Author Archive: directorifi

What if I think that forgiveness is not a good solution to injustice?  What then is the role of forgiveness in this context?

Since the moral virtue of justice is what is necessary to right a wrong, forgiveness is not a solution to injustice. In response to injustice, forgiveness entails facing its effects, which may include anger, strained relationships, and discord in the family or organization. If you decide to forgive, it is important to manage these negative consequences. Therefore, I believe you are asking the wrong question regarding forgiveness if you think it will solve the issue of injustice. Rather than asking how forgiveness will resolve this issue, the more accurate question is this: How can forgiveness help me (and us) overcome the negative effects of the injustice?

Is it possible for those who have been oppressed by injustice to live in a community that is forgiving? Shouldn’t we first acknowledge the injustice and perhaps work to overcome it before considering forgiveness on a community level?

By recognizing oppression and referring to it as unfair, one can acknowledge it. It is acceptable to be angry about oppression. However, if forgiveness is delayed until the injustice has been resolved, the oppressors benefit from both the initial and continuous oppression and the oppressed people’s lingering, unhealthy anger or resentment. Over time, the animosity could become so intense that it destroys families and individuals in that oppressed community. At the very least, forgiveness eliminates the one issue of harmful animosity—-deep anger within the community.  Those with reduced anger then might have more focus and energy to confront and correct the injustice.

Is it more difficult to forgive someone who has anger in the heart than someone else who has grief in the heart as a consequence of unfair treatment?

Both can be challenging. I believe that it is more difficult to forgive when the anger is really strong, in the form of an ongoing resentment, which might be accompanied, at least at times for some people, by hatred. Some people are so furious that they cannot even use the term “forgiveness” because it makes their anger worse. When people experience intense grief, they also may have a lack of energy and require some time to adjust. During these periods, it is essential to be gentle with oneself as one navigates the process of grief.

I put a lot of effort into forgiving others, but occasionally I have weeks where I don’t want to even consider it or what happened to me. What can I do in these situations to avoid feeling badly or uneasy about putting forgiveness aside?

Let us begin with an analogy. Presume that you follow a fitness routine. Do you exercise weekly for a whole year, or do you take a break to rest, recover, and regroup? Physical trainers advise us to rest for a while. It benefits us. In the same way, imagine becoming forgivingly fit. Hard work is admirable, but to return to that work with fresh vigor, we need time off to rest and regroup.  When you realize this, then you likely will not feel badly for taking time off to refresh before starting to forgive again.

Your emphasis on forgiveness seems to leave out a legitimate time for being angry.  It seems natural to me that we get angry when treated unjustly.  Why shouldn’t we?  When treated badly, I think it is healthy to have some anger over what happened.

I agree, and your timing is interesting because I just recently posted an essay on Psychology Today addressing this very issue.  It can be found here: Which Protects You Better: Anger or Forgiveness?, May 14, 2025

The gist of that essay is that short-term anger is healthy, but when it deepens, festers, and lasts a long time, it can become unhealthy and contribute to emotional and even physical compromise.  Forgiveness can help a person keep anger under control.