Tagged: “break free from the past”
Can Murderers Be Forgiven?
Image by Ron Lach, Pexels.com
I recently watched a podcast video in which a prominent world figure, currently involved in inter-country conflict, was asked about the possibility of forgiving the other nation’s leader. The world leader then asked this rhetorical question in response to the host: “Can murderers be forgiven?” It was obvious by his anger that the world leader was saying, “No.” He did not elaborate, which was the end of that particular part of the discussion.
It was apparent that the host saw the possibility of forgiveness between the two leaders as one path to peace. Yet, if the leader sees the other as a murderer, then it follows that he is shutting the door on this possibility.
The question by the host was a serious one that might open the door, even a little, to peace. Can murderers be forgiven? If we look at the history of forgiveness, we see that the answer is a definite “yes” because those who are “murderers” can be and have been forgiven by others in the past. Here are two examples:
Marietta Jaeger lost her daughter Suzy to a kidnapping and murder when her family was on vacation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OFMx9kIems). At first, she said that she was so angry that she could have killed him and with a big smile on her face. Yet, as the weeks dragged on, she saw the stress and anger tearing her family apart. It was then that she decided to forgive the murderer, even though she had no idea who this was. She wished the person well and prayed for the person’s well-being. When the murderer called Marietta on the first anniversary of his kidnapping Suzy, Marietta expressed concern for him. Her kindness so took him aback that he stayed on the phone for over an hour, sufficient time for the law enforcement officials to trace the call, find, and arrest him.
The second example is by Eva Mozes Kor, who forgave “Dr.” Mengele for his abhorrent medical experiments on the twins of Auschwitz during World War II (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdgPAetNY5U). Because of such unethical practices by Mengele, Eva’s twin sister, Miriam, passed away prematurely from kidney failure. Despite some of Eva’s colleagues disapproving of her decision, she forgave Mengele and the Nazis “in my name only” as a way to be free of the resentment that could have been with her for the rest of her life.
In neither case did Marietta nor Eva abandon the quest for justice. Forgiveness and justice existed side-by-side. By this I mean that Marietta certainly would not want the one who murdered Suzy to be on the streets to take the lives of others. Eva was forgiving once she was free from concentration camp and the Nazis were utterly defeated.
Can murderers be forgiven? Yes, and they have. If the leader, who used this question as a rhetorical retort to the podcast host, is open to justice and forgiveness together in the future, as Marietta and Eva have shown is possible, might his fellow citizens and he be able to take a first step of peace in his region of the world? This is no rhetorical question, but one that might in the future save lives. I say this because negotiations with hatred in the heart are less likely to lead to satisfying and stable outcomes than when the heart is at peace and offers that peace to the other.
Why do you think some people forgive easily while most of us have to struggle with the process?
The philosopher Aristotle reminded us that as people practice any moral virtue, then they become more developmentally advanced in it. Therefore, as people tend to practice forgiveness more regularly, they are ready to forgive the next time injustices emerge. Yet, we need to keep in mind that even the well-practiced people can struggle to forgive others for a new injustice if that unfairness is deeply unfair. Even when a grave injustice challenges the well-practiced people, they are likely to move through the forgiveness process more quickly and more deeply than people who are new at forgiving.
I would like to explore self-forgiveness. Do you have a recommended reading for me?
I recommend my book 8 Keys to Forgiveness (2015) published by Norton and available on amazon.com. One of the 8 keys is self-forgiveness. The chapter discusses the controversies about forgiving the self and how to go about engaging in self-forgiveness.
What does it mean to have a change of heart toward the one who offended me? Can I just will this and, presto, I am changed? Does it take a while, and if so, what is the endpoint to which I am striving?
A change of heart is a qualitatively new set of feelings and thoughts toward the one who offended you. This usually is not some kind of instantaneous willed change but instead can take time. The change of heart usually includes a slow transformation of anger to reduced anger, to a softened heart, which can include compassion or a willingness to suffer along with the other, who may be suffering from what was done to you or from being abused by others in the past. As you see the other’s struggles and do not define this person predominantly by the unjust actions against you, this compassion can grow in your heart. The endpoint is the cessation or reduction of anger toward the person and growing compassion for this person.
Thank you for your recent reply to my question about dictionary “definitions” of forgiveness. I put that word in quotation marks because, from your thoughtful response, I don’t think they are definitions of forgiveness at all. Here is another question I have: I then consulted a thesaurus for the word forgave. The website said that the “strongest matches” are the words condone and excuse. I now am wondering what your response is to this.
Thank you for your follow-up question. Actually, to condone or excuse are distortions of what the word “forgave” means. When we forgive other people, we focus on them as persons and not on the unjust actions themselves. In other words, as we forgive, we do not say that what happened is all right or acceptable or worthy of not judging the actions as wrong. Those actions should not be overlooked, but a new stance toward the person who engaged in the actions is the key. Why should we not overlook the unjust behaviors? It is because the person who engaged in them should strive to change the unjust behaviors. If we overlook those actions in the name of a false forgiveness, the person might consider perpetrating unhealthy behaviors within your relationship. In other words, the person might misinterpret your response as saying that you think the unjust behaviors are fine. When you forgive, you call the behavior wrong, you do not condone or excuse, and you strive, out of a sense of mercy, to be good to the one whose behavior was not good for you. Forgiveness then can be combined with justice, in which you ask the person to change the unacceptable behavior.
