Forgiving a system

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Pai_Nosso

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We all know what the bible says about forgiving one another. I have become excellent at forgiving people, so much so that I learnt to forgive people who didn’t even apologize or ask for forgiveness. I even forgave a person whose actions caused division among my family.

But how does one forgive a system? I have this deep resentment against the government, society and the justice system. I can turn the other cheek and not resort to vengeful actions. I can even let it go and move on but every time I’m faced with one of these systems I feel the hate, resentment and anger inside of me. Evil takes advantage of these feelings to plant thoughts of sin within my mind which I then have to resist.

So how can a person forgive a system?
 
Pai_Nosso said:
But how does one forgive a system? I have this deep resentment against the government, society and the justice system.
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Ahh, this feel hits close to home. In my youth I used to be apart of the Sovereign Citizen movement, my hatred for the authorities was pretty deep. But I eventually forgave the system. For the secularists that run the system know not what they do. What helped me forgive the system was a combination of St. Peter telling us to respect Ceaser (as in the authorities) as God set up the authorities to maintain law and order. The other thing that helped me out the most was the book of Daniel. Daniel, a faithful Israelite, was commissioned by the Babylonian King to work for him. A faithful Israelite working for a gentile, pretty unthinkable for some Israelites. Eventually Daniel got favorable amounts of sway with the king and eventually got the King to recognize the One True God, making life easier for Israelites everywhere. Daniel did all of this in rememberance of Jereimiah. When ever I feel my old habits of anti-authoritarianism creeping back into my heart i always remember these words from Jeremiah 29
{29:4} Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel, to all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:
{29:5} Build ye houses, and dwell in them: and plant orchards, and eat the fruit of them.
{29:6} Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters: and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, and let them bear sons and daughters: and be ye multiplied there, and be not few in number.
{29:7} And seek the peace of the city, to which I have caused you to be carried away captives; and pray to the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall be your peace.
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I don’t know that we are required to forgive any governmental system. I certainly do not think we should be forgiving of communism or Nazism. They were inhumane beyond all description.
 
Systems lack moral agency and therefore cannot be morally guilty. Only the people who set up those systems are morally culpable. Focus on forgiving them.
 
A “system” is simply people in the aggregate. It’s OK to work to stop evil on systemic as well as individual levels. But I wouldn’t think of the concept as forgiving a “system” so much as forgiving the people responsible for its existence. In Catholicism, we refer to this as “social sins.”
 
I wasn’t trying to imply that we shouldn’t try to stop evil. I’m just saying that harboring hatred and anger for the authorities isn’t healthy spiritually. I’m a patriot, I love the nation I was born in, but I also want nothing but the best for it. Correcting the evil within the system shows that we love it.
 
CarmeliteKnight said:
I wasn’t trying to imply that we shouldn’t try to stop evil.
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I wasn’t saying that you were implying it. I’m just illustrating how systemic evil comes from people, not inanimate entities. “System” sounds like an object until we remember that people comprise it. I still have to remind myself . . .
CarmeliteKnight said:
I’m a patriot, I love the nation I was born in, but I also want nothing but the best for it. Correcting the evil within the system shows that we love it.
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I very much agree.
 
“The system” is made up of people, human beings like you and me. Begin to pray for these people, pray that your heart can love them.
 
Do you know that the 4th commandment covers the systems you reference. I dont know where you live but you owe honor and respect to a just system.
 
Pai_Nosso said:
I can even let it go and move on but every time I’m faced with one of these systems I feel the hate, resentment and anger inside of me.
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Just to clarify the nature of your resentment, are you speaking of offenses against yourself and/or people you personally know, or offenses you learn of in the media (television, blogs, YouTube)?

Edited to add: If it is the media, I would caution you that much if it is designed to stir outrage, fear, and hatred. This is not to say that there are not grievous injustices and errors in “the system,” but some media outlets tend to select their news in order to maximize their own impact on minds and hearts, and so to boost their ratings and profits.

If that is the reason for your resentment, part of the answer (to forgiveness) may be to disengage to some extent from media sources which present that world view.
 
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While not perfect or without fault, I live in the US and I find the government and the legal system the most closest to the will of God in the history of the entire world. Both protect the innocent and attempt to modify behavior that is deemed “wrong” now if I were wrongly convicted or there were an action of the government that went against God, there is of course, sadness, disappointment, and indeed anger. And make no mistake those things do happen. But for the most part, I enjoy a free and safe environment where I can get in my car, and reasonably safely, drive my family to whatever form of worship I deem fit. A modern feat due in part to laws and a government that I believe is inspired by the holy spirit. But indeed full of flawed humans.

All systems have faults. Even the one established by Jesus himself. My anger at the Church with some of the abuse and political posturing rivals if not surpasses yours toward the systems you mention. So I get it, I really do.
 
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Beryllos said:
Just to clarify the nature of your resentment, are you speaking of offenses against yourself and/or people you personally know, or offenses you learn of in the media (television, blogs, YouTube)?

Edited to add: If it is the media, I would caution you that much if it is designed to stir outrage, fear, and hatred. This is not to say that there are not grievous injustices and errors in “the system,” but some media outlets tend to select their news in order to maximize their own impact on minds and hearts, and so to boost their ratings and profits.

If that is the reason for your resentment, part of the answer (to forgiveness) may be to disengage to some extent from media sources which present that world view.
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I don’t care much for media I’m talking about personal persecution. One example is my incarceration for driving with a license that they said was valid but turned out not to be. Prison is for criminals yet I was locked up for driving offences, not criminal offenses. I pray for all my brothers and sisters that are locked down, words cannot describe what it’s like on the inside.

If I had 10-15 grand for a lawyer he would throw some to the judge, some to the prosecution and I would of walked free. If your going to try and deny this then you have no idea how the justice system operates. There is only justice to those who can afford it, the others get locked up. The morals of this society come from money, my morals come from the bible.

Anyway that’s just one example. So I despise the government, justice system, etc. I cannot forgive a system but harbouring this anger and resentment for authorities is spiritually unhealthy, i feel it’s negative effects.
 
We are commanded to obey just laws, that includes the laws about our diving privileges.

Please, work on forgiveness. This sort of resentment will only poison your soul.
 
A system is made up of people. Do you have contempt for the Nazi Party or for those who make up the Nazi Party?
 
Pai_Nosso said:
One example is my incarceration
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Okay, in my earlier post I guessed wrong, and now it’s clear that you have been directly harmed by the system.

I have read a few news stories about people who were wrongfully imprisoned and yet found a way to forgive. I don’t know how they do it.
 
Ever heard of the Indian removal act? My family was forcibly relocated from their lands to make room for people of a different skin tone. I forgive the people involved, but that does not mean I have forgotten. A hurt that didn’t hurt me directly is a still a hurt. Forgiving does not always entail forgetting.
 
I have had the same problem. It helps to put a face on it…even if its many faces one at a time. It’s not an easy or quick process. Also don’t try do this by yourself (or any forgiving) of course you know that I’m just reminding you. Ask God for help. Give him the burden of the pain of the whole situation and ask him to carry it (you’ll likely need to do this time and time again) It also helps but is very difficult to do, to face your own part in it. This takes humility. It may also take considerable time ie patience. So again you’ll need God’s help continuously, possibly for a long time. I mean no offence and I’m not saying what happened is your fault just that’s why we dont heal from things or let them go has a lot to do with how we view them and our perception of ourselves. Ask God for healing there and then forgiveness will creep up on you one day you’ll realise you’ve done it already. Its self knowledge
journey in spiritual growth really but God is always the guide. God bless you
 
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I am so sorry your ancestors had that done to them by my ancestors.

It makes me sick that humans can be that hateful to other humans.

Forgiveness is a blessing and I’m glad you won’t forget what happened… because forgetting would make it more likely for that sort of thing to happen again 😖
 
OP: forgive the system but don’t forget. Like I said to @adamhovey1988 , forgetting would make it more likely for the injustice to reoccur.

How to forgive a system? Good question… I myself am currently trying to forgive the Church, and what’s been most helpful so far is what others have said: forgive the individuals that group together to make up the system.

Also, anger isn’t necessarily evil. Sometimes it’s a call to action. Could you start a movement, perhaps?
 
TheLittleLady said:
We are commanded to obey just laws, that includes the laws about our diving privileges.
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U justify prison sentences to traffic offences. Even when it was the system that made the error.
Your a tough judge.
Lord please be much more merciful on your judgement of this person for they do not know the anguish, torment and trauma of prison.
 
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