Forgive but never forget?

[michaeldimmickjr]

I'm sure that most everyone here has heard the saying, "Forgive but don't forget." This has always rubbed me the wrong way. Is it possible to truly forgive someone but not forget the action? I'm sure some of us have heard/read Micah 7:18-20, where in some translations it says something to the effect that God casts our sins into the sea of forgetfulness. In confession, the priest tells us not to think of our sins anymore because God has forgiven them- should we not apply this to our fellow man?

In Christ,

Michael

 

[Kristos]

I guess I always took this to mean that we should be cognizant of what people have done in the past in order to protect ourselves, our family and even them (from temptation) in the future. For example, one could forgive a murderer or child molester, but still not let their children alone with that person because we remember what they did. In the end it's really an over-simplified, somewhat meaningless epigram.

 

[Cappadocious]

Who says this? New to me

 

[InnerPhyre]

The issue seems to be less about whether we actually forget something that someone has done to us and more about whether we intentionally bring it up and force ourselves to hang onto it.

We may passively remember what someone has done to us, but we shouldn't hold it against them or dwell on it.

 

[michaeldimmickjr]

The issue seems to be less about whether we actually forget something that someone has done to us and more about whether we intentionally bring it up and force ourselves to hang onto it.

We may passively remember what someone has done to us, but we shouldn't hold it against them or dwell on it.

I guess I should have worded my original post better, This is more along the lines of the discussion I was looking for.

What about the emotional remembrance that is attached to that memory or memories?

 

[ArmyMatt]

What about the emotional remembrance that is attached to that memory or memories?

I think that would depend on what emotion is attached to the memory. anger or resentment would probably mean a lack of forgiveness, pain by itself does not mean the action was not forgiven