The act more important than the actual words?
This week's Five on Faith asks: Are we more or less forgiving as a society? Here's one response:
"Forgiveness is one thing; apologizing is another. I fear we've become a culture of apologies that are not heartfelt; rather, some may be expedient, political, or PR. People may becoming jaded as to the number of insincere apologies offered for everything from the mundane to the heinous. The act of issuing "the apology" seems more important than the actual remorse behind it. I don't believe one country can apologize for its historical actions against another people; yet some groups require that an apology be offered to either feel better or move on. I believe apologies are personal and can be given only by those who performed the deed. Forgiveness can be given only to those who did something and not to now-dead figures who were never remorseful. No, this isn't a response to one person apologizing to another; rather, it's a small statement about the culture of apology I feel creeping into our national conscience."
Sue Polinsky, Greensboro
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