Forgiveness is a vital element of a functioning society and is something people have to deal with everyday. It gives people the necessary room to fail. A society must respect one another enough to understand that people mess up. Some, on the other hand, have different views on forgiveness. Bob Brody, in his article “To Forgive is Good but Sometimes I Want to Stay Mad,” argues that in some situations forgiveness is not necessary. In his article, he lists a few scenarios which would require a tough forgiving, talks about the perks of not forgiving, and why it is not always the best way to settle a dispute. Brody’s claim that forgiveness is not always necessary is flawed because grudges do not help the recovery of the transgression, grudges do not equalize the wrongdoing, and choosing not to forgive is immoral.
In his article, Brody suggests that forgiveness is not necessary because of the “healing power” of a grudge; however, his definition of healing is
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It might be childish to respond to the culprit in a way that seeks revenge. A society would have a difficulty functioning if everyone wants to avenge their transgressors. Consequently, when achieving revenge, it probably will only cause more hurt and a retaliation from the original culprit; but now, both parties are now in the wrong. Forgiving is a process and it takes maturity and compassion to forgive. According to Zenon Szablowninski, the author of “Should Christians Forgive always; does God always Forgive,” forgiveness is a process that has several steps. The first obstacle in the process is to get rid of the motive for revenge (4). The author appeals to one’s initial desires to react in a negative way, but when people understand the process of forgiveness they can hopefully look past revenge. Seeking revenge is a popular reaction, but it doesn’t mean it is the right