Father forgive them for they know exactly what they are doing!
I was once told by a livid atheist: "Forgiveness is not the prerogative of Christians." I looked straight into his angry eyes and saw the all too familiar struggle: he knew he was wronged and he wanted justice. And he knew he was thirsty for the wrong doer's blood and he didn't like that about himself. His experience and his intellect were telling him that it would be better to forgive. He had even convinced himself he could forgive just as easily as any openly Christian person like I could. But his entire body screamed NO! I DO NOT WANT TO FORGIVE! Of course, the main reason for that was that far from being repentant, his wrong doer was smugly celebrating his wrong doing in full public view. His wrong doer was getting away with the crime and no one could stop him. As one who cared deeply for both these atheist men: the wrong doer and the wronged, I could not convey to them how to forgive each other without Christ in the picture. If you want to leave Christ out of t