Forgiveness and justice are often used interchangeably in the abrahamic texts. God seems to often be described as all merciful, or as mega forgiving. But yes justice and mercy/forgiveness cannot be the same thing by definition, and are indeed quite opposite. Mercy/Forgiveness is essentially the suspension of justice.
If the judge lets a rapist off with a £50 fine then he has been merciful and forgiving (a bit much so most will no doubt agree) and thus justice hasn't really been delivered. If justice is delivered and the rapist is locked up for life, then the judge has not been forgiving or merciful. A surgeon and a medical field are too distantly related a concept to polarise, mercy and justice exist on the same scale of judgement and can indeed be seen as opposites or near-opposites. Forgiveness and mercy are the suspension of justice (for varying reasons in everyday circumstances). You can't be completely just and completely merciful. (Or eternally just and eternally merciful, as I think the Quran describes god as).
If the judge lets a rapist off with a £50 fine then he has been merciful and forgiving (a bit much so most will no doubt agree) and thus justice hasn't really been delivered. If justice is delivered and the rapist is locked up for life, then the judge has not been forgiving or merciful. A surgeon and a medical field are too distantly related a concept to polarise, mercy and justice exist on the same scale of judgement and can indeed be seen as opposites or near-opposites. Forgiveness and mercy are the suspension of justice (for varying reasons in everyday circumstances). You can't be completely just and completely merciful. (Or eternally just and eternally merciful, as I think the Quran describes god as).
