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Year 11 - Religious education

Christian attitudes to forgiveness

Issues of Good and Evil

Unit Summary

In this unit pupils will study ideas of crime and how Christians and Muslims may view crime is caused. From that, they will examine different ideas of punishing crime and treating criminals focussing especially on a case study of the death penalty and ideas of forgiveness.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain different views about forgiveness, including Christian perspectives.

Key Notes

  • Forgiveness is letting go of resentment and choosing not to seek revenge, often leading to healing and reconciliation.
  • Christianity teaches that forgiveness is essential, based on Jesus' teachings and example and linked to salvation.
  • Forgiveness is not always easy, as shown by people like Julie Nicholson, who struggled to forgive after personal loss.
  • Forgiveness can be lived out through supporting restorative justice or working with organisations like Caritas.
  • People hold different views on forgiveness, some see it as healing and freeing, others fear it may excuse wrongdoing.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • forgiveness: to grant pardon for a wrongdoing; to give up resentment and the desire to seek revenge against a wrongdoer
  • reconciliation: making up and rebuilding relationships between two groups/sides after disagreement
  • restorative justice: an approach to justice that focuses on repairing the harm caused by wrongdoing through dialogue and understanding

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Forgiveness comes naturally to all Christians because it is part of their faith.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the lesson in two key points.

Forgiveness is letting go of resentment and choosing not to seek revenge, often leading to healing and reconciliation. Christianity teaches that forgiveness is essential, based on Jesus' teachings and example and linked to salvation.

2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'forgiveness'

to grant pardon for a wrongdoing; to give up resentment and the desire to seek revenge against a wrongdoer.

3. Correct this common mistake.

Mistake: Forgiveness comes naturally to all Christians because it is part of their faith. Correction: Christianity teaches that forgiveness is important, but not that it is easy. Julie Nicholson's story shows that even people of strong faith can struggle to forgive, especially after traumatic events. Forgiveness can be a long and difficult process.

More Lessons In This Unit

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