Some Christians believe that you have to actually seek forgiveness of those who you harm (which is why murder is considered by some to be unforgivable). They also believe you must give forgiveness of anyone who asks for it.
Matthew 6-14 for example:
"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your father will not forgive your sins."
Mark 11-25:
"And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
And of course Matthew 7:1-2:
"Judge not that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."
Others believe that you have to repent, and regret your sins to receive forgiveness.
If anything about the Christian concept of forgiveness doesn't make sense, it's that God had to sacrifice himself to himself in order to forgive people of the laws that he created in the first place. But I guess "For god so loved the world he drowned nearly everybody," doesn't have the same ring to it.
Forgiveness and Karma aren't all that different really. Both are beliefs that there's some cosmic force that enforces consequences.
Let's take the iphone theft example.
A Christian would believe that the thief must repent, or will burn in hell for all eternity.
A Bhudist or a Hindu would believe the thief will be bitten by his actions in this life or the next
An Atheist would believe that the thief may go to jail, or he might just get away with it, but there's no evidence of some cosmic force that enforces consequences.
Atheists tend to rely more on empathy and reasoning for their morals. I wouldn't want someone to kill me, so I wouldn't kill someone. It's kind of like the golden rule, with a simple modification that requires reasoning. For example someone may not mind if a third party took naked pictures of them, but through reasoning they can understand someone might not want them taking pictures of them in their birthday suit.
Matthew 6-14 for example:
"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your father will not forgive your sins."
Mark 11-25:
"And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
And of course Matthew 7:1-2:
"Judge not that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."
Others believe that you have to repent, and regret your sins to receive forgiveness.
If anything about the Christian concept of forgiveness doesn't make sense, it's that God had to sacrifice himself to himself in order to forgive people of the laws that he created in the first place. But I guess "For god so loved the world he drowned nearly everybody," doesn't have the same ring to it.
Forgiveness and Karma aren't all that different really. Both are beliefs that there's some cosmic force that enforces consequences.
Let's take the iphone theft example.
A Christian would believe that the thief must repent, or will burn in hell for all eternity.
A Bhudist or a Hindu would believe the thief will be bitten by his actions in this life or the next
An Atheist would believe that the thief may go to jail, or he might just get away with it, but there's no evidence of some cosmic force that enforces consequences.
Atheists tend to rely more on empathy and reasoning for their morals. I wouldn't want someone to kill me, so I wouldn't kill someone. It's kind of like the golden rule, with a simple modification that requires reasoning. For example someone may not mind if a third party took naked pictures of them, but through reasoning they can understand someone might not want them taking pictures of them in their birthday suit.
