VERSION|0.5.1|NAME|Dinah|DATE|1374407590|CONTENT|I struggle with the Christian concept of forgiveness, because it seems to have a lot more to do with making a forgiver like Mrs Greaves feel better about herself and her situation than doing much for the forgiven.  There is always an unresolved conflict going on within Christianity between forgiveness and judgement, clemency and retribution.  Jesus told us to forgive our enemies, but there is no guarantee that his God will forgive us at the Final Judgement.  

At a human level, forgiveness doesn’t seem to mean much if the forgiver still wants to see the wrong-doer punished for his crime by the full force of the law.  It is a bit like a neighbour’s child breaking one of my windows, me saying I forgive him, and then going around his house demanding he gets a good hiding.  In the real world very few Christians would let a person who wronged them in a criminal way off the hook by not reporting them to the police, no matter how much they banged on about forgiveness.  In any case, for forgiveness to mean anything, the person being forgiven has to acknowledge they have done wrong, thus opening up the possibility of redemption and reformation.  

What happened to Maureen Greaves’ husband was truly appalling, and she is entitled to find comfort where she may.  But however harsh it may sound, like Stonyground I don’t think we should kid ourselves that there wasn’t an element of self-conscious holier-than-thou posturing about the pieties she expressed rather than genuine concern for her husband’s murderers.
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