Forgiving the unforgivable (Michael Berg forgives Zarqawi for hacking off his sons head)

The Sydney Morning Herald ^ | May 1, 2006

[jmc1969]

Michael Berg has come to terms with his son's murderer. But to most Americans that man is still enemy No.1, writes Martin Daly in New York.

In the darkness, when the pain becomes too great, Michael Berg pulls out a chair for the man who decapitated his son and talks to him about compassion and forgiveness.

Michael Berg has cried publicly many times for his dead son but he has forgiven Zarqawi, considered by the Americans to be the premier threat to peace in Iraq, but who remains free despite a $US25 million ($33 million) bounty on his head, and the huge numbers of personnel and technological resources being used to track him down.

In offering forgiveness to a man who this week told the world he planned to continue killing, Berg has had to go down dark, complex paths and has had to come to terms with an horrendous loss that has become public property.

[Wormwood]

Thanks. On the other hand, that doesn't mean I'd vote for this guy for elected office.

That goes without saying.

Many of the politicians I happily support are most likely small-minded, bigoted, mendacious and venal. But they help push an agenda I agree with, so I overlook their personal failings in favor of longer-term goals.

[chesley]

For myself, I do not begrudge him whatever comfort he can find, however he finds it. His losses have, indeed, been terrible.

Where I hold him in contempt is his willful obstruction of people who are trying to prevent other such murders and outrages.

[Lakeshark]

But this man won't forgive President Bush, even though he had nothing to do with the beheading. It is delusional selectivity.

Sorry, as a Christian myself, I think he is selectively and misguidedly forgiving a horrid shadow of a man who continues to slaughter innocents for world conquest and power, a man who before he is justly killed will likely never know he did anything wrong in his bloodlust.

[hermgem]

It's the quiet ones like Soros the convinced provider of world wide socialism that finance and keep rotating the likes of Sheehan and Berg.
The front of move on.org plays it perfectly by not even remotely associate publicly with the real power brokers and financiers on whom the entire operation of conversion to worldwide secularism/socialism/egalitarianism depends upon.

[Delta 21]

But there is also a belief, shared by Berg, that the US has used Zarqawi as the bogyman to instil terror into the American people and to justify its military involvement in Iraq.

"He is the No.1 symbol of what Americans should fear and because we fear him, we should turn over all our rights and support the war," says Berg, who blames George Bush as much as anyone for the death of his son because he started and perpetuated the war. But he has, he says, forgiven Bush too.

Gee. Thats nice.

[MineralMan]

"But this man won't forgive President Bush, even though he had nothing to do with the beheading. It is delusional selectivity. "

I have no idea what his attitude is toward President Bush. I don't know if he blames Bush or much of anything else. I am commenting solely on his stated forgiveness of the man who killed his son.

Beyond that, I have no comment.

[LibWhacker]

Precisely. He never blamed Zarqawi in the first place. He's always blamed Bush. Did he offer Bush forgiveness? No. So he's not forgiven anything. This is all for show. He's a hypocrite, a liar and a fool.

[jern]

WWJD

[hershey]

Personal forgiveness is one thing, and God bless Michael Berg if he's been able to find such grace and compassion in the depths of his soul. But he cannot speak for all Americans and certainly not for the US govt.. To claim that right he endangers this country and every single US citizen.

[Mr. Mojo]

Quite frankly, I don't care.

[Lakeshark]

I have heard his ongoing bitterness with Bush, it is staggering.

I could be wrong here, but I don't think this is a man of deep faith, but rather seems to be a bitter man who has blamed the wrong group for his son's death. It shows in his running for congress and what he says as he runs.

I am open to being shown I am wrong, but Mr. Berg is making it hard to believe he is not simply bitter. That's not a great definition of faith to me.

[Mordacious]

One must forgive or go mad from hate.

But Berg has not forgiven and he hasn't rejected hate. He's just chosen to blame/hate Bush and America, rather than the animals who sawed off his son's head.

[hershey]

Bingo.

[ChiMark]

Sorry to disagree with you. But this man hates President Bush and forgives his son's murderer. This is twisted. The man is either a coward or mentally deranged. Remember Berg went to give aid and comfort to the enemy. As far as I'm concerned his father is a traitor too.

[hershey]

Thanks for mention of Steffens. Timely, indeed.

[nuconvert]

"because I think what al-Qaeda, ... wants: self-determination and freedom from abuse."

Well, that's a huge mistake, Mr Berg.
You still don't get it.

I wonder if he's planning on seeing "United 93"?

[null and void]

You must not be a parent.

One must forgive or go mad from hate.

With all due respect, you sir, are an idiot.

[Popman]

One must forgive or go mad from hate.

I would disagree. There is no possible way I could forgive an unrepentant killer of my child.

I would need to come to grips with "why" or "how" this happened.

Forgiveness would come after justice has prevailed.

[Darnright]

Ok, from what I've read about Berg, he's never truly blamed the actual killer, he's always held Bush/Cheney responsible.

Where does it say he's forgiven Bush?

(cue crickets chirping)

[MineralMan]

From later in the article, it appears that Berg has forgiven Bush as well, in spite of his misplaced blame of Bush.

Again, I wouldn't vote for him for anything, but I cannot condemn a man for forgiveness. That would not be proper. It is his to forgive or not to forgive. That doesn't mean that anyone else must forgive. It's his personal decision. I cannot fault him for that, even though I don't agree with it.