Religious Attitudes to Forgiveness (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062))
Revision Note
Christian attitudes to forgiveness
Forgiveness is the process of showing mercy and pardon to someone for what they have done wrong
It is an important stage in the process of reconciliation
Forgiveness is a key belief in Christianity
Jesus taught about forgiveness several times
‘For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.’ (Matthew 6:14-15)
Jesus said that there should be no limits to forgiveness
When his follower Peter asked:
‘“Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”,
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”’ (Matthew 18-21-22)
Jesus also taught his followers the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father) which includes the line ‘Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.’
Jesus also showed forgiveness himself, saying from the cross at his crucifixion
‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ (Luke 23:34)
Christianity and forgiveness for offenders
In the case of crime and punishment, forgiveness is not in place of punishment
Justice still needs to be done and the appropriate punishment given out.
The aim of punishment should always be reform - helping the offender to change their ways, ask for forgiveness, and be forgiven
For this reason, many Christians do not support the death penalty
After they have served their sentence, offenders should be helped to integrate into society again
Christian churches, street pastors, and local organisations help to provide opportunities for ex-offenders to make a fresh start
Restorative justice is when an offender is brought together with the victim of a crime to try to restore peace
Seeing the effects of crime on their victims can be an important part of reforming offenders’ future behaviour
For example, a Christian organisation called Prison Fellowship runs a victim awareness programme called Sycamore Tree
As part of this programme, victims of crime talk to offenders
The process of forgiveness can be very hard for victims of serious crime and their families - sometimes impossible
Some Christians struggle with this and may turn to prayer, hoping that God will help them cope
Sometimes they seek justice rather than forgiveness
However, it is important to try to overcome the pain they may feel for them to find peace
Christians should always try to help and support victims and their families
Muslim attitudes to forgiveness
Forgiveness is an important element in Islam
Muslims believe that Allah is compassionate and merciful and forgives, and therefore they should follow this example
There are two categories of forgiveness: forgiveness from God and forgiveness from humans
Forgiveness from God
Only Allah can truly forgive
Allah will only forgive those who are truly sorry and intend to follow the faith properly in the future
'Let them pardon and forgive. Do you not wish that God should forgive you? God is most forgiving and merciful.' (Qur’an 24:22)
Forgiveness from humans
Humans should forgive those who ask for forgiveness
This will then allow them to receive forgiveness from God
This allows goodness to overcome evil and stops evil from growing
They should be forgiven constantly because there is no limit to God’s forgiveness
“Pardon each other’s faults and God will grant you honour.” (Hadith)
Islam and forgiveness for offenders
For Muslims, punishment is seen as important for:
achieving justice on behalf of the victim
setting an example, or deterrent, to prevent others from committing similar offences
Offenders can be helped through education and training during their sentence, and supported to integrate into the community after their release
This protects the Ummah and helps to reduce tension in the community because victims can see that justice has been done
Muslims need to act with justice towards those who have wronged others because of the teachings of their faith
Islam is a religion of peace, and many Muslims believe they should forgive offenders to attain greater peace in the world
Although the process can be difficult, Muslims should try to forgive those who have committed crimes, are sorry for their deeds, and are undergoing punishment such as prison
For some sentences, an offender may be forgiven if they pay compensation to the victim’s family
Ultimately Allah will be the judge of everyone’s actions on the Day of Judgement
Worked Example
Explain two religious beliefs about the importance of forgiveness for criminals.
Refer to sacred writings or another source of religious belief and teaching in your answer
(5 marks)
Many Christian teachings in the Bible emphasise the importance of forgiveness, and this includes forgiveness for criminals (1 mark). Jesus taught in the Lord’s Prayer that people should ask forgiveness from God for their sins, and then forgive others in the same way (1 mark). He also set the example of forgiveness himself at his crucifixion, saying of the people who were crucifying him, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ (Luke 23:34) (1 mark)
Muslims also think that forgiveness for criminals is important. Because Islam is a religion of peace, many Muslims believe they should forgive offenders to attain greater peace in the world (1 mark). This does not mean that criminals should not be punished, but that they should have the chance to learn from their errors and make a fresh start (1 mark)
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Each theme you study for this paper contains a set of topics where you might be asked to explain two contrasting or similar religious beliefs
You may be asked to refer to ‘the main religious tradition in Britain’, which is Christianity. If not, you can compare views from within a single religious tradition (such as Christianity) or across two different religious traditions (such as Christianity and Islam, as shown in the example above)
The topic of forgiveness is one of the three topics in this theme. (The others are corporal punishment and the death penalty)
Therefore, make sure you can compare and contrast Christian and Muslim beliefs about forgiveness, including forgiveness of criminals
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