Forgiveness - Could you forgive this quickly, if at all?

They are practicing what they preach. Very commendable and a great example for us to aspire to. Not easily done for many if not most of us. May the Lord comfort them and bless them.

I am heartbroken over this incident, it really hits home for us as one of our Service Members is the brother of one of the victims.

While I admire the family members courage to forgive the shooter, I would not be strong enough to forgive the shooter for his ignorance and this hate filled, needless killings.

I am able to forgive, reluctantly.
But I find it nearly impossible to forget things!

Yes. Maybe not immediately but I would have no choice. I have been forgiven for things that I have done and by God's standards a sin is a sin. The families of these people are extremely strong!

Hell no and never.

Jesus teaches us to forgive. By all accounts, these were pious folks who really lived the life and walked the walk. I am not surprised that these good, godly people were able to muster those words in the midst of their grief. No doubt, they are comforted by doing so.

I'd like to say my faith would see me through. But I don't know a soul there and I am almost 2000 miles away, and I would like to go down there and volunteer to be on the firing squad. Dylann Roof is a complete turd and waste of space. The only "race war" he is going to start is in prison over who gets to say "hello" to him first.

Oh, to be a fly on the wall...

Never!

To be honest I would like to say I could. But I know in my heart I would not be able to. I see to much in black and white and very seldom any gray. Over the years it has hardened my heart for forgiveness of these acts of evil.

Forgive - Yes, Forget - Certainly not, Absolve - Never. He needs to be sent to prison for as long as he is a danger to others (i.e for the rest of his life).

It's funny how the families of the people that were murdered in Charleston have forgiven the teenager accused of the murders, but now everyone has turned to the Confederate flag and blaming it for the murders. All those murders in Colorado, New York, and everywhere else in the United States isn't because of the Confederate battle flag, it's because parents that are afraid to whip a child when they do something wrong, break rules grow up thinking it's ok to do whatever you want to do. Discipline your children and we'll have less overcrowded prisons. When it comes to blaming things and people, hold the individual accountable, don't blame things that have nothing to do with it.