PSC 170 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Heart Rate, Big Questions, Book Of Leviticus
5/17/18 – FORGIVENESS, DAY 2
Forgiveness:
• Letting go of negative emotions.
• Letting go of negative cognitions.
• Letting go of negative behavior.
• Compassion, mercy, reconciliation.
Forgiveness is a Gift
• A gift—someone gives something to someone else.
• To forgive means not to not count the wrongful act against the wrongdoer.
• We name the wrongdoing committed, then give the offender the gift of not counting it against
them.
• Forgiving is freeing, liberating.
The Dual Nature of Forgiveness
1. Otherworldly, transcedet, spiritual: to forgie is diie.
2. Worldl, oo, aterial: to forgie is hua.
Religions Offer Models and Methods of Forgiveness
• Judaism, Buddhism and Bahá'í
• The Parable of the Prodigal Son: Luke 15: 11-32
Forgiveness in Judaism
• Yom Kippur: Day of Atonement
• And this shall be an eternal law for you. Each year on the tenth day of the seventh month you
must fast and do no work. This is true of the native born and of the proselyte who comes to join
you. This is because on this day you shall have all your sins atoned, so that you will be cleansed.
Before God you will be cleansed of your sins. It is a Sabbath of Sabbaths to you, and a day upon
which you must fast. This is a law for all time. (Leviticus 16: 29-31)
For the sin which we have committed before you, under stress or through choice; For the sin which we
have committed before you by stubbornness or in error; For the sin which we have committed by word
of mouth; For the sin which we have committed by exploitation of neighbors; For all sins, intentional or
unintentional; For all these sins, O G-d of forgiveness, bear with us, pardon us, forgive us!
Forgiveness in the Character of G-d
• 8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
• 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;
• 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
• 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
• 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
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• 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear
him.
• (Psalm 103:8-13)
My God, O Forgiver of sins and Dispeller of afflictions! O Thou Who art pardoning and merciful! I raise
my suppliant hands to Thee, tearfully beseeching the court of Thy divine Essence to forgive, through Thy
mercy and pardon, Thy handmaiden who hath ascended unto the seat of truth. Cause her, O Lord, to be
overshadowed by the clouds of Thy bounty and favor, immerse her in the ocean of Thy forgiveness and
clemency, and enable her to enter the sanctified abode, Thy heavenly Paradise. Thou art, verily, the
Mighty, the Compassionate, the Generous, the Merciful. –’Adu’l Bahá
Religions Offers Models and Methods of Forgiveness
• The Parable of the Prodigal Son
• Luke 15: 11-32
While he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms
around hi ad kissed hi. Father, I hae sied against heaven and before you; I am no longer
worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his slaes, 'Quikl, rig out a roe--the best one--
and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and
let us eat ad elerate; for this so of ie as dead ad is alie agai; he as lost ad is foud!’
Eer atio has a uiersal diesio, a ipat o others’ happiess...geuie happiess osists i
those spiritual qualities of love, compassion, patience, tolerance and forgiveness. For it is these which
provide both for our happiess ad others’ happiess. –The Dalai Lama
Religion defined:
• Religio is a ople of ulturall presried praties, ased o preises aout the eistee
and nature of superhuman powers, whether personal or impersonal, which seek to help
practitioners gain access to and communicate or align themselves with these powers, in hopes
of realizing human goods and avoiding things bad—especially to avoid misfortune, obtain
lessigs, ad reeie delierae fro rises. pp. 22, 244
The Problem of Perceived Unforgiveness from God
• Purpose: To assess problems in religious life and their relation to depression and anxiety.
• Subjects: 200 college students; 54 adult outpatients at anxiety/depression clinic.
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Document Summary
Letting go of negative cognitions: compassion, mercy, reconciliation. The dual nature of forgiveness: otherworldly, transce(cid:374)de(cid:374)t, spiritual: (cid:862)to forgi(cid:448)e is di(cid:448)i(cid:374)e. (cid:863, worldl(cid:455), (cid:272)o(cid:373)(cid:373)o(cid:374), (cid:373)aterial: (cid:862)to forgi(cid:448)e is hu(cid:373)a(cid:374). (cid:863) Judaism, buddhism and bah " : the parable of the prodigal son: luke 15: 11-32. Forgiveness in judaism: yom kippur: day of atonement, and this shall be an eternal law for you. Each year on the tenth day of the seventh month you must fast and do no work. This is true of the native born and of the proselyte who comes to join you. This is because on this day you shall have all your sins atoned, so that you will be cleansed. Before god you will be cleansed of your sins. It is a sabbath of sabbaths to you, and a day upon which you must fast. This is a law for all time. (leviticus 16: 29-31) My god, o forgiver of sins and dispeller of afflictions!
