First, let’s get one thing straight: if anyone in the world is deserving of the most brutal punishment and death, it is Hitler. He will get what he deserves. The pain caused by this deranged man whose malevolence knew no bounds shouldn’t be reduced to a simple ‘let it go’.
So, no, Kanye – sentences that praise Hitler and putting up a swastika inside a star of David on your Twitter feed aren’t acceptable ways of getting your point across.
I am a Jew, the fourth generation of Holocaust survivors living in Israel after World War II, and I condemn his words, APART from one statement: “Jewish people – forgive Hitler today.”
Yikes. As someone who grew up with the slogan ‘lo nishkach ve’lo nislach” (we won’t forget, and won’t forgive), every Holocaust memorial day, I say this at the risk of my own peril.
I agree that we should never, ever forget the horrors of the Holocaust, but is the message of forgiveness (even if the messenger is wrong) a wrong one? Silvia,...
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Forgiveness may not be the right word, since WITHOUT repentance, there is no forgiveness of sin. Perhaps, ridding ourselves of bitterness is what is required, since bitterness will not enter the kingdom of Heaven. We are to forgive as God forgave us and He requires repentance.
Luke 17:3 “Keep yourselves alert! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he REPENTS, forgive him.”
There would be no need of Hell if all are simply forgiven. Both thieves would have been in Paradise, not just the one.
Jesus asks the Father to forgive his executioners. He is asking the Father to grant them forgiveness if they should repent, not wanting anyone to perish.
It is when someone repents and we continue to hold them in contempt, we dishonor His Word.
Great response, Susan
Hey Susan,
I see what you are saying but I disagree on one point – forgiveness of the offender, on behalf of the offender does not rely on whether they repented or not.
There might not be forgiveness from the offender towards those they offended or towards God – but there can be forgiveness from the offended towards the offender.
The way I see it, Jesus says to forgive those who sin against us.
I would even argue that not all those who offense is done to them become bitter, and still there is need for forgiveness.
google translation: I can forgive someone who regrets their actions and asks me to do so.
Nobody can forgive murder, because the murdered person cannot. The penalty for murder is death. Jesus said “forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”, meaning that the person did not know that he was wrong. Hitler could only be forgiven by someone he asks. But he was possessed by the devil and a murderer of millions. We can only wonder why God allowed him to do this for so long.
Ich kann jemanden vergeben, wenn er seine Tat bereut und mich darum bittet.
Mord kann niemand vergeben, denn der Ermordete kann es ja nicht. Auf Mord steht die Todesstrafe. Jesus sagte “vergib ihnen, denn sie wissen nicht, was sie tun”, das heißt, derjenige wusste nicht, dass er im Unrecht war. Hitler könnte nur vergeben werden von jemand, dem er darum bittet. Er war aber vom Teufel besessen und ein millionenfacher Mörder. Wir können uns nur Gedanken machen, warum ihn Gott solange gewähren lies.
Hello hdfuerst,
I see things differently. I don’t see anywhere in the Bible that God says that you cannot forgive a person just because they never asked forgiveness from you.
There are always two sides to a defense – one is the offender, and the other is the offended.
Even if the offender never asks for forgiveness, the one offended has the opportunity to choose, whether or not in his own heart, he wants to forgive.
Jesus forgave His mockers on the cross without them ever asking for forgiveness.
Does Kayne West see Hilter in a person and get hurt from him present? No what is good for him talking about Today. Forgiveness means if a person hurt or offend him or her in present as today so it will be forgiveness if asks. Please help me to clarify. Thank you, Bruce,
Hey Bruce,
If I understand your question correctly, you are asking is: should we forgive crimes that have not been done to us, but to others and also in the distant past?
That’s a good question. I think that any offense we have whether the crime was committed 50 years ago, 10,000 years ago or yesterday – if we have anger in our heart, there is an opportunity to forgive.
Also, sometimes a crime is not committed against us, but we take offense on behalf of someone else.
I also believe that whether or not a person asks for forgiveness, we can still choose to release them from our own judgment, so that we can continue living our lives in peace. Forgiveness can be given without it being asked for – in my opinion.
A bit of sarcasm: If you’re talking about forgiving Hitler, maybe we should forgive Satan, too?
I can’t recall anywhere in Scripture where Satan or demons are forgiven. Hell was created for Satan and his demons, not for man. Man is headed toward hell, but can lay hold of God’s salvation (Yeshua) by repentance and be in paradise also.
Hey Ron Davis,
Without sarcasm, I have actually though a great deal about what God must feel for the devil. He was once an angel who served him, Gods creation. Did God not love him as he did everyone else? Did he stop loving him? I do not have the answers.
But what I do believe is that God can love and hate the actions at the same time without any conflict within Him.
But I get what you are saying, and if you and I are headed towards paradise, I doubt we will see Hitler there.
Celebrities like to have their column inches or they feel abandoned. Billy Graham told us how King Manasseh caused great evil but later repented, so the Lord forgave him, 2 Chron 33. In a meeting with Bonhoffer, Hitler justified his hatred of the Jews by quoting church history and Luther. History has offered us no evidence of Cain’s, Nimrod’s, Hitler’s, Stalin’s, Mao’s or many other despot’s repentance. The thief on the cross acknowledged Christ’s kingdom and was forgiven. I’m obliged to forgive those who hurt me so that I’m not standing between them and God when He judges them.
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” Romans 12:19 ;
Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.’ Deuteronomy 32:35
What great perspective Disciple 1978,
It is true that not everyone will repent and therefore not receive forgiveness from God, nonetheless, forgiveness is asked of us for many different reasons, such as you mentioned above.
I would be scared to the unfair by soul to stand before God, I would have no excuses.
Well, what to do with this. Hmm?
Ok jews, how about this one;
Will the uncountable millions of aborted Jewish babies forgive you?
The Jews should keep there mouth shut about Hitler.
That’s interesting perspective Larry, thank you for sharing.
I think there should be, on the issue of abortion, both a speaking out of truth and a reaching out in friendship to both show compassion and mercy to those who are lost or in difficult situations.
In my opinion, the crimes of one group does not discount the legitimate pain of another within a nation. And if you have compassion over the unborn who’s lived were taken – I would assume you have the same compassion over those who died in the Holocaust, again…that’s only my assumption.
Yes, I’m compassionate and understanding of all those that are murdered.
My point in that abortion is legal murder in Israel. So it is basically state sanctioned. So was murder in nazi Germany. There were millions of Germans who turned their backs to the murder.
Oh I completely understand, but isn’t telling Jews to keep their mouth shut about Hitler the same as some asking you to keep your mouth shut about abortion?
Well no, it isn’t. The jews want to wear their Hitler hated on their sleeve. I undrstand that really, but the holocaust for them is over. Is it over for the murdered children? The bottom line is jews are being killed now by their own. The jews were inconvenient the the nazi’s, and the children are inconvenient to thier mothers (and fathers). Sure I’m a hipocrite, we all are. But it’s disgusting that the state of Israel always keeps only one of these issues in the fore. Till the Jewish state recognizes its own holocaust quit crying about the other.
I’ll say no more.
Thank you for your thought-provoking article. I appreciate your sentence, “…never underestimate the power of forgiveness or its withholding.” To forgive someone doesn’t mean we absolve the injustice; it means we give over their hurtful actions to God, who in His perfect timing, will bring His justice.
I have often asked myself, ‘Where would the world be, where would I be if God struggled with forgiveness, if He debated within Himself the appropriateness to forgive yet again?’ “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Roman 5:8)
Hello Lois,
What amazing perspective, I’ve never heard that before: where would we be if God struggled with forgiveness?
That is so powerful- thank you for sharing that!
Shalom,
We should forgive hitler for what? Not killing more Jews, 6 million, 60 million perished because of this evil dictator, and hasatans minions!
Concerning Ye as he likes to be called, his mentor these days is Louis I am a rabid racist Farrakhan who hates the Jewish people!
We are to detest the things HaShem hates and love the things He loves, do you possibly think he is o.k. with abortion, racism, and to say it, Racism in any color is hatred and is anathema to Elohim!
But guess what, as attested here, Olam Ebah or ancient hatred is rearing it’s ugly head, from The UN, America and across the world! G_d calls us to stand up against this evil, and to speak out publicly against hatred!!!
Hey Mark, thank you for commenting. I agree on many things you have said. We need to speak out against racism in all its forms and not stay quiet. I did not have enough words in my article to be able to share that it goes without saying that Hashem is angry about racism, the Holocaust and any other detestable crime committed against His children.
This article addresses the people who have been forever affected by the Holocaust either directly or indirectly and asking the question: what will heal their souls? And what will allow them to break the cycle of death implanted into their life by Hitler?
I agree, there needs to be outrage when there is blatant racism.
What great perspective Disciple 1978,
It is true that not everyone will repent and therefore not receive forgiveness from God, nonetheless, forgiveness is asked of us for many different reasons, such as you mentioned above.
I would be scared to the unfair by soul to stand before God, I would have no excuses.