Hankshouse
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 23, 2009
To what extent do you think a person's flaws, such as racist attitudes and behaviors, can be forgiven because it is the norm in the surrounding culture?
This is a great and thought provoking question! If you are in an environment where you know nothing else, it's difficult to live your life otherwise. But, if a person is witnessing a change (i.e. events like the race riots of the '60's or the preachings of MLK...) and in your heart you know you need to take stand but don't...choosing to stand idly by while injustice flourishes around you...that would be hard to "forgive". We just had a tragic event here in the New York area, where a mortally wounded homeless person lay dying on the sidewalk. Rather than come to this man's aid, people stopped, stared and walked on by. Why? Because he was judged by others for being homeless. Inhumane at best and unforgiveable, in my eyes. There are times in world history when this same situation could have occurred if a Jewish man or a black man lay there. Again, completely unforgiveable.
This is a great and thought provoking question! If you are in an environment where you know nothing else, it's difficult to live your life otherwise. But, if a person is witnessing a change (i.e. events like the race riots of the '60's or the preachings of MLK...) and in your heart you know you need to take stand but don't...choosing to stand idly by while injustice flourishes around you...that would be hard to "forgive". We just had a tragic event here in the New York area, where a mortally wounded homeless person lay dying on the sidewalk. Rather than come to this man's aid, people stopped, stared and walked on by. Why? Because he was judged by others for being homeless. Inhumane at best and unforgiveable, in my eyes. There are times in world history when this same situation could have occurred if a Jewish man or a black man lay there. Again, completely unforgiveable.