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lnygaard wrote:I was talking about this book the other day with my family and it ended up being a discussion on forgiving Nazis. In the book, Josef feels that Sage had the powere to forgive him because of her Jewish heritage---do you think he's right? If someone asked you to forgive them even if it didn't directly affect you, would you do it?

Personally, I think I wouldn't be able to do it. Since I wasn't directly affected by the holocaust or my family I would feel a little strange offering it. I don't think it would be my place... Then again can you hold one SS officer accountable for the entire genocide? What do you think?

First, I have learned working with at risk girls in a Behavioral Unit facility that forgiveness is not mainly for the other person, but for yourself. This helps the "victim" to heal. It also, does not mean that you accept or condone the actions of the person you forgive!

In my mind not forgiving and moving on is still giving that person or group of people power over you. And you most definitely do not have to forget.

The freest a person that has been victimized can be is when they look their perpetrator(s) in the eye and tell them I forgive you and you have no more control over my life! I am not Jewish and can't say how they might feel, but I do know how hate, fear, and revenge can destroy a life! Unfortunately, I see it way too much as a MHT.

Interesting question. From a religious perspective, one has to forgive everybody to save oneself. However, no one has ever said that it is easy to forgive. It's one thing when you haven't actually lived in a concentration camp yourself and seen people you care about die.

Just to clarify----

This isn't a thread discussing "Should a victim of the Holocaust forgive a Nazi". Its "Could YOU forgive a Nazi". No one should feel pressure to do it one way or the other. We all have our own personal opinion's and backgrounds which would sway us one way or the other.

I believe all people deserve forgiveness. It is not our responsibility to judge. So if someone asks me for forgiveness, whether I had been offended or not, I would reply with, "My forgiveness is a given, you must forgive yourself!"

Forgiveness isn't so much about the other person as it is about

letting
go.

Letting go of the anger and the bitterness that keeps you held captive. Letting go of the hate that keeps you in bondage, that keeps you up late at night wishing for revenge and thinking of nothing else.

Forgiveness is the invitation to a whole new way of life bursting forth right here in the midst of us-- and it's the best possible way to live.

I agree with some of the opinions already here. Though I despise the actions and beliefs of the Nazis to my very core, it is not my place to forgive or not. I have not been directly affected by the consequences of their actions and would find it awkward and inappropriate to grant or withhold forgiveness.

My personal opinion is that if the person truly regrets the action and offers his apologies that person is to be forgiven, no matter the crime. I think that during the Holocaust a lot of people were under tremendous amounts of pressure (life threatening pressure) that they didn't know what to do other then to do as they were told: kill. Although that doesn't make it okay, I think it helps me be able to forgive them a little more. Also forgiving doesn't mean forgetting. There is a difference.

I have not read this book so I don't know the whole background of the story. I feel it's everyone's right to forgive, or not to forgive someone who has done them harm. There isn't much more harm that can be inflicted on a person than what happened from the hands of Nazi's. I personally would not be able to forgive no matter what my heritage says I should do. It would take a much better person than I to forgive this type of horror. I applaud those who feel like they can, and I don't judge those who can't.

Have you ever read Corrie Ten Boom's Biography? She and her sister were held in the Concentration Camps, where her sister and father died. She got out in an amazing way. After many years, she actually met one of the Nazi officer's that were in that concentration camp with them. She forgave him. I don't think our forgiveness should be based on gender, skin colour, looks, country of birth, etc. it just needs to be based on love and mercy... I guess what I want to say is, many people hurt us along the way in life, but we need to forgive regardless...otherwise we will put ourselves in prison... when you can forgive, you can love even those who hurt you and that is not worhty according to you, of your love. To love is mercy and a gift to the other person, so if forgiveness. I know it isn't always easy to forgive, but in the long run, one finds that it is easier to forgive than to keep the unforgiveness in your heart. In the end, it is better for yourself to forgive.

Last night on TV I saw a documentary called 'The woman in no 6'. It was the most moving documentary I have seen on the subject of the holocaust.

The woman in the title is one hundred and nine years old, the oldest surviving inmate of the concentration camps. She still has all her marbles. She lived in an apartment block in Prague when the Nazis took over. She played the piano. A Nazi in the block used to listen to her playing and when she was taken he managed to tell her how much she had helped him with her playing. She was a talented concert pianist and still plays. In the concentration camp she played in the orchestra that the Nazis set up for propaganda reasons. She even played a piece at the request of Dr Mengele. Through that she managed to survive although she suffered terribly and saw so much horror.

The word 'forgiveness' wasn't used but she was very forthright on not having hate. She refuses to hate her tormentors. This frail little old lady shines as a beacon to all of us who may have hate in our hearts for what may have been done in the past to ourselves or others. Of course she doesn't excuse what the Nazis did, but she seems to be saying that hate only destroys the hater not the hated.

I think I could forgive a Nazi if he asked for forgiveness and if I saw that he regretted what happened. I think everyone deserves a second chance.

I don't think I could forgive a Nazi.

I'm inclined to agree that I would have a difficult time forgiving someone for something that didn't directly affect me. In a more broad sense, for me, forgiveness rests a lot on whether or not someone genuinely regrets doing something they have done. If someone, even someone who was a Nazi, expressed genuine remorse for what they'd done, I believe I could forgive them.

I am presently reading The Storyteller. Yes, because I am born again I find it must be in my capacity to forgive a Nazi. By forgive I am not accepting their actions as ethical or moral,I must not judge them. I must find the grace to let their past be past, giving them the opportunity to proceed to the next step in their evolution. Forgiveness has a lot to do with me being open to all creatures of God and their godliness. Jesus died for all of our sins and it is not our duty to judge any man. We have been saved by the love of Jesus, his mercy and his grace.

This is a really interesting question, but also a really hard one to answer. When people think about the Nazi, its hard not to picture all the horrible things that they did to the Jews. But, I don't really think that people realize or at least, bring up the fact that a lot of people that were a part of the Nazi were forced into being a part of it. Whether by having their families threatened or being threatened themselves. Don't get me wrong, there was also a lot of people that was a part of the Nazi because they chose to be. Keeping that this in mind, I guess it would have to depend on that persons personal situation. I would also have to consider the fact that as a christian, I believe it for forgiveness. So, it may be hard and it may take a lot time to accomplish, but I would at least try to for five that person.