Forgiveness Explained Forgiveness that needs to be earned is only considered if forgiveness is requested or earned through means such as atonement, restitution, or by the offering of sincere apology. Forgiveness is the mental, emotional, and spiritual process of letting go of resentment, indignation, or anger against another person for a perceived offense, difference,...
Forgiveness As A Virtue The exalted nature of forgiveness is attested to by the fact that it presupposes a number of other virtues. Consider three virtues in particular: justice, clemency, and mercy. Justice has the nature of an equation: Borrowing 10 dollars requires returning 10 dollars. When justice is violated,...
What Is Absolution? Absolution is the remission of sin, or of the punishment due to sin, granted by the Church. (For remission of punishment due to sin.) Absolution proper is that act of the priest whereby, in the Sacrament of Penance, he frees man from sin. It presupposes on the...
What Is Empathy? Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in another’s position. Definitions of empathy encompass a broad range of emotional states. Types of empathy include cognitive empathy, emotional empathy, and...
What Is Absolution? Absolution is a traditional theological term for the forgiveness experienced by Christians in the life of the Church. It is a universal feature of the historic churches of Christendom, although the theology and the practice of absolution vary between denominations. Some traditions see absolution as a sacrament (the Sacrament of Penance), a...
Toleration Toleration is the acceptance of an action, object, or person which one dislikes or disagrees with. Random House Dictionary defines tolerance as “a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, beliefs, practices, racial or ethnic origins, etc., differ from one’s own”. Toleration may signify “no more than forbearance and the...
What Is Kindness? Kindness is the act or the state of being kind, being marked by good and charitable behavior, pleasant disposition, and concern for others. It is known as a virtue, and recognized as a value in many cultures and religions (see ethics in religion). Kindness is a type...
The Virtue Of Temperance Temperance is the first virtue that perfects man’s ability to act well with one’s self from within one’s self. For it brings order to the concupiscible appetite, and thus to the emotions of love, hate, sensible satisfaction, desire, aversion and sorrow as they bear upon a...
Forgiving The Unforgivable This article covers the virtue of forgiveness. Mike and Kathie Clarey suffered the worst trauma any parent can endure. Their beloved 11-year-old daughter was brutally murdered. In the days that followed, the Clareys were numb with grief. Yet in the midst of their pain, they experienced God’s...
What Is Forgiveness? Forgiveness is the intentional and voluntary process by which a victim undergoes a change in feelings and attitude regarding an offense, lets go of negative emotions such as vengefulness, forswears recompense from or punishment of the offender, however legally or morally justified it might be, and with an increased ability to...
Forgiveness Forgiveness cannot be separated from virtue, just as virtue cannot be separated from forgiveness. Men and women are creatures with faults as well as exceptional qualities. No other living creature carries such inborn opposites. Only humanity has the qualities that allow its individuals to fly in the firmaments of...
What Is Mercy? Mercy is benevolence, forgiveness, and kindness in a variety of ethical, religious, social, and legal contexts. The concept of a merciful God appears in various religions, including Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Performing acts of mercy as a component of religious beliefs is also emphasized through actions such as the giving...