Forgiveness

==== Christianity ====
[[File:Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn - Return of the Prodigal Son - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|[[Rembrandt]] – "The Return of the [[Prodigal Son]]]]

{{quote|Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.|Jesus, {{Bibleverse|Matthew|5:7}}}}

Forgiveness is central to Christian ethics. The prayer Jesus taught his followers to recite begs God to "forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors".<ref>{{Bibleverse|Matthew|6:12}}</ref> When Peter asked Jesus how often to forgive someone, Jesus said "not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times".<ref>{{Bibleverse|Matthew|18:22}}</ref> Jesus warned that God's forgiveness for your sins depends on your forgiveness towards others.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Matthew|6:15}}</ref> In one of the gospels, Jesus during his crucifixion asks God to forgive those who crucified him.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Luke|23:34}}</ref>

[[Hannah Arendt]] stated that Jesus was "the discoverer of the role of forgiveness in the realm of human affairs."<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Hannah Arendt|first=Hannah|last=Arendt|chapter=Irreversibility and the Power to Forgive|title=The Human Condition|year=1958}}</ref>

=====God's forgiveness=====
Unlike in Judaism, in Christianity God can forgive sins committed by people against people, since he can forgive every sin except for the [[eternal sin]], and forgiveness from one's victim is not necessary for salvation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s1c1a8.htm#1864|url-status=dead|title=Catechism of the Catholic Church 1864|website=www.vatican.va|accessdate=Mar 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030401083618/https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s1c1a8.htm|archive-date=2003-04-01}}</ref> The [[Parable of the Prodigal Son]]<ref>{{cite web | year = 2006 | url = https://www.comparativereligion.com/prodigal.html | title = The Parable of the Prodigal Son in Christianity and Buddhism | access-date = 2009-02-03 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090201020909/http://comparativereligion.com/prodigal.html | archive-date = 2009-02-01 }}</ref> is perhaps the best known parable about forgiveness and refers to God's forgiveness for those who repent. Jesus asked for God's forgiveness of those who [[Crucifixion of Jesus|crucified him]]. "Then Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.'" – {{Bibleverse|Luke|23:34|nrsvue}}

=====Forgiving others=====
Forgiving offenses is among the spiritual [[works of mercy]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a7.htm#2447|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422085518/https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a7.htm#2447|archive-date=2021-04-22|title=Catechism of the Catholic Church 2447|website=www.vatican.va|accessdate=Mar 5, 2023}}</ref> and forgiving others begets being forgiven by God.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Matthew|6}}</ref> Considering [[Mark 11]]:25, and [[Matthew 6:14–15]], that follows the [[Lord's Prayer]], "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses,"<ref>{{Bibleverse|Mark|11:25}}, {{Bibleverse|Matthew|6:14–15}}</ref> forgiveness is not an option to a Christian; rather one must forgive to be a Christian. Forgiveness in Christianity is a manifestation of submission to Christ and fellow believers.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://missiodeijournal.com/issues/md-9-2/authors/md-9-2-moore|first=Charles E.|last= Moore|title=Radical, Communal, Bearing Witness: The Church as God's Mission in Bruderhof Perspective and Practice|journal=Missio dei|volume=9|number=2|year=2018|access-date=2018-12-06}}</ref>

In the [[New Testament]], [[Jesus in Christianity|Jesus]] speaks of the importance of forgiving or showing [[Mercy#Christianity|mercy]] toward others. This is based on the belief that God forgives sins through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ in his death ([[1 John 2]]:2<ref>{{Bibleverse|1 John|2:2}}</ref>) and that, therefore, Christians should forgive others ([[Ephesians 4]]:32<ref>{{Bibleverse|Ephesians|4:32}}</ref>). Jesus used the [[Parable of the unforgiving servant|parable of the unmerciful servant]] ([[Matthew 18]]:21–35<ref>{{Bibleverse|Matthew|18:21–35}}</ref>) to show that His followers (represented in the parable by the servant) should forgive because God (represented by the king) forgives much more.

In the [[Sermon on the Mount]], Jesus repeatedly spoke of forgiveness: "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy."<ref>{{Bibleverse|Matthew|5:7|nrsvue}}</ref> "So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift."<ref>{{Bibleverse|Matthew|5:23–24|nsrvue}}</ref> "Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses."<ref>{{Bibleverse|Mark|11:25|nrsvue}}</ref> "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."<ref>{{Bibleverse|Luke|6:36|nrsvue}}</ref> "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."<ref>{{Bibleverse|Luke|6:37|nrsvue}}</ref>

Elsewhere, it is said "Then Peter came and said to him, 'Lord, if my brother or sister 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.'"<ref>{{Bibleverse|Matthew|18:21–22|nrsvue}}</ref>

Pope [[Benedict XVI]], on a visit to [[Christianity in Lebanon|Lebanon]] in 2012, insisted that peace must be based on mutual forgiveness: "Only forgiveness, given and received, can lay lasting foundations for reconciliation and universal peace".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/speeches/2012/september/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20120915_autorita.html|title=Address of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI|location=May 25th Hall of the Baabda Presidential Palace|date=15 September 2012|author=Benedict XVI |publisher=[[Holy See]] |access-date=2015-12-23 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024090318/https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2012/september/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20120915_autorita_en.html |archive-date=24 October 2014 }}</ref>

[[Pope Francis]] during a [[Audience (meeting)|General Audience]] explained{{elucidate|date=July 2023}} forgiving others as God forgives oneself.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Watkins|first=Devin|url=https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-04/pope-francis-audience-our-father-forgiven-as-forgive.html|title=Pope at Audience: 'We are forgiven as we forgive others' |website=Vatican News|date=April 24, 2019}}</ref>