Is there such thing as forgive for selfish reasons?

[cho_pilo]

How is that possible?

 

[Andreas_and_Sam]

Hmm, that’s a good question, but

I don’t think you can truly forgive someone in your heart and be selfish about it.

“I forgive you because that is going to increase my own chances of getting to Heaven” - uhm, first of all, if that was the actual case, then you truly don’t forgive the person for what he or she has done, and therefore I’d say that to truly forgive someone out of love, just as God forgives you out of love, is not possible to do for selfish reasons. - I don’t know if that makes sense.

• Andreas

 

[cho_pilo]

Hmm, that’s a good question, but

I don’t think you can truly forgive someone in your heart and be selfish about it.

“I forgive you because that is going to increase my own chances of getting to Heaven” - uhm, first of all, if that was the actual case, then you truly don’t forgive the person for what he or she has done, and therefore I’d say that to truly forgive someone out of love, just as God forgives you out of love, is not possible to do for selfish reasons. - I don’t know if that makes sense.

• Andreas

Thanks for your thought. What if I forgave because I wanted peace. Isn’t it selfish?

 

[cecilia97]

Thanks for your thought. What if I forgave because I wanted peace. Isn’t it selfish?

That’s exactly the situation I would suggest, too. I do think it’s possible to forgive for selfish reasons. Shoot, we can even go to Confession for selfish reasons, and it’s right there in the Act of Contrition! Sometimes we confess because we “dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell”!

 

[lizaanne]

What exactly is WRONG with forgiving for selfish reasons? As long as those reasons are themselves good ones, I see no issues with that.



~Liza