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Tell me what you think...

Hello BnB.

We are required to forgive and not necessarily to forget.
If for example, a person was to mollest my child I am required to forgive, but I can tell you I would never forget. That person would never get the chance to commit that crime again.

Another less serious example would be, if I lent my car to a friend and he went out, got drunk, and crashed. I would forgive my friend, but he would never get a car from me again.
 

We are for sure called to forgive.  Forgetting is a different story sometimes.  It is not the same thing but I can see that the two words are used together often, sometimes for good reason, sometimes for not good reason.. Example, to forgive means to get beyond using the misdeed to hurt or retaliate(revenge), forget means total absence of memory of the deed.  When someone has done a wrong, we must forgive for our own benefit, when we don't we end up suffering because of the unforgiveness.  However in some cases, it is wise to remember to not let ourselves be put in the same position again.  Hope this explanation helps.  I have found it much easier to forgive others since looking at the whole issue from this perspective.  God bless.

I disagree. Forgiveness is the restoration of a relationship that was broken by another person's actions. This is what it means to be forgiven by God. We are restored to the relationship we should have with God. And this is what it means to forgive others. Restore them to teh relationship that you had with them previously. This is why "forget" is often associated with forgiveness. God says "I will remember your sins no more".

The car or the child molester? Forgiveness doesn't mean we overlook other people's weaknesses. I may forgive my friend for getting drunk and committing sin "A", but once I know he has a problem with alcohol, I'm going to do everything i can to prevent him from drinking. So also, I will never let my child near a child molester again. As much for the molester's sake as for teh child's. The car, I'll make sure my friend doesn't drink and drive again. Again, as much for his sake as for anyone he might hit in the car.

THAT is, i believe, what it means to forgive and forget. God forgets our sins because He is going to heal us so sin isn't a weakness for us any more. If we let Him.

"Forgive & Forget" is the most stupidest saying that has come to be!  >:( You can't forget what has happened in the past! It's in your memory! Your brain isn't a computer you can't just delete something like that! Ugh, I hate that saying!  >:(