Myth: Atheists and the Atheistic World View Don't Allow for Forgiveness
Sunday August 17, 2008
I've encountered many different and unusual myths about atheists and atheism, most of which depend upon making assumptions about atheists without paying attention to who they are or what they do. This myth, however, may be the most absurd and ridiculous of them all. I'd concede that at least some myths have some tiny bit of misrepresented truth to rely upon, but this myth has absolutely nothing whatsoever to back it up.
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>Most cultures throughout human history have not believed in the Christian notion of sin, but does this mean that most human cultures have never known the concept of forgiveness?
I’m not sure anything further is required as a response. The notion of letting something slide has been around as long as there have been laid-back people who were willing to let things slide…? I guess I wonder about a doctrine that demands that anything short of perfection–any flaw or mistake or human error is worthy of eternal torture or utter annihilation. What is that about?!
I should qualify I’m talking more about “forgiveness” than the doctrine of “sin.” I can forgive people without believing in the Xian notion of sin.
Are forgiviness and trust connected? If I did you wrong, I think that I would first have gain your trust in my future behavior before I could expect you to forgive me. This is how the bible sometime interferes with forgiviness, because it comes between people in their interactions with each other.
I don’t think forgiveness and trust are inherently connected. I have a good friend I asked to cat-sit for me. The first and last time I asked her to cat-sit, she forgot to actually cat-sit. It just slipped her mind. My cats went a long weekend without refills on food and water. She remembered it the morning of the day we were due back and piled a huge bunch of kibble in their bowls. She felt HORRIBLE.
I’m sure my cats weren’t happy; but they didn’t die, and it didn’t kill them to go a couple days without food/water. I was stunned and disappointed with her, but I was glad it was a short trip. I learned not to ask her to cat-sit anymore.
So, I’ll NEVER ask her to cat-sit for me again; BUT, I don’t harbor any hatred or ill will toward her. She’s good-hearted, but she’s a bit irresponsible and forgetful in some situations. This is one of those situations, and I’ve since seen others.
Just because I realize that she is not the best person to call upon in certain situations (lesson learned), is not the same as holding a grudge or holding the incident against her. I can’t help being a human with a memory–and my cats would be (if they were capable of understanding), I’m sure, grateful for that. But I still like her just fine. She’s just got her strengths and weaknesses, as do we all. She’s fun to hang out with. But cat-sitting? Not so good.
I’d be irresponsible (and could harm my cats) if I forgot; but certainly I don’t consider that not forgiving. I gladly forgave her. Now, if my cats had died–that might be a little tougher. But ultimately, I’d probably blame myself for not choosing a sitter I was more familiar with (maybe hiring a service). The cats are, after all, my ultimate responsibility and not hers.