Geoffrey W. Sutton PhD, Psychology and Culture

Self-Forgiveness vs. God’s Forgiveness Pope Francis made news when he said priests can forgive women who seek forgiveness for having an abortion. “ The forgiveness of God cannot be denied to one who has repented," the Pope said, adding that he has met "many women" scarred by the "agonizing and painful" decision to have an   abortion .” The Catholic Church considers abortion serious enough that it can lead to excommunication. Ordinarily, only a bishop can reduce the penalty. ( CNN ) To Christians, the story reveals the Pope’s compassion. But the statement can seem strange to evangelicals and secularists. And, as a psychologist I’m wondering about the importance of self-forgiveness and where Christians insert God into their views on forgiveness. God, Priests, and Psychotherapists Growing up in conservative protestant churches, it was a badge of self-righteousness not to call pastors “Father.” And we sure didn’t need to confess...

FORGIVENESS & RECONCILIATION In a previous post ( 20 February ), I reported the results from two studies, which examined some nuances about forgiveness and reconciliation. This weekend, I follow up on that post with an additional set of 5 beliefs. As you study the questions, I hope you find the variations a useful starting point for considering the topic of forgiveness and reconciliation in more depth. As before, I will list the belief statement so you can think about your own opinion. Then I will post the response of the sample at the bottom of this blog post. BELIEFS 6 THROUGH 10 I will use the numbers 6-10 as a reminder that this is  Part 2 of 2 Parts. Please see the February 20 post for Part 1. 6. It is easier to forgive a friend or family member than a stranger for the same offense. 7. People need to admit what they have done and change before you forgive them. 8. If someone lost their job or position of leadership because...