Families of Charleston shooting victims to Dylann Roof: We forgive you

[Tom Joad]

The big difference that I find between Black Christians and White Christians is that the Black Christians are actually sincere about it.

Relatives of the Charleston church shooting victims gave emotional statements during Dylann Roof’s initial court appearance Friday, some of them breaking into sobs as one after another they told the man suspected of killing their loved ones that they forgive him.

“You took something really precious from me. I will never talk to her again,” the daughter of 70-year-old Ethel Lance, one of nine people killed in Wednesday's massacre, said. “But I forgive you and have mercy on your soul. You hurt me. You hurt a lot of people. But God forgives you. I forgive you.”

Felecia Sanders, mother of the youngest victim, 26-year-old Tywanza Sanders, also spoke.

“Every fiber in my body hurts,” Sanders said, “and I will never be the same.”

Roof is accused of carrying out the killings during a Bible study session inside Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church Wednesday night in what investigators are treating as a hate crime.

morehttp://news.yahoo.com/familes-of-cha...185833509.html

[barbara]

Nah...... There are sincere and insincere in both groups.

This crisis has brought out those with compassion. It will be the compassionate and sincere who facilitate healing in the community.

[CarlV]

By Jeremy Borden, Sari Horwitz and Jerry Markon June 19 at 3:06 PM
CHARLESTON, S.C. — The gunman charged with killing nine people in an African American church was unrepentant during a confession to police, even after almost backing out of what he called his “mission” because church members were so nice to him, according to law enforcement officials and others briefed on the investigation.

WaPo

Carl

[BlueStreak]

They can forgive him if they want.

"God", if there is such a thing, will probably send him to burn in hell.

The media wants their circus.

And I want him dead.

[HarmanKardon]

You probably noticed my "A moving private message" thread. This message is full of sincerity. This black man is sheer lovingkindness - anyway he is pining for justice! And as far as I understand the pm, it is according to him not just the duty of God, or "God", (I rather prefer "God" as well) to punish him.

The first punishment is that family members of victimes have forgiven him. Deep inside this will drive him even more crazy.

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by Tom Joad

The big difference that I find between Black Christians and White Christians is that the Black Christians are actually sincere about it.
[/URL]

Ah Tom there are Christians and then there are christians.

[JCricket]

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

They can forgive him if they want.

"God", if there is such a thing, will probably send him to burn in hell.

The media wants their circus.

And I want him dead.

I'd wager a bet that is was this kind of sentiment that led the shooter to shoot those people.

Just sayin.......................

[donquixote99]

Originally Posted by JCricket

I'd wager a bet that is was this kind of sentiment that led the shooter to shoot those people.

Just sayin.......................

The main difference is it's reasonable to think the shooter really is a deadly enemy to society, while it was delusional for the shooter to see the folks in that church as deadly enemies.

Still, the shooter is now a defanged enemy, and there are good reasons not to kill him in cold blood, whatever our emotional desire for justice or vengeance may say. For one, whenever killing is legitimized, the barriers to any killing become much weaker. The way to a less violent society must lead through ending all killing that is done only because we want it, however good our reasons may seem to us, and especially in spite of how fervently we long to do it.

[JCricket]

well said!

[mpholland]

Originally Posted by donquixote99

The main difference is it's reasonable to think the shooter really is a deadly enemy to society, while it was delusional for the shooter to see the folks in that church as deadly enemies.

Still, the shooter is now a defanged enemy, and there are good reasons not to kill him in cold blood, whatever our emotional desire for justice or vengeance may say. For one, whenever killing is legitimized, the barriers to any killing become much weaker. The way to a less violent society must lead through ending all killing that is done only because we want it, however good our reasons may seem to us, and especially in spite of how fervently we long to do it.

I only wish I could agree.