Forgiving the unforgivable

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I won’t pretend that forgiving somebody who has murdered someone you love doesn’t seem absurd. Revenge seems to be the appropriate response. In some peoples eyes that’s justice.

The first thought that comes to mind is the “Our father”, “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us”. But that’s a purely theological perspective.

Are there any philosophical arguments for forgiveness.
 
You know, what came to my mind was how St. Maria Goretti’s mother forgave Alessandro for her murder. Alessandro even took care of Mama Assunta in her old age. I don’t know about any philosophical arguments, but in nursing school we learned about the negative side effects anger and resentment have on us mentally and physically. Everything from heart problems, anxiety disorders, insomnia, and high blood pressure can affect those who have a hard time forgiving. People who are able to let go seem to have, for the most part, a longer lifespan.
 
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I would like to see more stories like this.
 
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I know it! I also heard that Alessandro might be a candidate for canonization. After his conversion, I’m not sure how familiar you are with the story, he lived a pious life dedicated to God .I know a lot of people don’t like the idea, but I for one would love to see it. Think of the hope it would give others. This is a picture of him as an old man when he lived in a monastery.

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That would give so much hope. I think people would confuse it as evil winning. But i would see it as love conquering.
 
Forgive (ness) is defined as: stop feeling angry or resentful toward (someone) for an offense, flaw, or mistake.

WOW ! Stop feeling angry or resentful?

Is Mercy all about my personal feelings? Anger and resentment are negative feelings, opposite of Love. Negative feelings often prevent us from doing the good we could. Negative feelings limit our ability to love God and others as we should.

If we truly forgive transgressions we stop anger and resentment from controlling us. We become free again to love as we should.
That can be hard - letting go of justified anger. It calls for us to have Faith in God’s Justice. Meanwhile it does not call us to work to have the guilty set free from proper human punishment. Or to take the guilty in as a new found friend. And if the guilty has not asked for forgiveness in a sincere way, I doubt we are obligated to pro-offer our unwanted forgiveness.

But we should pray for the ability to let go and let God so we can get back to loving others in our lives as best we can.
 
I thought similar about this for a long time, OP. What lets me understand forgiveness was also a confrontation with the meaning of the words themselves - it´s not simply “forgiving” it´s “grant forgiveness”. Someone grants sth. who is in a higher position than the person in need of forgiveness - this person can only ask for it. Think of this!
It´s not a sign of weakness that we are able to forgive, it´s a sign of emancipation and dignity to grant forgiveness. The moment you forgive, you are not a victim anymore, but a free person.
 
I could choose to continue hating the man who raped me. Or I could choose to forgive and let God work on him.
 
That’s where we (sorta) differ.

I think forgiveness is absurd.
But do it anyway.
 
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