A Bridge Across Abysses Of Forgiveness Analysis

In the book The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal, he asks the question “What would you do?” As if we were in his shoes and asked to forgive the dying SS soldier for the crimes he committed during his service. I agree with Rodger Kamenetz assertion that Simon Wiesenthal’s response of silence was the right thing to do, “I feel silence, under the circumstances was the best response. As a captive marked for death, you did not have the full freedom to speak. Either to forgive or to condemn, or both as the situation required” (Kamenetz 181).

What do you want to pass down to your children? From the beginning of time having a family was important. Astonishingly, to have children and pass the family name down is still a blessing today. Teaching the future generation traits and qualities is essentially creating tomorrow’s leaders. This question makes me consider how one simple act can mold people’s lives and accordingly create a chain reaction. One trait I aspire for my children to inherit is my quality of forgiveness. Forgiveness changed my perspective in the world by understanding how much of an impression it has on the world’s faith, perseverance, and love.

Simon Wiesenthal could have not forgiven for the six million that died. Karl could have never “put a Jewish survivor in the impossible moral position of offering forgiveness implicitly in the name of the 6 million” (Fisher,132). Karl (the dying nazi) couldn't have asked Simon for forgiveness because he's only one out of the 6 million that died. That’s like Donald Trump asking 1 Mexican for forgiveness for all the Mexicans. Also “placing a jew in this position further victimizes him or her” (Fisher). Putting a Jew in this position makes them weaker than what they already are. Karl asked Simon for forgiveness but “only the victims were in position to forgive; and they are put to death” (Fleischner 140). Karl shouldn’t have asked Simon for forgiveness because he didn’t do anything wrong. Karl should have asked the people that he had murdered but it was too late.

Eleven million people died in the Holocaust, of that number six million were Jews. Those that did not perish had a significant number of heinous war crimes committed against them. In the aftermath many ask: should one forgive these inhumane monstrous actions, if confessed to? The Sunflower examines the difficult topic of forgiveness amongst genocide in Simon Wiesenthal’s direct experience and through various other individual responses to the same scenario; these various responses illustrate the major arguments in favor of forgiveness and against forgiveness. It was through these examinations that I was able to conclude how I might have acted if I had been in a similar position to Wiesenthal.

In many novels, it is known for a character to sacrifice, surrender, or forfeit something to illuminate their values. This holds true in The Kite Runner by Khaled Houssini when Amir goes back to Afghanistan to save Sohrab and seek forgiveness. From Amir’s actions, an overall theme of redemption exists even after bad times.

The encouragement of forgiveness in one way or another is a universal concept of the Christian religion. However, cultural dispositions of forgiveness are cultivated differently for blacks and whites in America. The message of forgiveness within the context of catastrophic violence and loss is emphatically expressed in Black churches all across America. An example of this message includes the Sunday school lesson called, “A Love That Forgives”, prepared for students at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Al on September 15, 1963. Ironically, that same day there was a racial bombing, killing four little girls. Reverend Martin Luther King, who conducted a speech before the burial of the four little girls said, "We must develop and

Dominique Green grew up within poverty and racism. His mother was likely mentally unstable when Green was a child and became involved with drugs and alcohol when she discovered that he was under trial for committing murder. Green wanted to break the cycle of abuse, addiction, poverty, and racism that his family and he grew up with. He confessed on a documentary about him that he believed that he succeeded in breaking the cycle since he raised his little brothers right (A Saint on Death Row, 2009).

The claims made by the objections have some good points made such that resentment is problematic and it should naturally dissipate when forgiveness is in order. However, through further analysis on the subject matter as well as comparison between the contemporary philosophers and Confucian ideas, one can see the truth behind resentment and forgiveness.

Mark gibson wrote an article called a journey to forgiveness about Eva Kor and her twin sister being experimented on in Auschwitz.

J., & Hampton, J. 1988). Forgiveness is necessary for someone that has been harmed because when a victim forgives his or her wrongdoer, they forgiving for the well-being of their own sanity. A process is necessary for those that have been harmed so that they would no longer live under the control of the person who has harmed us. Although victims have been hurt, more often than not, they tend to forgive for their own peace of

According to research, many people have their own different understanding on forgiveness (Olmstread, Blick & Mills, 2009). Some aspects are believing that the term of “forgiveness” means “weakness” and giving permission to the spouse who had the affair to repeat the same pattern while others believe that forgiveness is to reconcile or to bond together once again (Olmstread, Blick &

"Forgiveness in Families" is about Valerie and Cameron, they are two siblings that live life very differently. Valerie has had a sibling rivalry towards Cameron since the day he was born.

There is chosen forgiveness and found forgiveness. Does Grace go hand in hand with Forgiveness? To elect to forgive is an act of will, it is a gift (grace) given to the offender. Found forgiveness is simply just letting go because by not doing so will cause more harm than good. (Kutz 1)

Forgiveness is not for another person; it is for us to take back the negative power of revenge. Consequently, It is the active dynamic power of associated love, peace and happiness. We cannot ignore the unrest conscious that persists for a long time with Simon (Flannery 136). His behavior during the visit of Karls's mother appears as he still bears the guilt of unforgiveness on his shoulder. Even, after the war, he lived and engaged in a work hunting murderers to bring justice for the suffered Jews regretting his silence. Although the silence beside the dying man interpreted negatively on many readers, it gives a real challenge for many other to forgive. Apparently, Simon lived worried to find if his silence was right or wrong, but we may hear in his words: let it down and go on with your life to avoid my dilemma trap. When we forgive, we throw out the negative feeling and open our heart to peace and happiness. After 27 years of torture and unfair treatment, Nelson Mandela advice if he did not forget the bitterness and haters behind bars, he will still imprison inside his unforgiveness (123). Any possibility to forget is a chance to forgive. Although I am asking not to ignore the beloved victims who discriminated by haters, I recommend fighting against the feeling of revenge. And because of our nature, the negative energy of resentments and anger brings harm to our

I feel that the misconceptions of forgiveness that I tend to hold on to is that “time heals all wounds” and to forgive I have to forget. I mean I eventually overcome these misconceptions with Gods help, but it isn’t easy. I have noticed that I tend to want to sweep the anger and issue under a rug and try to not let them bother me. Also, I tend to notice that I struggle with the doubt that I have not really forgiven and I allow the anger on some occasions to return. I think in some situation such as this summer I thought I had forgiven my sister and her boyfriend for hurting me emotionally but when I remember the situation the frustration and anger came flooding back. This situation made me ponder if I really had forgiven her because I still