Religion & Spirituality Community Check-in: September 15th-21st
Welcome to Religion & Spirituality weekly check- in!
Today we want to talk about forgiveness 🌸
💡How was your past week?
💡How do you approach Forgiveness from a Religious/Spiritual viewpoint?
💡What helps you practicing forgiveness?
Feel free to answer the above questions or to elaborate with your own words on Forgiveness and what it means for you!
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@MeaningfulSilence oh forgivness is a difficult one for me. I don't think I can forgive my owners. But I am working on forgiving myself. I own alot of shame and guilt because of my past. But I been talking to God and maybe I weren't blame for everything
@Tinywhisper11
Hi Tinywhisper11!
Yes I understand that self forgiveness is something that needs work .
I think you are not guilty for what you went through but I understand it's also difficult to process all the trauma correctly.
Good thing that you are trying to explore the path of forgiveness, it's been said it's for our own inner peace. I really wish you to be able to add it to your good achievements Tiny 💙
Wishing you a wonderful Friday!
@MeaningfulSilence thankyou ❤ is it ok if I don't learn to forgive my owners? I'm not sure I'm strong enough to do that.
@Tinywhisper11
Your wellbeing is primary to anything else, so I would say to do just the steps that lead you to that.
Later on you will see if feel to explore forgiveness for others too.
From a religious view point, the connection with God as in your Faith, it's something possible because we can always share with Him in our prayers, about things that are too difficult for us.
Always from a religious perspective, I would add that to refer to Him in every circumstances is what God appreciates most, it's been said that if He wants to guide us in a specific path, He will find His way to do it.
So I think there's nothing to worry about Tiny. 💙
@Tinywhisper11
I would encourage you highly to forgive your owners because doing so cuts their power over you.
Imagine all the stuff they did as chains stuck to you everywhere, and with the chainsaw blade of forgiveness you sever each and every connection.
Forgiveness frees YOU Tiny!!!
Justice well that is on its way. "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." -- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
But that is why to do it...freedom!! For you not them!!!
@Tinywhisper11
My abusers...I have seen so much justice.
2nd ex husband...he is behind bars!!! Finally!!!
One is DEAD.
Justice marches on watching them all go down. That will happen and is happening.
I so want you to be free and to experience some happiness!!!
@RogueOne1983 I'm sorry I'm not strong enough 😞
@Tinywhisper11
You do not have to.
I am not issuing this as a command or a moral imperative.
Here is a tool I found useful.
Pick it up use it or don't.
much love for my tiny friend 💛💙💜
@Tinywhisper11
Hey! Its always awesome to see you 🫶
I used to have such a hard time with forgiveness (its still a battle) until I really understood the meaning of it. It might be helpful for you to read the reply I had to this check in. I'm always here if you ever need to chat. Only a message away
@Tinywhisper11 You were not to blame at all.
One hallmark signature of abusers is everything they did to you, it is your fault.
When they are irrevocably hardened into evil, when they are incorrigible, they cannot take responsibility. It is beyond logic reason sense at that point. They will blame their victims always.
They cannot be redeemed changed or saved when that far gone, and the people who illegally kept you definitely fit in that category.
@MeaningfulSilence
How was your past week? Very calming
💡How do you approach Forgiveness from a Religious/Spiritual viewpoint? Forgiveness for me never condones the inappropriate actions of people. Forgiveness is to give love for hate because I want to be a loving person, to give understanding for confusion because I want to understand that others are like me and want to be happy and free of suffering even though by destructive actions they bring to themselves the opposite, and to give kindness for coldness because I know that my being cold makes me miserable..
💡What helps you practicing forgiveness? Not reacting when words or actions happen to me but reflect on how I can be more compassionate. It is not easy but it is a work in progress.
@soulsings huggs you ❤
@soulsings
Thank you for sharing 💙
@MeaningfulSilence you are welcome
@MeaningfulSilence
How was your past week?
My last week was okay. I have chronic illnesses so currently in a flare up but managing it okay! Just being kind to myself.
How do you approach forgiveness from a religious/spiritual viewpoint?
So christianity is kinda built on forgiveness. Fun fact... In the bible, the Greek word for forgiveness means to "let go"... So with that, I believe that forgiveness does not mean letting someone off the hook. It literally just means allowing yourself to have peace over the situation and "letting go"
What helps you practice forgiveness?
So I definitely had a hard time with the concept of forgiveness growing up. I felt like I was somehow making it okay for others to hurt me or to do things that I didn't want. It wasn't until I became a Christian and really understood forgiveness (what I wrote for the question above ^) that I stepped into it and allowed myself to have the peace that I needed over situations that I was holding onto for so long.
It is definitely easier said than done and definitely a process. But I never felt like I would be in the position I am right now with the beliefs that I have in terms of my past and what has happened to me.
@beck1 hugggggs you ❤
@Tinywhisper11
Always here for you
@beck1
Thank you for sharing 💙
@MeaningfulSilence
💡How was your past week?
💡How do you approach Forgiveness from a Religious/Spiritual viewpoint?
💡What helps you practicing forgiveness?
My past week was okay, there were some challenges but nothing serious.
To me forgiveness is about preventing to let negative energy build up, build barriers in the world and to avoid/limit that our hearts get hurt. Forgiveness helps to find peace again. We all do mistakes and this is what I remind myself of when someone does something wrong to me. I forgive but I also might be more mindful the next time I interact with the person.
@amiablePeace77
Hi amiablePeace77!
I'm glad to hear that you have a good balance and understanding with forgiveness.
Thank you for your post!
@MeaningfulSilence
🌻How was your past week?….It was well and seemed to go by pretty quickly.
🌞How do you approach Forgiveness from a Religious/Spiritual viewpoint?… I try to remember that I was forgiven for all my sins. And that none of us here are perfect. And even when it’s hard, that we should try to forgive others.
🌻What helps you practicing forgiveness?….My previous comment speaks for that as well. Even though it doesn’t always work. As again none of us are perfect. Sometimes I just have to release the toxic or negative things (or people) From my life. And just move on and forwards.
@PoliteOcean
Hi PoliteOcean!
Thank you for your post 💙
@MeaningfulSilence
I believe forgiveness often takes time because sometimes to forgive you must heal first. I may be able to forgive people who harmed me in the past but never in the molment. I was told to never say it’s ok when someone apologizes because you should be true to yourself and others. That is why, to be honest, I sometimes don’t accept apologies because in some cases, I know it will take time to heal and I believe in honesty. How I think of it is: people who hurt you now might not be forgiven till they stop hurting you. But either way, I try my best to not hold grunges so I can speed up the forgiveness process.
-IvoryDog
♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎
@ivoryDog4942 I hear you. It is difficult when someone hurts us and apologizes.
I try not to refuse the apology. "I accept your apology and regret for doing the action, but I do not condone the action and hope that it will not be repeated again because I feel great pain when that happens. Thank you for hearing me."
@MeaningfulSilence forgiveness
1. Key to sanity
2. Key to getting my prayers heard.
I truly cannot function if I give any ground to this. I must forgive to stay sane and continue to be alive!
@RogueOne1983 thank you for your post. For me holding onto grudges just makes me miserable so it makes sense to me to let go of the hurts even if I do not condone the action.
How was your past week?
It has been challenging. I am trying to process the events and emotions I have gone through and emerge with some clarity on the other side.
How do you approach forgiveness from a Religious/Spiritual viewpoint? What helps you in practicing forgiveness?
Forgiveness is difficult for me. I used to think that so long as I controlled my outward reactions and didn't hurt anyone, it was fine not to forgive.
The way I approach forgiveness now from a spiritual perspective is by focusing on the fact that my holding a grudge is egotistic. Focusing on my own hurt and concentrating only on my perspective on a conflict is poisonous, it severs my connection from other beings and God. From that mindset, I try to broaden my mind and take in me the emotions and viewpoints of others. This helps me to forgive, although not always. Sometimes I need to let go of my concept of a certain person entirely, try to forget them, and only then I can include them in a hopefully kind view of the world overall (as a drop in an ocean).
