I refuse to forgive any of the mass murderers of the 20th century. It seems foolhardy to do so. Therefore, forgiving can be foolhardy. What do you think?
It is a moral virtue to forgive. All moral virtues are good, including kindness, patience, fairness, and love-in-service-of-others. Forgiveness is thus a positive response to injustice. Being kind and loving is not foolish. It follows that forgiving cannot be foolishness as it is a component of goodness.
Having said that, I do think there are situations when you might not be ready to forgive someone for unfair behavior. You are not a bad person because of this. Justice and forgiveness are not the same thing. Some kinds of justice are so vital that the state has codified them into laws—don’t murder, for instance. There is no law requiring forgiveness because it is up to the individual to decide whether or not to extend forgiveness to someone for an unfair deed. Therefore, you are free to choose not to forgive “the mass murderers of the 20th century” and carry on being a decent person in spite of the suffering they has caused you (and they can continue inflicting suffering on those who are still directly or indirectly affected by them).
