZ .... 
Some horrific things as this cannot even be fathomed. Today, and all week long is all about forgiveness. A prayerful Palm Sunday to you, Z.
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What a story. It takes a very deep faith to forgive like that. I would like to think I could do it, I hope I could, but that Amish community is a wonderful Christian example for us all.
The other lesson the woman learned is also an excellent one: Christianity is not about emotions. Indeed at times we can feel nothing, and often God’s way is not the way our emotions tell us to go.
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When we find that we can not love someone (and we generally can’t love most people, yet are commanded to) we find that God has asked us to do something we can’t.
That’s when we ask Him to love others THROUGH us.
To make us the vessels of His mercy.
I wish I could remember to do this more often, but when I have, it’s been miraculous.
Rom 7:21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
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While I understand and appreciate the essence of this post, it begs a question: WHY?
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John, I have a son in prison.
I don’t think it was my fault he did what he did.
He didn’t murder anyone, but I still ask why.
Bad company corrupts good morals.
And a rejection of Christ can lead to an acceptance of the Adversary or his principles to varying degrees.
I forgot to comment how powerful that story is.
I’ve heard others like it.
A husband who forgave his wife and child’s murderer, visited him in prison, and led him to life eternal. These stories are real.
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John , I couldn’t imagine what you meant by WHY? but Ed helped me realize you meant WHY DID THE GUY DO IT? …which I thought was lacking in the article, too. Of course, it hasn’t anything to do with my post…the rest of the amazing commenters REALLY extrapolated on that so beautifully!
Ed, “A husband who forgave his wife and child’s murderer visited him in prison..” This isn’t your son’s story, I hope? But WHAT a story. How long will your son be in?
And yes, we love others thru God’s love. I have actually sat with people I’m not nuts about and prayed to myself and thought “I really love this person”….and it really WORKS. I see them differently.
:SF is SO RIGHT and it’s something many don’t understand: “Christianity is not about emotions.”
We should talk about that a bit more.
Jerry…it IS about the ultimate FORGIVENESS, isn’t it. Thanks.
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Z: Christianity should not be emotion-driven, but that doesn’t mean emotions have no place there. They do! I’ve come down hard on what I call “GOP Tent Revivalists,” but my only criticism was the blasphemy and using The Lord’s name in vain for rank political purposes.
Many make fun of it, but I love seeing people get excited for Jesus, jumping up and down, hooting and hollering and singing at the top of their lungs. There is also a place for tears of joy and tears of remorse, righteous anger and all the rest of it.
I just wanted to clarify that. Worshiping God should move us emotionally, but that’s not the end of it. Too many people receive Christ with great joy, only to fall away when the emotional high wears off.
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The Amish must be given credit for not first lashing out, like I probably would want to do, before finally realizing I must also forgive before I can be forgiven. They apparently are so deep-rooted in their faith they don’t react with hate because there is no hate in them.
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Although I tend to speak frankly and carry a grudge, I’ve never gone out of my way to effect retribution or payback for slights or trespasses. An old maxim I’ve carried around for decades reminds me that of all human emotions, none other promises so much but rewards so little as vengeance.
However . . . though I’m willing to forgive, especially when the proper amount of humble contrition is offered, I tend to remember names and REALLY don’t care much for being fooled twice.
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I and others have had an on air discussion a few times with Bill Bennett about forgiveness.
There are 3 camps, it seems.
Never, Before contrition and Post contrition.
I’m in the post contrition camp, but have seen great results from pre contrition so as not to argue against it.
These amish were not forgiving
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Please ignore that last phrase. Poor edit, incomplete sentence on my phone.
I was going to say that they were exhibiting compassion more than forgiveness, but they seem to have done both with equal measure.
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Silverfiddle: Agreed!
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As I’m struggling with this now, this is a sobering and reflective post to read.
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SF: My point about Christianity and emotions is that we must know WHO GOD IS, WHO JESUS IS, and not be swayed when things aren’t going well for us to believe “He’s not there”.. He is still HIM whether we like what’s going on in our lives, to our emotions, or not.
I thought of you during Pastor’s amazing sermon this morning …”when things get challenging, do we still sing?” Metaphorically, of course…or even actually. “If you worship God for what He can give you, then that’s the thing you truly love, not Him”>…that’s EMOTIONS
Of course there is emotion in faith,….the goal of any Christian should be to not be swayed away from our faith because of our emotions, because we aren’t happy, things aren’t going well, etc.
I LOVE the passion for Jesus, too! That’s always a great emotion!
Mal, I think there might be hate in them, but they don’t allow that emotion to draw them away from the truth that we are forgiven as we forgive, that love is what Jesus gives us and we pass it on.
bocop I’m with you on the fooled-twice thing! 🙂
Ed…yes , this story is the ultimate earthly forgiveness.
Baysider…it IS a tough one, this forgiveness issue….i know .
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OFF TOPIC ON FOX’s MEDIA BUZZ TODAY:
Leftwing woman: The Garland nomination should go through…in the past Republicans said he was okay”
Rightwing man response: Obama and Biden said no president should appoint anyone in a lame duck year.
Leftwing woman response: What’s past is the past, we don’t need to go back..”
I rest my case!!
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Reminds me of a great line from the great Cagney in Mr. Roberts: Never mind what I told you; do what I’m telling you.
Awfully close to what my grandparents often said: That was then. This is now.
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I don’t forgive Charlie. God might, and I’m not God. There is no reason to forgive the parents as they didn’t have anything to do with it. I don’t see any reason to forgive any criminal for any offense they commit. That’s me.
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You can’t forgive on behalf of someone else. Only those involved can. I was deeply moved by the Amish community at the time, and it comes through even more in this article. The son committed a terrible offense against his family, their name etc., in addition to the murders. It is beyond human comprehension how that community had the back of this grieving family whose son had brought them so much pain.
Dr. Stephen Marmer did an excellent 5 minute video for Prager University on 3 types of forgiveness: exoneration, forbearance, and release. I re-visit this periodically. As total exoneration isn’t always possible, we need to learn – at minimum – to release the pain and anger of old hurts and betrayals, or we will allow the one who hurt us to live rent free in our mind, running the tape on the original incident over and over.
https://www.prageru.com/courses/life-studies/forgiveness
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