Lesson video

Hello, my name's Mrs. Rawboned, and I'm your RS teacher today.

We are going to be working today on different religious views about forgiveness.

In today's lesson, you will be able to explain different Christian beliefs about forgiveness and evaluate how they are expressed.

Forgiveness, reconciliation, and restorative justice are all keywords we'll be using today.

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

Reconciliation is making up and rebuilding relationships between two groups or sides after disagreement.

And restorative justice is an approach to justice that focuses on repairing the harm caused by wrongdoing through dialogue and understanding.

Our lesson today will take two parts.

We'll be looking at Christian teaching on forgiveness and at Christian responses to forgiveness.

So let's get started on Christian teaching on forgiveness.

Forgiveness is central to Christianity.

All human sin and fall short of God's standard.

Jesus was sent to restore the broken relationship between humanity and God.

Jesus' death on the cross is a sacrifice to pay for human sin.

Through Jesus' death and resurrection, believers are offered forgiveness and a restored relationship with God, reconciliation.

Forgiveness means repentance, faith, and a willingness to forgive others.

And the Lord's Prayer teachers forgive us our debts as we have also forgiven our debtors.

Matthew 6:12.

So it's central to Christianity.

The whole concept of forgiveness is what the Christian story is based on.

Christian attitudes to forgiveness are informed by different sources of authority, including the Bible, church teachings, the example of other Christians, Christian ethical theories such as natural law and situation ethics, their conscience and ability to reason.

They may interpret the sources differently or emphasise one more than another.

So the Bible is a source of wisdom and authority for Christians on forgiveness.

Ephesians 4:32 says, "Be kind and compassionate to one another.

Forgiving each other just as in Christ, God forgave you." This verse reminds Christians to follow Christ's example by forgiving others.

It links human forgiveness to salvation.

As Christians believe that God forgave them through Jesus' death.

"That if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavily father will also forgive you.

But if you do not forgive others their sins, your father will not forgive you your sins." Matthew 6:14-15.

So this suggests that forgiveness is a condition for receiving God's forgiveness.

Christians are told that if they want to be forgiven by God, they must also forgive others.

Matthew 5:21-26, "Jesus says, 'You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, you shall not murder.

But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgement.

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there, remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there, first go and be reconciled to them, then come and offer your gift.

'" Jesus teaches that forgiveness and reconciliation are more important than religious rituals.

So Christians should prioritise peace and they should prioritise restoring relationships.

Matthew 18:21-22, "Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?' Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not seven times, but 77 times.

'" Now in Jewish tradition, forgiving someone three times was seen as generous.

Peter is taking this further.

He suggests that forgiving someone seven times might be enough, but Jesus responds with a much higher number.

And this shows that forgiveness should not be limited or counted.

Essentially, the number 77 is symbolic, meaning that forgiveness should be unlimited.

Which of the following statements best expresses Christian teachings on forgiveness? A, justice is more important than mercy.

B, forgiveness is a personal choice, but not a duty.

C, Christians must forgive others if they want to be forgiven by God.

Or D, religious rituals should take priority over forgiveness and reconciliation.

Take a moment, pause the video, have a think about your answer and jot it down and then come back when you're ready to check.

So well done if you chose C, Christians must forgive others if they want to be forgiven by God.

Forgiveness is a essential belief for all Christian denominations.

The Catholic church teaches that forgiveness is essential for salvation.

It emphasises the sacrament of reconciliation where sins have confessed to a priest and absolution, which is the formal declaration by a priest, that a person's sins have been forgiven is given.

The catechism teaches that we must forgive others if we want to be forgiven by God.

The Church of England sees forgiveness as central to Christian life.

It's included in public services through share prayers of confession followed by absolution by the priest.

This practise reminds worshipers that forgiveness is available to all who truly repent.

Being forgiven by God should lead Christians to forgive others.

Methodists do not have absolution declared by a minister, but confession and assurance of pardon are part of regular worship.

The emphasis is on heartfelt repentance and direct access to God's mercy through prayer.

Forgiveness is expected to lead to change as being forgiven by God should result in a renewed life and restored relationships.

Christian denomination support restorative justice and this is an extension of their views about forgiveness.

Catholic teaching emphasises that justice should restore relationships.

Organisations like Caritas and many Catholic prison chaplains work with offenders and victims to encourage accountability, forgiveness, and rehabilitation.

The Church of England encourages restorative justice as a way of restoring broken relationships and allowing both victims and offenders to move forward.

Anglican chaplains and community projects often support this work.

The Methodist Church teaches that justice should lead to healing.

Methodist prison chaplains and church groups often help facilitate restorative conversations, believing that real change comes through repentance, mercy and repaired relationships.

So let's check your understanding.

Which Christian tradition does not include absolution by minister as part of its services.

Is it A, the Methodist church? B, the Church of England, or C, the Roman Catholic Church? Take a moment to think about your answer, pause if you need to, and then come back when you're ready to check.

So well done.

If you spotted that it's the Methodist Church.

The part one of our task on Christian teachings on forgiveness, I'd like you to use the statements below and decide whether they are a Christian teaching and explain why.

A, Christians should complete their religious duties before they make peace with others.

B, forgiveness is essential to the Christian belief in salvation.

C, forgiveness should only be given once to avoid being taken advantage of.

And D, Christians should forgive others to receive forgiveness from God.

So pause, take your time.

Think about whether it is a Christian teaching and explain why.

Come back when you're ready to see what you could have written.

Let's have a look at what you could have said.

For A, Christians should complete their religious duties before they make peace with others.

This is not a Christian teaching.

Matthew 5:23-24 says the opposite.

First, go and be reconciled to them.

Then come and offer your gift.

For B, forgiveness is essential to the Christian belief in salvation.

Yes, this is taught.

Christians believe that salvation comes through Jesus' death and resurrection, which offers forgiveness of sins.

For C, forgiveness should only be given once to avoid being taken advantage of.

No.

Matthew 18:22, Jesus teaches to forgive not seven times, but 77 times.

So showing the opposite that forgiveness should be unlimited.

And for D, Christians should forgive others to receive forgiveness from God.

This is taught Matthew 6:14-15 explicitly says, if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heaven Father will also forgive you.

So well done if you worked out whether those are Christian teachings or not, and if you manage to get your explanation correct too.

But part two of our task, I'd like you to explain two different religious beliefs about forgiveness.

And in your answer to refer to sacred writings or another source of religious belief and teaching.

For guidance, you can use point, develop, point, develop.

And for one of those points, I'd like you to link in a relevant source and explain what it teaches in relation to that point.

It could be a quotation or it could be a general belief or teaching.

So pause the video, take your time to think about how you're going to use that guidance.

To answer the question, use the question teachings we've looked at today and then come back when you are ready to see what you could have written.

You could have said, one Christian belief is that we must forgive others to receive forgiveness from God.

This means forgiveness is not optional.

Christians are expected to show mercy because God has shown mercy to them.

In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus says, "If you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heaven Father will also forgive you." This teaches that forgiving others is necessary in order to be forgiven by God.

And for the second part, another belief is that forgiveness restores the relationship between the person and God.

The Catholic church teaches that forgiveness is given through the sacrament of reconciliation, where a person confesses their sins and receives absolution from a priest.

This shows that forgiveness is not just emotional, but a form of spiritual healing that brings the person back into a full relationship with God and the church.

Now, you might not have chosen the same points as me, but well done if you've managed to expand on two points and to link a specific source of authority in with one of them.

In the second part of our lesson, we're going to be looking at Christian responses to forgiveness.

So let's move on to that.

As well as looking at biblical and church teachings, Christians might apply ethical theories when responding to forgiveness and restorative justice.

Natural law, which is often used in Catholic teaching, says that moral rules are found by using reason to identify the natural purposes built into human nature by God.

So it might suggest that forgiveness and restorative justice help people flourish by promoting peace, healing, and reconciliation.

So they are both good things.

Situation ethics, which is often linked to liberal Protestant ethics, says that moral decisions should be made by choosing the most loving action agape in each unique situation.

So when applied to forgiveness and restorative justice, we could say that we should allow for growth and change, showing love by giving people the chance to make amends and rebuild their lives.

Frank is a Methodist Christian who works in restorative justice for the probation service, and he uses situation ethics to guide how he lives out his beliefs.

He says, "In my role, I make decisions based on what the most loving outcome would be.

I supported a face-to-face meeting between a victim and an offender who had already been sentenced because the victim wanted answers and the offender wanted to apologise.

I believe the most loving thing is to support healing and change." So what does Frank say which shows he's using situation ethics? Take a moment, pause the video.

You can turn and talk to someone nearby or you can talk to me and then come back when you are ready to move on.

So you might have noticed that Frank supported a meeting between a victim and an offender because he believed it would lead to the most loving outcome.

Let's check your understanding.

Give one way in which restorative justice might support the most loving outcome.

Pause the video.

Have a think about one way in which it might support the most loving outcome.

Jot it down.

Come back when you're ready to check your answer.

You could have said any one of the following.

It allows the offender to apologise, which helps the victim feel heard and respected.

It focuses on healing and change, not just punishment.

It gives both sides a chance to rebuild, trust and move forward, or it reflects Christian Love by offering a second chance and supporting reconciliation.

Well done if you managed to jot down one of those points for your answer.

Caritas is the international network of Catholic Charities and several branches support work related to forgiveness and reconciliation.

Caritas works with Catholic chaplaincy and local organisations to support people leaving prison.

Some Caritas-linked projects promote restorative justice, which brings together offenders and victims to encourage reconciliation.

Caritas provides emotional and practical support to victims of crime or violence.

Gerald is a Catholic prison chaplain and he makes use of Caritas to support his work.

Gerald says, "I've worked with Caritas in prison to run rehabilitation sessions that help prisoners reflect on forgiveness, responsibility, and making a fresh start.

I've also referred individuals to Caritas for help with housing and employment after release, and we've worked together to support family reconciliation where possible.

I've seen real change in people through this shared work." So what does Gerald's work with Caritas show about the Christian understanding of forgiveness? Pause the video, turn and talk to someone nearby if you can, or you can talk to me.

Reread what Gerald has said and see if he can see how his work with Caritas reflects his Christian beliefs about forgiveness.

Come back when you're ready to move on.

So you might have noticed that Gerald's experience shows that Christian forgiveness is lived out through action by supporting prisoners and helping them start again.

Let's check your understanding.

Is this statement true or false? Caritas supports Christian beliefs about forgiveness by helping offenders take responsibility and rebuild their lives.

Have a think about the statement and also have a think about why it's true or false.

Pause the video, come back when you're ready to see what you could have said.

Well done if you put that it's true.

And why is it true? It's true because characters supports Christian beliefs about forgiveness by helping offenders after they're released from prison.

Well done if you got that right.

Christianity teaches that forgiveness is important, but that doesn't mean it's always easy for Christians to put into practise.

Christians may understand and show forgiveness in different ways, and that depends on their faith or and their personal experiences.

The stories of Gee Walker and Julie Nicholson show how Christian approaches can look very different in real life.

Let's think about Gee Walker's story.

In July, 2005, Anthony Walker, an 18-year-old Black student with a bright future, was walking through a park end of a pool with his girlfriend and his cousin.

Two white men ambushed them in a racist attack.

Anthony was murdered with an ice act in an act of violence that shocked the nation.

His mother Gee Walker, was heartbroken.

A committed Methodist Christian, she spoke publicly about the importance of forgiveness.

And rather than given to hatred, she said she chose to forgive the people who were killed her son.

Her Christian beliefs taught her that love must be stronger than hate, and that forgiveness does not mean letting someone off, but choosing not to be destroyed by anger.

Gee describes how forgiveness gave her a sense of release.

She felt that carrying hate would only cause more pain and stop her from being able to live freely.

By forgiving, she said she felt as if a weight had been lifted.

It was not easy, but it was necessary for her own peace and for the future of her family.

In the years that followed, she founded the Anthony Walker Foundation, which works to promote racial justice and non-violence.

And now let's think about Julie Nicholson's story.

Just one day before Anthony Walker's murder, suicide bombers attacked London's transport system on the 7th of July, 2005, 52 people were killed, including 24-year-old Jenny Nicholson who was on the Edgware tube.

Her mother, Julie Nicholson, was an Anglican priest.

Julie found herself unable to forgive the man who had taken her daughter's life.

She said she could not stand in church and preach about forgiveness when she did not feel able to offer it herself.

Rather than pretend she made the difficult decision to step down from her role as a priest.

Julie did not lose her faith, but she needed time and space to grieve honestly.

For her, healing meant telling the truth about how she felt, even when that truth did not match what was expected.

Her response shows that forgiveness is not always immediate or even possible, especially when the harm is so deep and justice feels incomplete.

Izzy is studying Christianity and she's been asked to respond to the statement, "Forgiveness is essential for justice and healing." To get help with this, she speaks to a family friend, Fergus, who's an Anglican Christian.

Izzy plans to use the stories of Gee Walker and Julie Nicholson in her answer.

Izzy says, "Fergus, we've been discussing the statement, 'Forgiveness is essential for justice and healing.

' After hearing the stories of Julie Nicholson and Gee Walker, how do you respond to that?" Fergus says, "Julie believes that forgiveness is central to Christian teaching, but she's also found out how hard it is to do when you're grieving.

I admire her honesty in stepping away from her role as a priest because she knew she could not forgive." So what does Julie's story reveal about the challenge of living out Christian beliefs? Pause the video, turn and talk to someone nearby if there's someone available, or you can talk to me and then come back when you're ready to move on.

We can see that when faced with a difficult situation, it can actually be very hard for Christians to put forgiveness into practise.

Izzy asks, "What did you make of Gee Walker's response to her son's murder?" Fergus responds, "Gee's choice to forgive the man who murdered her son was incredible.

She forgave because she believed as a Christian that that is what Jesus wanted her to do.

But she also spoke about forgiveness as something that helped her let go of hate or almost like lifting a weight.

I respect that deeply, but I don't think everyone can get to that point." So why did Gee forgive her son's murderers? Take a moment, pause the video.

Have a look at what Fergus has explained.

Turn and talk to someone nearby if you can, or you can talk to me and then come back when you're ready to move on.

So you might have noticed that she did it because she believed is what Jesus wanted her to do.

Izzy asks, "So would you say forgiveness is essential?" Fergus replies, "I think forgiveness can help someone to heal, but it should never be forced.

From my own experience, when someone in my family was assaulted, I needed time.

Forgiveness did not come immediately.

Justice should include space for people to grieve, speak honestly, and move at their own pace." So is forgiveness the only path to healing? Or can people find peace in different ways? Have a think.

Pause the video.

Turn and talk to someone nearby if you can, discuss the question and then come back when you are ready to move on.

So what do the stories of Julie Nicholson and Gee Walker reveal about forgiveness? Is it A, that it is always easy enough with faith? B, that you can only be a Christian if you're prepared to forgive? C, that Christians may respond to forgiveness in different ways? Or D, that forgiveness removes the need for justice? Take a moment, pause the video, jot down your answer, and then come back when you're ready to check.

So well done if you said, it shows that Christians may respond to forgiveness in different ways.

For our task B, here's an evaluation statement about forgiveness.

Forgiveness is essential for justice and healing.

Evaluate this statement in your answer.

You should give reasoned arguments in support of the statement, should give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view, should refer to religious arguments, may refer to non-religious arguments, should reach a justified conclusion.

I'd like you to write a paragraph of reasoned arguments in support of this statement from a Christian point of view.

So pause the video.

Take your time to think about what we've learned about different Christian responses.

Write your paragraph and then come back when are ready to see what you could have written.

You could have said, many Christians believe that forgiveness is essential for justice and healing because it reflects the example and teachings of Jesus.

In the Bible, Jesus teaches his followers to forgive 70 times seven, Matthew 18:22.

Showing that forgiveness should have no limit.

Christians also believe that forgiveness is closely linked to salvation as Jesus' death on the cross is seen as the ultimate act of forgiveness, offering humanity the chance to be reconciled with God.

Forgiving others is therefore seen as part of living the Christian life.

After the murder of her son, Gee Walker chose to forgive the killers, explaining that hatred was a burden she no longer wanted to carry.

Her Christian faith helped her find peace and move towards healing, and her forgiveness became part of a wider pursuit of justice through the Anthony Walker Foundation.

So well done if you managed to explain why Christians think forgiveness is essential, if you use the Bible to support that and maybe even use the example of Gee Walker.

In today's lesson, we have learned that forgiveness is a key Christian belief, closely linked to salvation through Jesus' death and resurrection.

That the Bible teaches that forgiveness is essential and unlimited as seen in Matthew 18:22 and Matthew 6:14-15.

That different Christian denominations practise forgiveness in different ways such as through confession, reconciliation, or worship.

That many Christians support forgiveness in action through charities like Caritas or restorative justice programmes.

And that Gee Walker and Julie Nicholson stories show that Christians live out forgiveness in different ways.

Thank you very much for all of your hard work today and for working with me on this lesson.