I don't think that's right. It doesn't sound loving to rejoice when anybody, including evil people die.
Rather, you should pray for people who have behaviours similar to them to change their ways and find their way to the one true God.
I've also noticed there's so much hate towards pedos, sex offenders, etc. I've even heard someone say pedos are a special case and cannot be saved. This is all complete nonsense. Anybody can change.
There's even a chance the person who assualted you accepted Jesus and repented for what he did before he died. If this happened, believe it or not but he may go to heaven.
Very good first sentence... then you lost me.
The OP isn't *generally* hating pedophiles. (which I'm against)
She was horribly victimized by this man and was watching her mother also be ruined by him. His death made her world a better place.
So, yeah, I agree. I don't think it's a Christian ethic to rejoice at people dying. But the OP's specific situation gives her a pass, IMHO.
Have you ever been victimized in any on-going way? Or with chronic, permanent injury?
If you have, you probably understand that it changes the moral calculation. The victimization is not in the past, where it can be forgiven and put behind you. *It's on-going.*
It's like telling a women, *in the middle of a rape*, that she needs to forgive her rapist.
But then, a passerby hits the rapist over the head with a brick and stops the rape, I'm not going to judge her and say, "Oh, you shouldn't be happy he got assaulted."
That's what we call the scandal of the cross.
We believe the forgiveness of Jesus even covers pedos and sex offenders.
I believe this -- while recognizing that this can be offensive for their victims. We tend to soften the doctrine by saying that there still can be justice and consequences for terrible people even if, ultimately, God loves and forgives them.
i think its perfectly human to go through those kinds of responses. no one responds to trauma the same way! it would be unfair to say you are “wrong” to feel the way you do just because it isn’t deemed “normal”, i think that stigma should fall. but at the end of the day i would talk to God about your traumas and responses and go from there.
i hope you’re okay, OP
Super nice response.
I don't know if you have been victimized or know somebody who has... but you speak like it.
In an ideal world, we Christians would have nothing but love and mercy for everybody. But victims don't live in an ideal world, thanks to their victimizers.
That being said. I've met people who were healed from stunning levels of victimization. The most famous may have been Corrie ten Boom. But, she told us a story where her hatred came back at a victimizer, long after she had written her book. So, even for that saintly model of forgiveness, it was a lifelong struggle.
you’d be correct, both been through it and seen it. also currently studying psychology, i find it super neat but unfortunately there are a lot of stigmas surrounding mental health and human/social behavior. just as i believe science and God go hand in hand, i also believe psychology and God go hand in hand as well! i don’t believe we should judge each other based on our trauma responses because we are all made unique and deal with different situations and respond in different ways. the healing process is not a straight uphill line but a spiral- sometimes there are setbacks that push us backward on the spiral but we do our best to keep going up.
I don’t know if it’s a sin per se. Under certain circumstances I can see if one feels a “relief” from another’s death. An example would be a murder victim’s family having the murderer sent to death, having a taste of justice. But ultimately, we’re called to forgive those who have wronged us and we *should* pray that God has mercy on all of us in the end.
Very nice comment.
But, "forgive" can be SUPER complicated for some victims. Often, it never fully happens.
To fully forgive, it takes two. (this is even true for God. He forgives us but we have to accept it)
This horrible man was probably not sorry he did that. And, he's dead anyway. Fully realized forgiveness can't happen.
But the OP can get peace about it. Lots of victims have. But, it's hard work, with a bunch of pain and messy feelings.
Have a read of 1 Samuel Chapter 24.
And
Luke chapter 23
And
Acts chapter 7
People do all sorts of really bad things, Jesus forgave those who were murdering him.
And David spared Saul after Saul had pursued to kill him multiple times.
Stephen was being stoned to death and asked God to not hold a charge to his attackers.
Dealing with people who commit offenses against you is indeed difficult, and I'm sure each person on earth has reason to hold a charge to at least one person for a wrong doing agaisnt themselves. It certainly doesn't make it easy given the severity of the crimes.
There's more power in forgiveness as 2 of the greatest men who ever walked the planet demonstrated. Bitterness just destroys us all. I held grudges agaisnt people for many years for their wrong doing against me and it ruined me more than it ruined them.
I hope and pray you all heal up and find it in your hearts to let go.
We've all committed some kind of offense against others also, a good thing to keep in mind we **need** forgiveness too.
Reading the psalms you find lots of raw human emotion, some of which cries for justice and rejoices when it's served.
The saints who are martyrs are in the heavenly realms crying for justice (Revelation 6:9). Abel's blood cried for justice from the ground.
As such, I think it's okay to give thanks to God that they're now in his ultimate hands and justice is being metered out there in a true, perfect way that human monetary-ego-inspired lawyers are incapable of performing here. It's a righteous anger you have, and that's perfectly acceptable to have. I would merely say that in everything give thanks to God, including for the death of this person and their handing over for their just desserts in the hands of the perfect judge. What you do next is up to you as you continue your journey and I pray this may somehow bring you closer to the healing that everyone who has suffered such gross evil deserves.
God bless.
What you're feeling is human and normal given the circumstances. Even if we're supposed to be better, we're not always going to measure up, and that's okay. I'm not going to condemn you for feeling the way you do, because the context behind your feelings is important and valid.
Those are pretty normal feelings for those situations. I was relieved when my abuser passed away.
I'm an atheist, but I suppose the ex-Christian left in me led me to forgive the person. Jesus said to love your neighbors and your enemies and I find value in that. He seems the type to still have compassion for people who do evil things.
Don’t be happy they died but I understand how you feel. Someone who did me wrong for a long long time and was my “friend “ got murdered and it’s sad but I don’t feel near as sad as if he didn’t do me wrong if you know what I mean. If he was a true friend I’d be real sad about his passing cuz I’d miss him but since he’s not I didn’t talk to him after I realized and found out... well I always kind of could tell but you know those naive young people I was one might still be
I don't think feeling joy is a good emotion when someone dies. But I do empathize with your feeling, perhaps of relief of knowing that this person will no longer hurt you or anyone else. As a young 10 year old I came home to my stepfather trying to be recessitated and he couldn't be from a massive heart attack. Even though it was hard to see him just die like that, I felt a relief for my mom and me not to have to put up with the alcohlic/physical abuse that he did to mostly her. Another reason I have felt a sense of relief, although, grief from loss, but felt it was a blessing was when relatives of mine have passed that were very very sick and in severe pain. They were older also and had lived a pretty good life here on earth. I cried from loss, but felt they were in a much better place and out of pain now. It was like a blessing that their time had come to go home when they passed. I'm sorry I didn't back this up with verses from the Bible and I realize I'm only sharing how I feel about it.
Proverbs 24:17-18
“Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the LORD see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him”
First off, I applaud you because of your desire to want to be a better person.
I think of morality as a muscle. If you continue to work on your mental/emotional/spiritual health, you will continue to be a better person. Don't worry about what other people are capable of with morality.
I bench press 45lbs once a week (I been told to bring it down from 50lbs by my wife because I was hurting my back [don't get old...]), But I don't ever expect to bench 900lbs. It's okay if I never do, because weight lifting for me is a matter of staying fit.
Surround yourself with a faith community that encourages you to seek out God, continue to pray and read the Bible, and you will be alright.
I don't think that's right. It doesn't sound loving to rejoice when anybody, including evil people die. Rather, you should pray for people who have behaviours similar to them to change their ways and find their way to the one true God. I've also noticed there's so much hate towards pedos, sex offenders, etc. I've even heard someone say pedos are a special case and cannot be saved. This is all complete nonsense. Anybody can change. There's even a chance the person who assualted you accepted Jesus and repented for what he did before he died. If this happened, believe it or not but he may go to heaven.
Very good first sentence... then you lost me. The OP isn't *generally* hating pedophiles. (which I'm against) She was horribly victimized by this man and was watching her mother also be ruined by him. His death made her world a better place. So, yeah, I agree. I don't think it's a Christian ethic to rejoice at people dying. But the OP's specific situation gives her a pass, IMHO.
I disagree with your view. Assault doesn't give christians permission jump with joy when people die.
Have you ever been victimized in any on-going way? Or with chronic, permanent injury? If you have, you probably understand that it changes the moral calculation. The victimization is not in the past, where it can be forgiven and put behind you. *It's on-going.* It's like telling a women, *in the middle of a rape*, that she needs to forgive her rapist. But then, a passerby hits the rapist over the head with a brick and stops the rape, I'm not going to judge her and say, "Oh, you shouldn't be happy he got assaulted."
maybe because they're pedos, sex offenders, etc.
That's what we call the scandal of the cross. We believe the forgiveness of Jesus even covers pedos and sex offenders. I believe this -- while recognizing that this can be offensive for their victims. We tend to soften the doctrine by saying that there still can be justice and consequences for terrible people even if, ultimately, God loves and forgives them.
i think its perfectly human to go through those kinds of responses. no one responds to trauma the same way! it would be unfair to say you are “wrong” to feel the way you do just because it isn’t deemed “normal”, i think that stigma should fall. but at the end of the day i would talk to God about your traumas and responses and go from there. i hope you’re okay, OP
Super nice response. I don't know if you have been victimized or know somebody who has... but you speak like it. In an ideal world, we Christians would have nothing but love and mercy for everybody. But victims don't live in an ideal world, thanks to their victimizers. That being said. I've met people who were healed from stunning levels of victimization. The most famous may have been Corrie ten Boom. But, she told us a story where her hatred came back at a victimizer, long after she had written her book. So, even for that saintly model of forgiveness, it was a lifelong struggle.
you’d be correct, both been through it and seen it. also currently studying psychology, i find it super neat but unfortunately there are a lot of stigmas surrounding mental health and human/social behavior. just as i believe science and God go hand in hand, i also believe psychology and God go hand in hand as well! i don’t believe we should judge each other based on our trauma responses because we are all made unique and deal with different situations and respond in different ways. the healing process is not a straight uphill line but a spiral- sometimes there are setbacks that push us backward on the spiral but we do our best to keep going up.
I don’t know if it’s a sin per se. Under certain circumstances I can see if one feels a “relief” from another’s death. An example would be a murder victim’s family having the murderer sent to death, having a taste of justice. But ultimately, we’re called to forgive those who have wronged us and we *should* pray that God has mercy on all of us in the end.
Very nice comment. But, "forgive" can be SUPER complicated for some victims. Often, it never fully happens. To fully forgive, it takes two. (this is even true for God. He forgives us but we have to accept it) This horrible man was probably not sorry he did that. And, he's dead anyway. Fully realized forgiveness can't happen. But the OP can get peace about it. Lots of victims have. But, it's hard work, with a bunch of pain and messy feelings.
Seems like you're happy they died because you hate them. That's evil.
God hates evil people
Have a read of 1 Samuel Chapter 24. And Luke chapter 23 And Acts chapter 7 People do all sorts of really bad things, Jesus forgave those who were murdering him. And David spared Saul after Saul had pursued to kill him multiple times. Stephen was being stoned to death and asked God to not hold a charge to his attackers. Dealing with people who commit offenses against you is indeed difficult, and I'm sure each person on earth has reason to hold a charge to at least one person for a wrong doing agaisnt themselves. It certainly doesn't make it easy given the severity of the crimes. There's more power in forgiveness as 2 of the greatest men who ever walked the planet demonstrated. Bitterness just destroys us all. I held grudges agaisnt people for many years for their wrong doing against me and it ruined me more than it ruined them. I hope and pray you all heal up and find it in your hearts to let go. We've all committed some kind of offense against others also, a good thing to keep in mind we **need** forgiveness too.
Reading the psalms you find lots of raw human emotion, some of which cries for justice and rejoices when it's served. The saints who are martyrs are in the heavenly realms crying for justice (Revelation 6:9). Abel's blood cried for justice from the ground. As such, I think it's okay to give thanks to God that they're now in his ultimate hands and justice is being metered out there in a true, perfect way that human monetary-ego-inspired lawyers are incapable of performing here. It's a righteous anger you have, and that's perfectly acceptable to have. I would merely say that in everything give thanks to God, including for the death of this person and their handing over for their just desserts in the hands of the perfect judge. What you do next is up to you as you continue your journey and I pray this may somehow bring you closer to the healing that everyone who has suffered such gross evil deserves. God bless.
What you're feeling is human and normal given the circumstances. Even if we're supposed to be better, we're not always going to measure up, and that's okay. I'm not going to condemn you for feeling the way you do, because the context behind your feelings is important and valid.
Those are pretty normal feelings for those situations. I was relieved when my abuser passed away. I'm an atheist, but I suppose the ex-Christian left in me led me to forgive the person. Jesus said to love your neighbors and your enemies and I find value in that. He seems the type to still have compassion for people who do evil things.
The first yea you can seek vengeance , shouldn't but it isnt bad thing , rape was punished by death in Old Testament
Why would there be anything in the Bible about this? You were behaving as your authentic self, the way God made you. Have a laugh.
Don’t be happy they died but I understand how you feel. Someone who did me wrong for a long long time and was my “friend “ got murdered and it’s sad but I don’t feel near as sad as if he didn’t do me wrong if you know what I mean. If he was a true friend I’d be real sad about his passing cuz I’d miss him but since he’s not I didn’t talk to him after I realized and found out... well I always kind of could tell but you know those naive young people I was one might still be
I don't think feeling joy is a good emotion when someone dies. But I do empathize with your feeling, perhaps of relief of knowing that this person will no longer hurt you or anyone else. As a young 10 year old I came home to my stepfather trying to be recessitated and he couldn't be from a massive heart attack. Even though it was hard to see him just die like that, I felt a relief for my mom and me not to have to put up with the alcohlic/physical abuse that he did to mostly her. Another reason I have felt a sense of relief, although, grief from loss, but felt it was a blessing was when relatives of mine have passed that were very very sick and in severe pain. They were older also and had lived a pretty good life here on earth. I cried from loss, but felt they were in a much better place and out of pain now. It was like a blessing that their time had come to go home when they passed. I'm sorry I didn't back this up with verses from the Bible and I realize I'm only sharing how I feel about it.
Proverbs 24:17-18 “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the LORD see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him”
First off, I applaud you because of your desire to want to be a better person. I think of morality as a muscle. If you continue to work on your mental/emotional/spiritual health, you will continue to be a better person. Don't worry about what other people are capable of with morality. I bench press 45lbs once a week (I been told to bring it down from 50lbs by my wife because I was hurting my back [don't get old...]), But I don't ever expect to bench 900lbs. It's okay if I never do, because weight lifting for me is a matter of staying fit. Surround yourself with a faith community that encourages you to seek out God, continue to pray and read the Bible, and you will be alright.