(October 5, 2013 at 11:12 pm)Deidre32 Wrote: A few years ago, I gradually started departing from my Christian beliefs. I never really chose a position though, so to speak. Now, I consider myself atheist agnostic. My question is, for those here who are atheists or atheist agnostic, how do you deal with the issue of forgiveness? Christianity teaches to always be forgiving people who hurt you. To a fault. I accepted so many people into my life who hurt me over and over, and I look back and they didn't deserve my forgiveness or friendship. Now that I don't follow any religion, I don't know how to really view the act of forgiveness anymore? I believe that it is necessary for our own growth and to release ourselves from harboring resentment. But beyond that, does everyone deserve our forgiveness?
Just wondering how some of you view forgiveness?
At the time I was a believer in high school, I had a friend whenever I complained about something going on in the world he would sarcastically say "Kill everyone and plant trees". The first time he said that I had a WTF, because I wasn't sure he was joking, then he said "When you don't get what you want, violence is the only solution".
Forgiveness should never be black or white but it should always be up to the person who was transgressed.
