“Followed to its logical end, this would mean that having a prison system is unethical.”
I don’t think so, because personal forgiveness isn’t really related to justice that society metes out.
What would happen if you took it to its logical end would simply be that you wouldn’t be keeping track of who wronged you and how, and you’d just get on with living your life.
True, and what did God say? We don't know. Point is that there is no indication that they sought forgiveness, nor received it. Let's hope they did. Jesus prayed that that a future event would occur. That is the capacity to forgive. I get that. But if no repentance is necessary for God's forgiveness, then there is no Hell and I don't quite understand Baptism or for that matter Christianity.
I don’t think so, because personal forgiveness isn’t really related to justice that society metes out. What would happen if you took it to its logical end would simply be that you wouldn’t be keeping track of who wronged you and how, and you’d just get on with living your life.
What is just is just, you cannot have one standard for the state and another for the individual. If Christians are to forgive all sins immediately and unconditionally, then Christians cannot create an entity to punish those individuals. That makes no sense. That is a just a convenient way to skirt the issue.
And not holding grudges is not the same as forgiveness. I am blessed in being almost incapable of holding a grudge, yet I do not forgive unrepentant transgressors. I find the notion silly. Forgiveness is the act of accepting repentance. I cannot accept that which is not offered.