If Tyler Robinson repents—and I genuinely pray he does—Charlie's family and friends can and should forgive him. We all should.
And then he should be executed.
This would be both true mercy and true justice rightly applied.
#ToChristAlone
Discussion
I forgave him, immediately, for my own sake.
Why are you so sure he killed Charlie?
Until we have more than speculation about other players, including people on the internet yelling "joooos!!", I'm going with Tyler Robinson. I am not opposed to believing there is more to the story but in the meantime my point is about mercy, forgiveness, and justice.
Before you call for someone's execution, you should probably take a breath and weigh the possibilities. There are many people doing a whole lot more than just accusing the Jews (like examining the evidence, timelines, forensics). There's a lot that doesnt add up. You have no other reason to think Tyler shot Charlie than that the politicians and media have told you so.
You are assuming that I haven't weighed or examined things and have simply taken the word of politicians and media.
But I'm not that interested in making some major case here to convince you of anything. Take what you would like from my post and leave the rest.
You said you wanted the guy executed. It's hard to take anything else away from your post. You and the governor both seem pretty eager for this outcome. Yhst attitude doesn't seem to measure up to your screen name.
I want the perpetrator(s) to repent and then to be executed. I am making the point that if the perpetrator repents he must be forgiven. And I am making the point that forgiveness of sin does not absolve a man from facing earthly justice, so he should also be executed for his crime.
If Tyler is innocent, he should not be executed. Right now with the evidence and information I have seen, and taking into account content I have seen online from people who are proposing counter narratives, Tyler appears to me to be the perpetrator. I am not convinced, however, that he acted alone. I also recognize that there are things that don't make sense yet or don't add up yet, like the supposed text thread. But there are other ways to make sense of things like that ridiculous text thread than to come to the conclusion that Tyler did not pull the trigger.
Once again, my larger point is about the nature of mercy and justice.
what if the perpetrators are the CIA?
Then those within who are responsible should also repent, be forgiven, and be executed.
But even outside any involvement they may have here, I would be happy to see the entire org shuttered for the countless other godless and illicit acts of wickedness and corruption they have been engaged in for decades.
This is the way a decent society works. Individuals are able to forgive and move forward in life while the state carries out moral justice to provide for the common good.
We are not the judge of whether he repents, that’s between him and God.
We forgive even the unrepentant because we humble ourselves to God and obey His perfect justice.
Our civil authorities must enact justice — even if — the killer publicly repents, again out of humility and obedience to God.
Is forgiveness merely a personal and internal act disconnected from repentance?
Does God forgive unrepentant sinners?
Genuine questions.
It’s a very good question.
Only God can truly forgive sins, as only He has perfect justice and knows every heart.
And only God can judge repentance.
Hence every man alive should fear the final judgment ("I never knew you; depart from me" — may we never hear those words)
Human forgiveness is to be humble to God. We are to “forgive” even unrepentant sinners from our heart (exactly as Erika did) as it removes our judgement, cleanses our heart by the grace of God (to not hold it “on our ledger” as she worded it).
Otherwise, us holding back forgiveness waiting for repentance is to judge repentance ourselves, making ourselves into God.
fwiw, by this same humility, the civil authorities are required to enact worldly justice by the authority God has granted them. This means even if the killer repents very publicly and very sincerely, he is still to receive the punishment due (likely capital punishment) — and again for the same reasons that only God can truly judge repentance, and only God can truly forgive us our sins.
The thief on the cross is instructive here. He is granted forgiveness before his death, which by his own admission/confession he rightfully deserved.
Never responded to this thoughtful answer.
You are right that God alone truly judges the genuineness of repentance. However I am not talking about whether repentance is genuine but whether it is present at all. Not even God himself forgives when there is no repentance. It is a prerequisite for forgiveness because forgiveness is not merely a personal act. It is never presented that way in the Scriptures.
There are two thieves being crucified next to Christ and it is only to the penitent thief that he says "today you will be with me in paradise."
I do not mean to say that a lack of repentance is license to harbor bitterness. On the contrary, the personal act is to bring our unjust anger, bitterness, desire for revenge, et al., before Christ and to adopt a spirit of *being ready* to forgive the moment it is asked. Even desiring that the perpetrator would repent so that I can provide forgiveness.
Until then, I am to harbor no ill will, and it is then on the wrongdoer to repent. If he never does, my conscience is clear before Christ and vengeance will be His to administer as he sees fit.
