Can you forgive someone yet seek justice against them at the same time?

[Pel]

I was just wandering. Can you say(and actually do) that you have forgiven someone but then go to the police or other authority and make a complaint against them for something that they have done to you or someone else.

I would say that the only way you can achieve that is if you do it for the reasons of helping them and you. If you do it purely out if revenge then you have not forgiven. Then you are just trying to hurt in return. By helping others, I would say is helping your self, also you might free yourself from some sort of injustice that's ongoing.

Thoughts?

Thanks

[The Magic Pudding]

I'm not really into forgiveness, I don't see it as a virtue.
Letting go of hate can be in your own interest.

If someone owes you a debt and they've made an effort, repaid you in part, forgiveness of the balance may be acceptable.

Debt Assignment
The transfer of debt, and the right of receiving repayment, from a creditor to a third party,

I citizen foregoes seeking recompense from a criminal and assigns the debt to society/police.

If a drunk guy crashes into my tree. The tree is OK but the guy is obviously drunk. Does the same thing next day. Having the police deal with him would have nothing to day with revenge, he's a danger that needs to be dealt with. This guy doesn't owe me a debt though, not any more than others living in the area.

[genkaus]

Justice would require forgiveness if forgiveness was deserved.

People usually have this idea of forgiveness where if someone simply says they are sorry, you are supposed to "forgive" them, allow them to walk away without consequences. If you don't, then you are being vindictive. But i my opinion, undeserved forgiveness is as bad as unjust vindication.

The doer can, however, genuinely try and make up for his actions. If he truly sorry you'd see attempts to undo the harm he has done. Then you can start forgiving him. And when he succeeds, he should have your forgiveness as he deserves.

[houseofcantor]

Forgiveness is a corporate fiction. Auditing and streamlining the responsibilities of self to society. Entities don't get "forgiven," they get audited.

Seeking Justice is putting the shoes on and pronouncing judgement. That is the moral imperative. Informing the law is the role of the informant. There is no value in my Arizona citizenship to even play a role.

[The Grand Nudger]

You may forgive someone who has committed a crime against you, but society still has a duty to uphold in pursuing justice on your behalf (and, case in point, on behalf of society as a whole). An individual does not have the right to suspend the process of law on the basis of "forgiving" the criminal. You often hear the old "I won't press charges"...which makes for great drama..but truth be told, the state will press charges in your stead (and is perfectly reasonable in doing so). Battered spouses are notorious for this. It isn't the refusal to press charges that gums up the process, it's the refusal to testify when no other evidence is present (which is why the state will often insist upon taking pictures of a battered spouse nowadays..in case she later reverses herself and refuses to testify).

[downbeatplumb]

Yes indeed.

[Cinjin]

absolutely it's possible... haven't you read the bible?? god forgave everybody ... and is still sending the sinners to hell.



Bible says it, that settles it!

*yuck, I threw up in my mouth a little bit just writing that*

[Anomalocaris]

Justice is about making sure crime does not pay. Forgiveness is about whether to give someone another chance. They are two different things in most circumstances. So of course it is possible to forgive while insist on justice.

[Cyberman]

I was just wandering. Can you say(and actually do) that you have forgiven someone but then go to the police or other authority and make a complaint against them for something that they have done to you or someone else.

I would say that the only way you can achieve that is if you do it for the reasons of helping them and you. If you do it purely out if revenge then you have not forgiven. Then you are just trying to hurt in return. By helping others, I would say is helping your self, also you might free yourself from some sort of injustice that's ongoing.

Thoughts?

Thanks

I would say it depends on the persons involved. The act of forgiving a transgression, just as with an apology, carries an implicit agreement that it won't happen again. Were I to forgive a person for some act for which they wanted my forgiveness, and then they went off and did it again to me or someone else, then the forgiveness clearly was nothing more than a conscious salve at best, or an attempt to defuse some retaliatory act on my part at worst. In such a case I would indeed take appropriate action including informing the authorities if necessary. I wouldn't do it simply as a means of hurting the other person. Whatever else may be said of me, I don't think I'd be so petty.

I can think of a few people who have caused me serious hurt in recent years, that is serious enough to get the police involved. One of these cases I can never forgive; even if the person concerned crawled on their knees across broken glass, I would still spit in their face. Yet in another case, I have since forgiven the person concerned and we have become fast friends.

Is this the sort of thing you wanted?

[Perhaps]

What is justice to you? It depends on your answer to that question, as to whether it contradicts forgiveness or not.