Forgiveness: Deconstructed and Re-Fashioned
By Amy Phillips-Gary
Being brought up a Methodist, I listened to many Christian teachings in church about how vital it is to forgive.
Each Sunday we asked to be “forgiven for our trespasses” and were also taught that God forgives each one of us for our sins; that Jesus died for our sins was certainly made clear over and over again.
We were all supposed to follow Jesus' and God's examples and forgive.
The beliefs I formed about forgiveness were rooted in the notion that one person (or group) is to blame for whatever “bad” thing has happened and that the forgiver is undertaking a very selfless act.