Is forgiveness possible without compassion?

Compassion would be about leaning empathy and not hurting others - putting yourself in their shoes. I would think that you are in a better position to exercise compassion if you have felt pain.

But compassion for an abuser is totally unnecessary.

If you "forgive" someone, you are simply taking away their power to ever hurt you again - the best kind of forgiveness is disengagement - getting them both out of your life and OUT OF YOUR HEAD by letting go of hate or revenge ideas - and choosing peace.

I have disengaged from many people - I don't think about whether than means I've forgiven them, but I am certainly at peace.

Easy to say, indeed. I say "phooey."

There's also a saying that forgiveness to others is a gift you give yourself - on account of the idea that it is hurtful to YOU to walk around carrying a grudge. Personally, I think that's a crock, because it seems to assume that the only two choices are between "forgiving" and "harboring a grudge." I think it's perfectly possible not to forgive, but simply choose to keep your distance from a person, without its meaning that you're carting around a freightload of anger. I think that both forgiveness AND grudges require a level of continued engagement with a wrong that simply isn't necessary, however laudable the forgiveness may seem to some. It's along the same lines as my belief that hate is not the opposite of love, indifference is. Hating someone ties you to them and gives them influence over you the same as loving someone does. But feeling nothing is freedom.

And I don't think that it requires compassion to forgive. If a person does something awful because they are mentally ill, you can understand intellectually that there was no malice involved and use that as a basis for forgiveness. If you wanna feel compassion for the sufferings of the mentally ill - which are real - then that seems like a bonus, in a manner of speaking.

BQ: I don't believe in blaming, and I don't cart around grudges - so I don't NEED to forgive. I interact with people, or not, based on my own choices - if you do something awful to me, I will evaluate whether or not I want to keep opening myself up to you, consistent with what I described above and your role in my life.

In some situations forgiveness is not immediate, it comes with time. Now you can say I forgive you and in your heart your feeling hurt like you don't forgive them this is okay. All that means is you are making an effort to make what you say actually true. If you really want to forgive you will in time.

Forgiveness is a choice.

As a Christian, I give up my (legitimate or illegitimate) desire for justice, and trust that God will deal fairly with the person who has wronged me.

I do not need to have compassion for the person to do so. I just need to let go of bitterness (which sets me free, as well.)

BQ: Quite a few people. :o)

I really don't have any problems with forgiving others for the wrongs they do/did to me. It doesn't have anything to do with compassion. Dwelling on the wrongs that were done to you, keep them alive and you victimize yourself. Letting go of grudges and hate is liberating.

You don't have to have compassion for the person that wronged you to forgive...

definite, and infrequently it really is smart. interior the case of incest or abuse, as an party, you may forgive the sin with out forgetting what befell. by using forgiving we relenquish our anger and for this reason spoil the means of that sin over our lives and thoughts. Too a lot of human beings confuse "forgiving" with an emotion. it isn't. that's an act of will. You lay down your perfect to anger, to revenge, to allowing that adventure to regulate your life. It does no longer propose "appearing like it under no circumstances befell." Which interior the case of a few sins (as i discussed, incest, abuse etc) may be maximum unwise. i'd under no circumstances enable a sexual predator take care of my childrens "because i have forgiven him." that is putting my little ones in chance. because you may forgive someone yet that doesn't propose the guy has replaced. And "appearing like it under no circumstances befell" could inspire someone to have self assurance that what they did replaced into truly "ok", and that it really is alright to take care of those that way. Which it isn't. Forgiving yet another does no longer inevitably make each and every little thing ok and sweet and gorgeous. it really is an act of will, yet as I say, it may no longer replace the different individual; they could proceed to be a consumer, an abuser, a theif, or inspite of. life isn't a television action picture, and forgiving someone does no longer inevitably propose that there is going to be a "satisfied ending" with a reconciliation scene. some those who do negative issues to others will continuously refuse to renowned they have performed something incorrect. Forgiveness is extra about your relationship with God and with others than that individual's reaction on your selection to forgive. And, oddly adequate, telling that individual who you forgive them often times makes the placement worse; you may forgive with out saying it.

Compassion and forgiveness go hand in hand. You have to have mercy on someone to forgive them. Jesus told us when we pray, pray like this... (forgive us our debts as we forgive my debtors) Do you think Jesus forgives without compassion?

I have forgiven everyone who has wronged me. It is easier to forgive than to forget. Isn't it wonderful that the Lord forgives and forgets...

no