Discussion Board Forum 2
Coms 560
Liberty University
Bill Lipsett
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.
Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” - Luke 6:37
In his article, A Bridge Across Abysses of Revenge, Donald W. Shriver Jr. analyzes
forgiveness and reconciliation in the political realm. He uses examples of the Nazi persecution
of Jews, South African apartheid, the Bosnian-Serb conflict, and the slave trade in America to
illustrate some of the greater atrocities committed by humanity. He also discusses the impact
these atrocities have had on the perpetrators, on those directly affected, their descendants, and
the societies at large. Mr. Shriver argues that for there to be forgiveness in politics, there are
four dynamics that must occur [Shr07].
First, there must be a willingness by the victims to abandon the notion of revenge. That
is not to say that victims should forget an injustice, but only be willing to see the perpetrators as
human and be willing to start to the progress of reconciliation. Conversely, the perpetrators
must be willing to forgo their proclamation of innocence in a genuine effort to demonstrate
empathy toward those affected. When these two factors occur in parallel, healing can begin.
Second, there must be a concerted effort to tell the truth to the public. In 1996, the
South African parliament’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission established the “Amnesty for
Truth” formula. This allowed the perpetrators and witnesses of the crimes of apartheid to tell
the truth about what they did, and what they saw. This allowed perpetrators to confess without
fear of retaliation, but more importantly, it allowed their victims to finally tell their stories to the
public; a very healing impact for many of those effected.
Third, exchanges of repentance and truth between former enemies produces empathy.
In regards to national conflicts, much effort goes into fueling hatred toward ones adversary.
Governments are masters of propaganda, and the effect it has on society is far reaching and
often long-lasting. Part of the reconciliation process requires these societies to accept their
adversaries as fellow human beings. Further, to a man, we must not stovepipe our political
views, as this will create a narrow view of the world. Those who “barricade themselves” in their
own political world are inherently unpolitical [Sch97].
Fourth, apology to reparation. Apologies have become much more commonplace in
today’s geopolitical climate. The reasons are varied, and the opportunities vast. These gestures
are symbolic in nature, and offer those impacted a reason to start to heal. They often benefit
survivors and their descendants, and open the door to possible reconciliation. Further, it offers
societies the opportunity to morally reform.
This article challenged my views; as retired military, I am very patriotic. I have fought in
wars for my country, and did so honorably. At times I felt this article took umbrage with
America, her values, and our society. However, I did look at it from an objective perspective and
could see how in the eyes of others, we may not be as innocent as we claim. Therein lies the
strength of this article. It highlights the simple dangers of Nationalism. It’s important to be
patriotic…something we sorely lack these days…but we must caution against seeing ourselves
through rose colored glasses. Honest introspection is healthy for a society, and should help
promote forgiveness and reconciliation.
References
Schwan, Gesine. Politics and guilt: The destructive power of silence. Frankfurt am Main: Fischer
Taschenbuch Verlag , 1997.
Shriver, Donald W. "A Bridge Across Abysses of Revenge." Helmick, Raymond G and Rodney L Petersen.
Forgiveness and Reconciliation. Philadelphia and London: Templeton Foundation Press, 2007.
151-167.
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