Catholic Reconciliation Essay

The author have shown his deep study about forgiveness. He writer has given names of the people who are working on this topic to gain reader’s attention. The writer also gives the result of whole research by the 2 researchers and states that

During the 16th century, Protestantism emerged as a new sect of Christianity. This process was not calm or peaceful in the slightest. Protestant leaders like Martin Luther and John Calvin fiercely attacked and denied traditional Catholic beliefs, causing much controversy and debate upon religion. Many regions of Europe as a whole were converted to Protestantism, and many more Protestants emerged in areas where Catholicism remained the state religion. The Catholic faith became less and less appealing to people as the abuses of the clergy were now publicly addressed by reformers and a new, personal approach to religion was offered in Protestantism. In addition, rulers favored Protestantism as a state religion because it meant that no power

Reconciliation has been a somewhat popular issue in Canadian academia and in Canadian society in general. Reconciliation in the Canadian context is defined as a restoration of the relationship between the Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous people due to the historical injustices, that continue to affect Indigenous peoples even to this day, committed by the Government of Canada against the Indigenous peoples. This is a massive undertaking that will require the participation of both Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous peoples alike. A project of this magnitude will not be an easy task to accomplish, as undoing over 100 years of trauma to the Indigenous peoples is not something that can be undone over night, but rather it will take decades to accomplish. There will be many obstacles in the path of reconciliation that will have to be overcome. However, reconciliation is the best opportunity to repair the relationships between the Indigenous peoples and the non-Indigenous peoples because it makes sense for all Canadians to be involved, the Government of Canada is backing the reconciliation process and some work to repair the relationship has already been done and has beneficial results for everyone.

In the book Rediscovering the Power of Repentance and Forgiveness, Dr. Leah Coulter seeks to challenge the conventional Christian approach to forgiveness. Conventional Christianity approaches forgiveness as a Christian duty, and, in many ways, this has been unfair to the victims who have almost been condemned for seeking justice rather than simply forgetting. She asks, "From an all too common Christian view, why must the weight and responsibility of forgiveness be placed on the sinned-against instead of the sinner's repentance?" (Coulter). Therefore, she focuses extensively on the idea of repentance and the duty of the sinner to repent. However, that is not to suggest that Coulter abandons the idea that forgiveness is a Christian imperative, but she attempts to place it within its Jewish context, and demonstrate how other facets of historical Judaism inform the practice of forgiveness and repentance.

Most religions are in support of forgiveness. Yet, the circumstances for permitting forgiveness vary across religions. Religions other than Christianity advocate forgiveness under certain conditions. As in forgiving someone can only be done if certain amends are made by the offender. Christian believers are more autonomous in the support of

Forgiveness has been defined in many ways by psychologists and researchers with no one universal definition. Hill (as cited in Maltby, Day and Mackaskill 2001) state that it is widely agreed that forgiveness involves a willingness to abandon resentment, negative judgement and indifferent behaviour towards the person who has hurt them Although research is recent, from the last 15 years, it has helped develop our understanding of forgiveness . Research has shown that forgiveness gives positive mental health and prevents the development of mental disorders such as anxiety, depression and stress. Two major models of forgiveness are Enright’s model and Worthington’s (2001) pyramid model to REACH forgiveness. Both these models involve steps and

Forgiveness, while not only Christian, is a belief and practice that almost all Christians hold. Jesus displayed forgiveness in a variety of parables such as the “Lost Son” in Luke 15 and in his life, like when he forgave his persecutors in Luke 23. If we are to aspire to live in a way like Jesus did, then forgiveness needs to be regarded as a positive step to take. Through a case story by Stacy Banerman, we can see how the absence of forgiveness leads to a cycle of violence that will continue as people seek to justify their blame. Stacy Bannerman’s tragic story about the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on her husband displays the unbearably hard aftermath of losing everything.

Dawson’s article, A Christian Proposal to Peacemaking in a New Country, focuses on the different types of faith based efforts that Christians all over the world are currently involved in that focus on both forgiveness and reconciliation and ways to bridge the gap between victim and offender. He begins his thoughts by reminding the reader that everyone has sinned, but that God responds with forgiveness, and has given us an opportunity to start anew through the death and resurrection of Christ, thus reconciling us to God. Here is where the reconciliation process begins. He also briefly brushes upon that it is man’s inability to resist emotions like envy, fear, and contention, that results in hatred for another person or group of people, which is why there is a continuous flow of conflict in the world. This is why we as Christians should understand and embrace the power of the cross. Throughout the article Dawson continuously, encourages and challenges all Christians to join the ministry of reconciliation movement and become reconcilers stating, “our goal, of course, has always been to see people reconcile to God through the Gospel” (Dawson, 2001, p.234). He maps out a model for reconciliation that defining the following:

The concepts of atonement and forgiveness, while similar, have slightly different connotations. Mahatma Gandhi describes forgiveness as “choosing to love” (Huffpost), giving it a more secular process where one’s sins are admonished, where atonement is primarily recognized as the reconciliation of sin or wrongdoing towards others. And while these terms share similar characteristics in a sense of general ‘mending’ of feelings, atonement bears the implication of reparation over agreement of forgiveness. This claim is reinforced by various sources such as Oedipus the King, The Scarlet Letter and The Grapes of Wrath, as well as sources that compare forgiveness and atonement, and the religious implications that come with them.

This client was Christian and from my estimation now looking back was just beginning their walk with Christ and not on the same maturity level that I was at that time in my walk with Christ. At that time I knew how forgiveness first and foremost is obedience to God, and secondly how it can set you free from so many emotional problems, McMinn said, “Forgiveness, in its theological and spiritual context, is profound, life-giving, and transforming. When we remove the religious context and think of forgiveness only as a clinical technique, we risk losing the essence of forgiveness.” (2011, p. 254) After reading this chapter it made me re-live an area in which I was not fully equipped to help client maneuver their way through. This particular chapter has allowed me to see how vital forgiveness is in a therapeutic session, and how it must be used carefully. It is made me aware of how important my Christianity is to forgiveness, but also to assess the level my client is currently on before beginning a session on forgiveness. Reflection

Reparation or recompense, identified as atonement, is a concept interspersed throughout the Old and New Testaments, from Genesis to Revelation. Atonement, which means “to set as one” or “to reconcile,” has two different emphases according to Jewish and Christian theology. Reginald H. Fuller in his summary of V. Taylor’s book Jesus and His Sacrifice said that the Jewish perception of atonement as found in the Old Testament focuses more on external or personal factors, while Christian theologians believe that throughout the New Testament atonement is shown to be the expiation of sin through the payment through the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. According to Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, the most frequent method of

In general, self-forgiveness is identified by a common ability to exhibit self-respect in spite of the acceptance of wrong-doing (Hall, J., Fincham, D., 2005). I never considered the distinction between interpersonal forgiveness and intrapersonal forgiveness. While they share many similarities, there is even greater evidence of the differences between the two. One significant difference involves the consequences of withholding forgiveness from self. It is likely that intrapersonal unforgiveness can be much more detrimental than interpersonal. Hall & Fincham state “ Self-forgiveness often entails a resolution to change” (2005). It is this process of acceptance of one’s own imperfections and sinful nature that catapults a desire for self-improvement and growth. This is a critical component of healing the soul and beginning the journey to spiritual and mental health. Also enlightening was the declaration that one can experience pseudo self forgiveness by failing to acknowledge any wrong doing and convincing him/herself that they are without fault. Finally, I was struck by the notion that self-forgiveness will typically

Asking for forgiveness and forgiving to many is the hardest thing to do but we must remember in the book of Matthew (18:21-22) Peter said to the Lord: “Lord if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.” In this paper, the chosen case study will give the reader a better understanding of what forgiveness is to Jesus. Forgiveness is a big part of the Bible and if Jesus forgives us of our sins we too must learn to be as forgiving as him.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is when we receive mercy and forgiveness for the sins we commit against God and the people around us. It is a frequently practiced sacrament in the Catholic community often helping many people around us release the guilt inside us and seek help to solve our problems. The Sacrament of Reconciliation has many symbols involved within and has many benefits to it, allowing us to bond and connect with God.

The world has more than one billion Catholics and with the ever growing population, it will only get larger in number. To be a Catholic means to have complete faith in God and his divine grace. Having God's divine grace means to obey it and keep it holy as it was created by God and given to his people. The religion itself is based on this and the people take it very seriously. Catholics believe that all people are of good nature but when one commits a sin it not only hurts that one person but the people and the Church.