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Showing posts from March, 2013
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The Problem of Forgiveness     My two four year old kids are learning about forgiveness.  They often act selfishly against each other, offending each other and we are teaching them to apologize and forgive.  It is often a rote catch phrase they quickly spout off, knowing that it is an appropriate practice in life and relationships.  They often throw the phrase into situations of conflict, knowing that it is important, but not always grasping the concepts of offense, forgiveness and the resulting reconciliation that forgiveness is intended to accomplish.   Why doesn't God simply forgive us with words of forgiveness like I require of my kids?   Why should our forgiveness depend on Christ's death on the cross?  As one French cynic once said, "Why can't God practice what he preaches and be equally generous [to us]? Nobody's death is necessary before we forgive each other.  Why then does God make so much fuss about forgiving us and even declare it impossible with