I Don’t Forget & I Don’t Forgive

I KNOW THAT NOT TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK IS NOT THE CHRISTIAN THING TO DO:

Recently, in an Email Exchange I had with a Conservative Supporter in Houston Texas, I wrote to her, THAT I DON’T FORGET . . . NOR DO I FORGIVE, to which she Replied, that she also doesn’t Forget . . . BUT SHE DOES FORGIVE.

So I Gave It Some Thought . . . Since this was not the first time my Philosophy on this Subject has been Called Into Question – and as usual, my first thoughts go to Nazi Europe, and how it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to either FORGET or FORGIVE even a REPENTANT Nazi or Nazi Supporter for the HOLOCAUST.

BUT . . . The argument against my philosophy of NEVER FORGETTING & NEVER FORGIVING, given the Nazi Analogy, always comes down to . . . That Was Then & This Is Now.

THIS IS JUST ONE OF A GAZILLION EXAMPLES:

NOT THAT MANY YEARS AGO . . . in 2007, Michael Vick, the Philadelphia Eagle’s Quarter Back, was Charged with DOG-FIGHTING & CRUELTY TO ANIMALS, for which he was found Guilty & Imprisoned. Afterwards, Vick Begged for Forgiveness.

I CANNOT FORGIVE A PERSON . . . who Committed such a Heinous Crime, no matter how much he Begged for Forgiveness . . . because I don’t believe that anyone so EVIL as to Torture Animals For Pleasure, could be TOO STUPID NOT TO KNOW BETTER.

I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND . . . That Good People Make Honest-To-Goodness Mistakes, but MOST BAD DECISIONS have nothing to do with Mistakes.

I BELIEVE . . . That someone who Commits a Crime WITHOUT Just Cause, and even at that, will do it Repeatedly until Caught, Convicted & Punished. And even after Punishment, I wouldn’t holdout for that person not to repeat again.

Our Prisons Are Packed With “Repentant” Repeat Offenders:

I KNOW THAT NOT TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK IS NOT THE CHRISTIAN THING TO DO:

But I also know . . . that once you get Slapped on one Cheek, and you turn to the other Cheek, prepare yourself for the Second Slap.

Child Sexual Predators . . . Are NEVER FORGIVEN, otherwise they wouldn’t be on a National Public Sexual Predator Watch List for the Rest of Their Lives, primarily, because Child Sexual Predators are likely to Repeat, and that their Crime(s) is so Grievous, that there really isn’t Room for Forgiveness.

EUROPE HAS HATED JEWS . . . For Almost 2,000-Years, yet after every Genocide caused to Jews, whether during the Crusades, the Inquisitions, the Pogroms & the Holocaust . . . not to mention all the In-Between Injustices – Europe’s Jews keep on FORGIVING Europe, while coming back for more.

AND NOW . . . Once Again – Anti-Semitism In Europe Is Open Season.

Between 1915 & 1917 – The Turks Massacred 1.5-Million Armenians . . . Where do the Armenians begin to Forgive the Turks, as we’re now watching the Turks do their Best to Massacre Kurds?

Millions of Ukrainians Starved to Death in what was a Man-Made Famine between 1932 & 1933, in what is Considered an Act of Mass Genocide known as the HOLODOMOR, caused by the Russians, who Played Fast & Loose with Ukrainian Food & Grain Crops, through Direct orders of Stalin . . . Where’s the Reason for Forgiveness by the Ukrainians, as the Russians have once again Invaded Ukraine?

In 1994 . . . In Rwanda – Hutus Massacred close to 1-Million Innocent Men, Women & Child Tutsis, using every means possible to Commit Mass Murder, including Child Soldiers armed with Machetes. How does anyone forgive this?

AS EVERY INDICATION POINTS . . . THE LEFT IS TRYING TO COMMIT A COUP D’ÉTAT:

PLEASE TELL ME . . . If the LEFT and their RINO Co-Conspirators are doing all they can, through Lies & Innuendo, Promoted by the LEFTIST MEDIA, specifically to Overthrow . . . NOT JUST PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, but in Fact, the US Constitution, and all the People who Voted for President Trump, in order to Form a Communist Style New World Order . . . WHERE DO WE BEGIN TO FORGIVE?

WHERE DO WE BEGIN . . . to Forgive the LEFT for Surreptitiously Stealing from the MAKERS to give to the TAKERS?

WHERE IN OUR HEARTS . . . can we find it within ourselves to Forgive those on the LEFT, who’ve taken away so many of our Individual Freedoms, while Pretending to be Defenders of our Rights – in Trade for their LEFTIST Collective Political Support?

HOW DO YOU THE PEOPLE . . . Forgive the NSA for Spying on the People, Invading the Privacy of the People & Ignoring the 4th Amendment as if it didn’t exist?

How do you forgive the IRS for Targeting & Punishing Conservative Non Profit Corporations, only because of their Political Bent?

Where do you begin to Forgive the FBI & Justice Department for Creating Two Levels of Justice . . . And a Government that consistently Lies & Misleads the People?

Is it Possible to Forgive the NAZIS for the way they Desecrated the Rights & Freedoms of their own People, or the KGB, or the East German STASI, or the Chinese Secret Police, the North Koreans, the Cubans . . . ETC?

I Don’t Think So . . . So Why Should We Forgive Those Amongst Us?

SORRY – I WON’T FORGET – I CAN’T FORGIVE . . . & I WON’T TURN MY CHEEK:

A Special Thank You To All The People Who Helped Support Galganov.com.

Best Regards . . . Howard Galganov

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41 Comments

  1. Never forget the words that Obama will best be remembered by:
    “THE FUTURE MUST NOT BELONG TO THOSE WHO INSULT THE PROPHET OF ISLAM.”

    I fear for the entire free world.

  2. When his accusers mocked Jesus, spit on Him, he said Father forgive them for they know not what they do. When the thief on one side recognized Jesus for who He Is, He asked Jesus to remember him. And He did.

  3. When you understand, you will not forget nor will you forgive. If you do not understand, you are destined to commit an act which history repeatedly demonstrates will fail.

  4. SO SORRY TO HEAR THAT YOU CANNOT FORGIVE. (darn that cap lock key). I am sure that you believe the Bible which says, judgement is mine says the Lord. It also says, one who says he is without sin is a liar and the truth is not in him. Therefore we are ALL sinners but under the proper conditions God forgives us of our sins. Think about it, If God forgives our sins against Him, we should forgive those who sin against us, no matter how grievous the sins.

  5. Only after they genuinely are remorseful for their transgressions do I forgive… I doubt that any of those you stated are such. “Those among us” are dangerous to our country and our way of life and should be treated as such.

  6. John Kennedy said…”Forgive your enemies but don’t forget their names.” That’s pretty much the policy I follow but it’s not easy to do. I agree with you in part Howard. Some things are beyond forgiveness. But Jesus did say to forgive your enemies because it’s like heaping coals of fire on their heads. I do know that if you chose to not forgive someone, that person may never know of your unforgiveness so it doesn’t bother them. But carrying that unforgiveness will bother you.

  7. IF our spouse or child does something really hurtful to us, do we still forgive? Should we hold onto resentment until one of us dies? That sounds like a sad life to me. When we don’t or can’t forgive we hurt twice. Political stuff can be remedied. That’s the consequence of participating in a democracy. Get out the vote the 2nd time. Rewinning has a great satisfaction. Obama/Trump. Historical evil men will not escape ultimate justice. There will be a day of judgement. Eternity in Heaven or Hell.

  8. Howard, I agree with your feelings, but as a Christian, God tells us in the “Lords Prayer” that for us to be forgiven, we must forgive.. I have a tough time with this myself, but that’s what Jesus Taught. Not easy, but that’s Christ’s teachings..
    I realize that you are Jewish, so I am not sure of the Jewish teachings..

  9. Great article Howard. I can see many people have trouble with the ‘not forgiving’ all the philosophical arguments. There many, many things that happen in this life that should always be remembered, I would maintain there are some things in life that we can ‘forgive’ but on the other hand there many things in life that should never be forgiven and you have provided many great examples of what we should never forget and some examples that should never, never be forgiven. Merry Christmas Howard.

  10. I agree Howard, I can forgive those that are repentant but I can be VERY vindictive on those who are not.

  11. I agree with your observations. I hold a similar philosophical/practical position regarding forgetting and forgiving with one minor difference. If the Supreme Being, God, can find it in His wisdom to forgive those who have acted with such disregard for the lives and will being their fellow humans it is within His right to do so. I would find it hard, however, to believe that God would not, at the very least, require some degree of repentance before doing so.

  12. Forgiving someone for an indiscretion or an outright crime is rarely rewarded with them abstaining from a repeat offense. It simply gives them license to do it again. The Clintons are a prime example. I believe in Christian values, but not to my detriment! One must be careful about who to forgive.

  13. You’ve obviously never read Two Hundred Years Together is a two-volume historical essay by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

  14. Flipping the coin a bit here …. I have a male acquaintance who was raised in Germany during WW2. I do not bring the subject up EVER about that because he says “what those American boys did was horrible.” I don’t want to get into an argument or even a discussion about it …. it would only cause a rift in our friendship. I doubt he has forgiven “those boys” as he has not even forgotten ….. it must lay on his mind like a brick.

  15. VERY INTERESTING article, Howard! Also, the comments were interesting, as well! As a practicing Christian, I know that the teachings of Jesus, tell us to forgive others, as we expect to be forgiven. I don’t know what the answer is,& that’s ok! I like what was shared, earlier, I do NOT forget, but I will NOT FORGET! When you figure out the answer, please let us know! God Bless you, Howard, your dear Anne, all your pets, here in Texas, + back home in Canada. Do NOT give up before the miracle!

  16. 500 too short to respond. Our forgiving others is not to depend on their response at all. That is the command of Jesus. Hard to do? Yes, we are fallen humans who just love to disobey God. Even the smallest sin separates us from fellowship with God. However, Christ forgave me when I did not deserve forgiveness (and never will), which defines GRACE. That said, to not fight evil is to condone it, we FIGHT those who would destroy what God has entrusted to us. Old Test. is full of such examples.

  17. I remember and don’t always forgive, either. To put this in perspective with my Christian beliefs, I KNOW God knows the mind and heart of each individual – he KNOWS if they are truly repentant. – and he forgives on this knowledge. We, on the other hand, are blind to man’s true feelings and have to rely on actions. We can NEVER forgive the evil of the Holocaust or other heinous crimes a person or group commits. To forgive in these circumstances condones evil. I will NOT turn the other cheek!

  18. WOW, that editorial was powerful, Howard. Yes, I am a Christian but I can not forgive those who are really horrid & do despicable things to other humans or defenseless animals. Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, & Dennis Rader – All of these men were serial killers, who didn’t give a damn about who they killed & seem to have enjoyed killing, period. None of these men deserve forgiveness. They were/are cruel, vile, & despicable. May they rot in hell!!!

  19. I agree with Howard 100%! The majority of our Government is trying to take our country away from us and we are supposed to sit by and allow them to do it? I think not. If they ever succeed to at putting Donald Trump out of office they will pay a price that they can’t imagine. God Bless America and her loyal patriots.

  20. I’m with you, Howard. When the NFL let Michael Vick some back, that was the end of football for me. The way the NFL is imploding, I see I made the right choice. What he did is unforgivable and the NFL hiring him back is too.

  21. Greetings: After reading the myriad responses about forgiveness, my take is simple. Whether or not God “forgives” is really meaningless. Because I have my doubts of an afterlife, I will never forgive those that do atrocities to other people. More importantly, if God forgives, I’m fine with that belief. I was always taught those that do horrible things go to hell. No one can convince me that Hitler deserves forgiveness. If there’s a hell… he better be there!

  22. All these atrocities are beyond forgiveness! They can’t take them back and they don’t deserve a free pass!

  23. Forgiveness demands change. Forgiveness demands contrition. Forgiveness is not blind to evil. Civil society must have forgiveness for true change. But Howard is correct, most demand forgiveness but never change. Jesus Christ demands change so much so, he provided a Helper for change.

  24. Howard, we can’t, because it is part of history. Forgiving someone for doing any type of evil, DOES-NOT, say it is ok, all right as though it never happened in the first place BUT, what it does do is to let one go of it so that that bitterness, which is beneficial to anyone directly, indirectly who sees or hears about hear about such acts. As a Christian, God’s Spirit of love is in me and, it helps me to let go, knowing that, “Vengeance is His and, He will repay.”

  25. Amen, Howard! We are too full of “forgiveness” today to the point that people have no “remorse”, no “repentance” for whatever we did thanks to all the “tolerance” for all those who break the law or harm others in some other way (even without getting caught or anybody doing anything)! Too many people today no longer know “right” from “wrong” in this “do as you please” society where our elected officials aren’t setting the proper example! Selfishness and greed now prevail over ethics and honesty!

  26. Howard, I am a Christian but I have never in my life considered forgiving Obama, Hitler or Stalin to name only a few. I do not think it is required of me to do that. Most people that attain great power are corrupted completely and will never change! I think the only people I need forgive are those that are in the sphere that I live in and directly affect my life. I also believe I have a loving God that knows all my short comings and He will forgive me for what I cannot forget or forgive. I

  27. Since I was a child I have been told that Jews should get over, forgive, and forget the concentration camps and what happened to them as a people during WWII. Same for the pogroms and attacks over the centuries. Yet for every other group we must remember what happened and the transgressions against them. We must never forget or forgive US slavery, though it was over 150 years ago. The world is very selective in whom to forgive and what to forget.

  28. I keep this quote in my kitchen: “When Jesus said to turn the other cheek, he did not mean to turn a blind eye. The highest calling of a Christian is not to be civil; it is to be salt and light.” JFK’s quote mentioned above, actually came from the Scots, who have long said ‘forgive you enemies, but remember the b…..d’s name.’ Christians are in a battle for their very lives against the muslims and the anarchists of the world. We must stay strong, be that salt and light.

  29. I AGREE WITH YOU, KEEP THE HONEST TRUTH COMEING . THEIR ARE TOO MANY OF OUR SO CALLED LEADERS
    THAT

    IN CATAGORY YOU JUST WROTE ABOUT. THANKS FROM AN EAST TEXAN

  30. No comment needed as all has already been said – by you and those who commented. A most insightful read.

  31. My grandmother said ” to not forgive is to drink poison and expect someone else to die”. She was very insightful.

  32. I have been taught forgiveness all my life. As a Christian, and doing Bible studies, I understand that we are expected to forgive if we expect forgiveness ourselves. To beg forgiveness, and suffer deep remorse from God, we have to confess and realize our wrongs. I don’t think even God issues automatic forgiveness to those who thumb their noses, and plan to go forth and do evil again. By remorse, I don’t mean, ” I am sorry I was caught.”

  33. One NEVER FORGETS a HURT. However, as Tom Kopper wrote, one should “let go of bitterness…GOD wil repay”! In order to TRY to UNDERSTAND one’s LACK of forgiveness, people must know and realize the TYPE of HURT which was EXPERIENCED. We know that REVENGE can DESTROY a person!To FORGIVE is defined as “freeing”–NOT freeing our FOES, but FREEING OURSELVES from BITTERNESS & HATRED!Howard, as NOTED by your editorials, you are too much of a GOOD PERSON to not be able to FORGIVE–only my opinion! AMEN!

  34. As a Christian Howard, I feel that the holy spirit commands us to forgive those who are truly contrite and are looking for forgiveness. There are others who will stay in their sin until death, those I will not forgive. God will determine their fate.

  35. So far, I haven’t heard a peep of an apology or a request for forgiveness from the Leftists and their RINO co-conspirators. So, until that happens, the whole question is moot.

    And I ain’t holdin’ my breath any lefties or RINOs are gonna come asking for forgiveness for ruining MY country anytime soon.

  36. In my younger days playing football, if I got slapped on the face/cheek, I always turned the side, but if I got slapped again, the next slap was from me and those who slapped me paid the price!

  37. Hi Howard! I’m surprised some of the Christian’s comments say they can’t forgive certain things. We are COMMANDED by our CREATOR to forgive, or we won’t be forgiven by the FATHER! HE knows what’s best for us, so we need to be obedient! Unforgiveness is like being in a prison cell and having the key to the door in your pocket. Unforgiveness doesn’t hurt anyone more than it hurts the person holding onto it. The FATHER says that vengeance belongs to HIM, HE will repay the unrepentant sinner! Scary!

  38. Check this out.. Deuteronomy 32:35 says”Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for in due time their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.” Manner and timing of the repayment of man’s wickedness is GOD’S prerogative. This principle is reaffirmed in the New Testament in Rom12:19 and Heb10:30… it’s a very SCARY thing to fall into the hands of the LIVING GOD! HE tells us to forgive others. That’s NOT giving them a free pass for their evil ways.

  39. Even Christ forgave while dying on the cross; “Luke 23 : 34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.” As also many people that faced their executioners forgave them throughout the world. Forgiveness is for our souls as a prevention against bitterness, anger, sickness etc.

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