Murder 5 children and be forgiven?

Posted on September 14, 2007, 8:25 pm, by ABaN, under News and Politics.

Murder 5 children and be forgiven?

As a practicing Christian one of the most important things I can do is forgive someone who has wronged me. That means honestly forgiving them not just turning the other cheek and ignoring the trespass. I’ve done it many times and to be really honest sometimes it is much harder than others. I’ve been cheated on, lied to, verbally and physically assaulted, threatened, dumped, and a few other things. But still in accordance with my faith, and more truthfully the heart of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19) God has given me I forgive.

Believe it or not I’m not here bragging about how forgiving I am, because God knows I’m not. I’m not here trying to preach about how you should be more forgiving. I’m here to say that my little faith and my paltry forgiveness has been put to shame by the Amish.

An Amish community that lost five girls in a Pennsylvania schoolhouse shooting massacre last year has donated money to the widow of the gunman, the community said Wednesday.

The Nickel Mines Accountability Committee, which was set up to handle more than $4.3 million in donations from around the world after the shootings, said it had given an unspecified “contribution” to Marie Roberts, a mother of three.

Her husband, Charles Carl Roberts, a local milk truck driver who was not Amish, tied up and shot 10 Amish schoolgirls aged 6 to 14 in their classroom last Oct. 2, killing five of them before turning the gun on himself. Source and rest of article

After something like this happening to your own children can you even conceive of forgiving to this degree? I suppose talking about doing it is one thing, but to actually do it. Can you even imagine forgiving to this level? Next question is this a model of forgiveness we should all practice or have the Amish taken it to far? I know the correct answer already, but I’m curious as to what your opinion is.

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  • Angela - Who's questioning them? I think people were amazed by them actually living out what they say because as much as most Christians want to live it out we often fall far short.
  • Angela
    Christians always tell me how forgiving they are so I don't really understand why anyone would question what these people have done. As correctly stated above, the widow and three children did not contribute to the murders. They have to live in the shadows of what happened and that can be the worst sort of life. Don't tell me how forgiving you can be. Show me.
  • Jan - Indeed they did, but I wonder how many of us could do that...
  • jan olsen
    THE AMISH DISPLAYED AN UNMATCHED STRENGTH IN THE NAME OF FORGIVENESS, BY USING THIS HORRIFIC EXAMPLE TO PROVE HOW ILL ALL OF US ARE IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER. TO RECOGNIZE AND RESPOND TO THIS ACT THE WAY THE AMISH DID, SHOULD BE A WAKE UP TO HOW MENTAL WE ARE ALL TO SOME DEGREE.
  • Tom - Thanks for dropping by and commenting. I'm not sure what you're referring to about Blacksburg?
  • I too wrote about this gesture by these amazing people:
    http://www.openeducation.net/2007/09/16/amish-set-an-example-for-all/. However, I was not aware of their time spent in Blacksburg as was noted on the Politics As Usual website. I wish I had been as that only adds to the view that these people do “set an example for all of us.”
    Tom Hanson
    Editor
    OpenEducation.net
  • Brian - No one is past learning something like forgiveness. Unless you want to be, but if you desire to forgive you'll learn how. Not only that, but you'll revel in the chance to forgive not only the loved ones who whomever wrongs you, but more importantly that person.

    If you want to learn just look to the example God gives us when he slaughters his own Son in our place.
  • The Amish are definitely a group of people the rest of the world could learn from, but I'm past learning things like this. There isn't anyway I could money or assistance to anyone that was associated in any way to someone that murdered members of my family. But that's just me. So kudos to the Amish.
  • Ender - It's forgiveness http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/04/national/main2059816.shtml
    http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/04/amish.shooting/index.html?section=cnn_topstories
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=408428&in_page_id=1811
    http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20526680-663,00.html

    You'll also notice those article are all written with in a few days of the slaughter occurring. They didn't need to think about it, or to let the feelings subside. They simply forgave.

    Jeremy - Agreed. I've learned more from this example than I could have by watching 1,000 sermons preached by the best preachers in the world.

    Joe - As I pointed out this is forgiveness. As for motive, the only thing that motivates such forgiveness is God. Nothing of human nature would motivate it. But then there is a difference between forgiving and truly forgiving, but that is a theological discussion best left for another time.

    Gnomeynewt - Yes it does put things into perspective. But like I've (hopefully) shown it goes far beyond the wife and children. It's a compassion and grace extended to the man who is most undeserving of it.
  • I don't think there ever can be too much forgiveness. It certainly does display the special way the Amish are and something we can certainly learn from. Obviously it is not the wife and childs fault for the actions of husband/father. The Amish recognize this and know that they are in a lot of pain also. Certainly puts things in perspective.
  • Although I agree with ender, above, that this isn't necessarily forgiveness, it does exemplify compassion.

    If you think about it, the Amish lifestyle is a simple one, shunning modern life along with it's stress and conflict - what creates more strife and stress than money? However good this example is of "loving those who persecute you," internally this may be also about alleviating the pressure that comes with suddenly inheriting a small fortune. And if you can help someone in the community who suddenly needs it? Two birds with one stone.

    As for doing it if I were in their shoes, I probably would, but I would question my own motives, as well.
  • Many people in my secular workplace have been struck by this forgiveness given out by the Amish. I think that this action has done more to pomote the virtue of Christianity than the majority of evangelical outreaches that Christians have done lately.
  • i don't think that's necessarily forgiveness. the wife and children of the murderer did nothing to that Amish community. they lost their main breadwinner. they likely have become pariahs in their community simply through association with the murderer and not through any actions of their own.

    yes, i think that is something i could/would do.
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