Why Should We Forgive Others Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why Should We Forgive Others - Essay Example In Christianity which is a western religion, teaching about forgiveness takes a very central role in the spiritual life of the Christian adherent. The teaching is that, if we expect God to forgive us, we must in turn forgive our fellow man when they wrong us. This is best expressed in what is known as the Lord’s Prayer in Mathew 6:9-13 where the Christian petitions God to forgive him just as they forgive others. This is as a precondition that if we expect God to forgive us, we have a part to play in forgiving others as it is narrated in Mathew 6:15. We also find the example of a Christian who practiced forgiveness during the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7:60 where Stephen prayed and said ‘lay not this sin to their charge’, words almost similar to the ones uttered by Jesus Christ at His crucifixion, ‘forgive them for they know not what they do’, speaking about His crucifiers, yet He had committed no sin, Luke 23:34. This shows that a Christian who forgiv es is following the example of the author of Christianity, Jesus Christ. The Bible also teaches about turning your other cheek and giving your coat as well to someone who takes your cloak as it continues to express the virtue of forgiveness, Luke 6: 27-31. The Bible also talks about God’s demonstration of love in that Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world while man was still a sinner (Bash, 2007).