Josh aside, where do you draw the line? A lot of prisoners who are murderers, sex offenders, child molesters are born again Christians as well? Do we, as a society, or person forgive them? If you knew someone that was, would you be so forgiving? I’m not comparing josh to those btw
This is a very good and thoughtful question.
In these matters, there are so many factors to take into consideration so each case has to be weighed and judge on an individual basis. I will say this, I believe that mainstream Christians tend to err too much on the side of forgiveness. I believe they do this not out of any sense of compassion or certainly not justice but to make themselves feel more, I don't know, "evolved" than others who seek justice, repentance, and even revenge. Like they are above these base and primitive emotions. I remember watching on TV a well know Priest giving a sermon on how we have to forgive Timothy McVey for Oklahoma, killing innocent people, even little children. I'm thinking, "Huh? Why? Why should we forgive him?" He certainly hasn't shown any regrets. It's easy for someone who didn't lose a friend, relative, or child to tell others to forgive.
If someone wants to forgive another for their own peace of mind that's fine with me. It's when they insist that others have to feel the same way as they do. The only person who can really forgive another is the victim. Keeping that in mind there are some crimes/sins that are unforgivable. One being murder. The victim can't forgive the murderer since they are dead. Then there are some crimes/sins that are so egregious such as crimes against young children that I deem unforgivable. Children are a unique in that they are at a stage of innocence and to have that violated is beyond reproach.
In the case of Josh, he really didn't hurt anybody except maybe their feelings. He threatened, acted like an asshole, harrassed your relatives, called your work... yes, he was a dick but these are not "mortal sins" as we classify in Christianity. These are flaws in character that can, and often are, overcome. I could be considered one of Josh's victims as well as Wes and many others. We can forgive him. Then you have a guy like TTfit who admitted he had no dealings with Josh telling us, the ones who actually suffered under Josh's considerable wrath, telling us what we should or should not think and feel is hubris to the extreme.
Maybe this is all some elaborate owning plan by Josh and he isn't sincere. He's this great mastermind setting us all up for a grand owning. I don't know. I can't read a person's mind and know their motivations. I can only judge their acts. What they actually do. So for my part, all past conflicts are water under the bridge, I bear not an ounce of ill will toward him and I am very happy we are on good terms. I had always hoped we would come to this point as I always believed that despite his issues he always had a good heart and I understood why he hated me so much as I would have felt the same way if the situation was reversed and I thought he was a pedophile. Just the fact that he would go so crazy when it came to harming children was proof to me what kind of heart he had. Sure he threatened to kill someone's kids or something like that but only a retard would take that seriously.
