Thread: A story of forgiveness

What a person can do is choose not to kill to the extent that it is possible. What does it matter if Erik kills bacteria? No degree of caution can avoid it, so it does not reflect on his choices. Also, accidently killing a spider is much different than doing it for fun. The defining factor is intent.

Erik, you can not bring back the spider and you can not avoid killing some life in the future. It helps that you have regret. But how can you do more? You can live a life in which you help bugs a and other life when most people would not. I have spent time after rain storms putting worms back into the grass that have ended up I the gutter. Things like that. You are right that forgiveness is not for those who continue doing the thing they need forgiveness for. But I say regret is only one step, taking action to improve the lives of others will go much further.

Originally Posted by sivason

What a person can do is choose not to kill to the extent that it is possible. What does it matter if Erik kills bacteria? No degree of caution can avoid it, so it does not reflect on his choices. Also, accidently killing a spider is much different than doing it for fun. The defining factor is intent.

This is the point I was leading up to. What I still don't understand is the deeply felt emotional turmoil over the accidental death of a spider and how the act relates to forgiveness. Then when the OP seemed to draw a line between significance and insignificance it totally confused me. I will assume that the OP eats. Does this act require forgiveness as well? Plants don't have complex nervous systems so these lifeforms aren't significant? I just don't get it.

Originally Posted by balban

This is the point I was leading up to. What I still don't understand is the deeply felt emotional turmoil over the accidental death of a spider and how the act relates to forgiveness. Then when the OP seemed to draw a line between significance and insignificance it totally confused me. I will assume that the OP eats. Does this act require forgiveness as well? Plants don't have complex nervous systems so these lifeforms aren't significant? I just don't get it.

We have to eat to stay alive, don't we? If we pray to God before we eat, He will accept it and we can eat it.

Originally Posted by sivason

What a person can do is choose not to kill to the extent that it is possible. What does it matter if Erik kills bacteria? No degree of caution can avoid it, so it does not reflect on his choices. Also, accidently killing a spider is much different than doing it for fun. The defining factor is intent.

Erik, you can not bring back the spider and you can not avoid killing some life in the future. It helps that you have regret. But how can you do more? You can live a life in which you help bugs a and other life when most people would not. I have spent time after rain storms putting worms back into the grass that have ended up I the gutter. Things like that. You are right that forgiveness is not for those who continue doing the thing they need forgiveness for. But I say regret is only one step, taking action to improve the lives of others will go much further.

Cheers to that, I didn't kill any insect since the spider accident and I am confident I will not waist any other life in the future. You wrote: "taking action to improve the lives of others will go much further." I can say that I will take action to improve the lives of others