How to forgive?

Originally posted by @divegeester
So it’s good news and bad news...

Good news is that I forgive you, which makes me feel better about being a shlty person

The bad news is that my God is going to burn you alive for eternity

Anyway, I forgive you and I feel better, so all is good.

I don’t follow that at all and it’s not at all what I’m saying, but I already begged off making my posts any clearer, so continue misrepresenting me and my position.

Originally posted by @romans1009
The vengeance belongs to God. People who take the Bible seriously take the verse that says do not avenge yourselves seriously.

God as a perfect and perfectly holy and just God will mete out whatever justice is appropriate. People who believe that don’t relish the punishment happening; they just recognize justice will take place.

If vengeance belongs to God, what relevance do you have for raising it in a thread about forgiveness.

Originally posted by @ghost-of-a-duke
If vengeance belongs to God, what relevance do you have for raising it in a thread about forgiveness.

Because I think it’s easier to forgive if one follows God’s command to avenge not yourself and if you know justice will be served.

Originally posted by @romans1009
Because I think it’s easier to forgive if one follows God’s command to avenge not yourself and if you know justice will be served.

So you are in fact the second type of Christian I referred to:


They link forgiveness with vengeance/divine punishment. - This way they can forgive someone who sins against them with their mouth, but in their heart is saying "Sure I forgive you, but only in the security that God will punish you for all eternity in the fires of hell).

The second group of Christians, in my opinion, are not demonstrating the forgiveness asked of them by Christ. It is a defamation of his message.

Originally posted by @ghost-of-a-duke
So you are in fact the second type of Christian I referred to:


They link forgiveness with vengeance/divine punishment. - This way they can forgive someone who sins against them with their mouth, but in their heart is saying "Sure I forgive you, but only in the security that God will punish you for all eternity in the fires of hell).

The sec ...[text shortened]... re not demonstrating the forgiveness asked of them by Christ. It is a defamation of his message.

Wrong. That’s not at all what I’m saying. You don’t understand what I’m saying because you can’t conceive of a perfectly holy and just God who will handle things appropriately.

You and other atheists just write “burning alive in the fires of hell” for shock effect.

Originally posted by @romans1009
I don’t follow that at all and it’s not at all what I’m saying, but I already begged off making my posts any clearer, so continue misrepresenting me and my position.

It’s pretty obvious that that was exactly what you are saying which is why you joined the thread and immediately started dumping posts filled with biblical texts about vengeance and judgment.

Do you think people here are stupid and can’t see through your grotty little pretensions?

Originally posted by @romans1009 to Ghost of a Duke
You haven’t met many Christians or misunderstand their positions based on your atheism.

I've known countless Christians over 35 years of adult life work and travel. You've been a Christian for just 4 years. Ghost of a Duke's summary was on the nail.

Originally posted by @romans1009
You and other atheists just write “burning alive in the fires of hell” for shock effect.

So there is no burning in hell then, is that what you believe?

Originally posted by @ghost-of-a-duke
So you are in fact the second type of Christian I referred to:


They link forgiveness with vengeance/divine punishment. - This way they can forgive someone who sins against them with their mouth, but in their heart is saying "Sure I forgive you, but only in the security that God will punish you for all eternity in the fires of hell).

The sec ...[text shortened]... re not demonstrating the forgiveness asked of them by Christ. It is a defamation of his message.

So if someone walked into your home and murdered your family when you were away I'm guessing you would just forgive them without hoping for any form of divine retribution for what they have done?

Originally posted by @dj2becker
So if someone walked into your home and murdered your family when you were away I'm guessing you would just forgive them without hoping for any form of divine retribution for what they have done?

How long have you been a Christian? Is this seriously how you envisage god and forgiveness?

Originally posted by @divegeester
How long have you been a Christian? Is this seriously how you envisage god and forgiveness?

You should be able to figure that out if you have read my posts.

No, my example was an extreme one but it simply shows that our desire for justice is part of the human condition.

Originally posted by @dj2becker
No, my example was an extreme one but it simply shows that our desire for justice is part of the human condition.

Your example is simplistic and unscriptural because all have fallen short and all are in need to forgiveness irrelevant of what other crimes may have been committed. What you seem to be trying to do is throw out a nasty crime as a way of justifying your spiritual blood-lust for retribution.

Originally posted by @divegeester
It’s pretty obvious that that was exactly what you are saying which is why you joined the thread and immediately started dumping posts filled with biblical texts about vengeance and judgment.

Do you think people here are stupid and can’t see through your grotty little pretensions?

You can mischaracterize and misrepresent me all you want. I obviously can’t stop you and you have no shame in doing it.

When that guy walked into a Bible study class in South Carolina in 2015 and shot nine people to death, and some of the survivors said they forgave him, what do you think their forgiveness was based on? I would wager it was based on knowing the deceased were in heaven and that justice would be served by God.

Originally posted by @divegeester
Your example is simplistic and unscriptural because all have fallen short and all are in need to forgiveness irrelevant of what other crimes may have been committed. What you seem to be trying to do is throw out a nasty crime as a way of justifying your spiritual blood-lust for retribution.

Maybe you should just state what you think and believe instead of trying to state what other posters think and believe so you have a straw man to knock down.

Originally posted by @divegeester
So there is no burning in hell then, is that what you believe?

I have said numerous times that I don’t know if annihilationism or an eternity in hell await the damned. I have read there is Biblical support for both but I haven’t investigated what and how strong that support is.