[PSY 020.1] Forgiving the Unforgivable (?) ~ THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS – WEEK #3 Dear colleagues in forgiveness, We are now nearly half way through our course, and are adding to our study of intra- and interpersonal forgiveness an examination of the social implications of forgiveness as well. All of these dimensions are touched upon in George Roemisch’s poem entitled “Forgiveness” (which many people consider "unrealistic"): Forgiveness is the wind-blown bud which blooms in placid beauty at Verdun. Forgiveness is the tiny slate-gray sparrow which has built its nest of twigs and string among the shards of glass upon the walls of shame. Forgiveness is the child who laughs in merry ecstasy beneath the toothed fence that closes in Da Nang. Forgiveness is the fragrance of the violet which still clings fast to the heel that crushed it. Forgiveness is the broken dream which hides itself within the corner of the mind oft called forgetfulness so that it will not bring pain to the dreamer. Forgiveness is the reed which stands up straight and green when nature's mighty rampage halts, full spent. Forgiveness is a God who will not leave us after all we've done. ************************************ Although I am scheduling two chat sessions this week, I will be unable to attend the second one. I will be travelling from early Friday until late Tuesday, and while I can readily keep up with the Discussion Board on others' computers, my access to computers is not subject to predictable times. Feel free to chat with one another on Monday, and I will check out the log thereof when I get home. There will again be two chat sessions this week. Although I expect to attend evrey scheduled chat session, should a computer glitch (ever happen to you?) or something else ever prevent me from attending, please feel free to chat among yourselves. PLEASE NOTE that the chat times listed are Pacific Daylight Time. To assist you in checking their corresponding times in your time zone, see http://www.timeanddate.com . Thursday, October 7, 7 a.m. PDT Monday, October 11, 4 p.m. PDT This week we have the opportunity to reflect upon the magnitude and forgivability of our own grievances in contrast to those associated with the Holocaust. Here's what lies ahead of us: WEEK #3: The Holocaust: Is Forgiveness Possible? OVERVIEW: Forgiveness is not just a personal issue. Forgiving a specific person is not the only call to forgiveness. Entire cultures have to deal with the aftermath of political and institutional cruelty. In many parts of the world, groups of people hate their neighbors and act out against them with cruelty. What would we do if faced with the question of forgiveness in the case of a family member being murdered or our group suffering unmerited long-term savagery? Do we have the tools to forgive? Would we choose to forgive? Is forgiveness the correct choice? In The Sunflower we are given a wonderful example of the complexity and subtlety of choosing whether or not to forgive. We are also confronted with the enormity of forgiving something as horrible as the Holocaust. Is there a place to begin? TO READ THIS WEEK Wiesenthal, Simon, The Sunflower, pp. 3-98 DISCUSSION POINTS 1. What would you have done in Wiesenthal’s place? 2. Did he make the correct decision? 3. What were his choices? 4. Why does Wiesenthal still ponder this event? 5. What did you think of the responses of the people in whom he confided? As always, the discussion points will be addressed in your responses to a set of topics posted for Week #3. The topics, each with its own thread, are entitled as follows: * The impact of Wiesenthal's grievances on my own * Defining unforgiveness * Intending to forgive Much to be thinking about this week . . . Putting forgiveness first, Noel McInnis noelmcinnis@forgivenessfirst.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TO LOG ON TO YOUR COURSE SITE: Go to: http://www.alllearn.org/ NEED HELP? Phone 1-866-524-1502 toll-free in the U.S. and Canada or send an email to help@AllLearn.org. If you're outside the US and Canada and wish to speak to someone, please email your phone number to help@AllLearn.org so that an AllLearn staff member may contact you.