Large-scale crimes affect the world; the most common large-scale crime is genocide. Genocide means intentionally eliminating a society or ethnic group. One of the most discussed genocides in history is the Holocaust, 6 million Jews suffered at the hands of the Nazis. Families were torn apart, Jews were betrayed by their friends and neighbors, many fled to other countries to start over or rebuild part of their lives, sadly millions were sent to concentration camps where they were forced into forced labor, tortured and murdered in the most cases. horrible ways. Many Holocaust survivors have shared their stories with the world, hoping to help stop such acts and show the world what they suffered. Simon Wiesenthal, a Holocaust survivor, wrote the book The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness. In his book Wiesenthal tells of his interaction with a Nazi soldier on his deathbed who confesses his crimes and asks Wiesenthal for forgiveness. Wiesenthal reacts by simply walking out of the room. Forgiveness is a lot to ask of a person, especially when it is asked by someone who has not only hurt you, but also your friends and neighbors. Forgiveness is bigger than one person and asking to forgive someone for such crimes can prove extremely difficult. One's feelings about forgiveness may be deeply rooted in faith, family, friends, and life experiences. Although some say we should forgive large-scale crimes out of compassion and faith, and religion says so, large-scale crimes are too horrible to be forgiven, and criminals often show no remorse for their crimes. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay One reason many say we should forgive large-scale crimes is that forgiveness is an important part of faith. Faith and religion are an important part of many people's lives, and many live their lives based on beliefs. People follow their faith because it brings a sense of security and belonging, many have grown in their faith and continue to follow it. In an essay responding to Simon Wiesenthal's book The Sunflower Dalai Lama The Chief of the Tibetan Monks, he reflects on the struggle of the Tibetan people to regain their freedom from the Chinese government. The Dalai Lama states: “It would be easy to become angry at these tragic events and atrocities. By labeling the Chinese as our enemies, we might rightly condemn them for their brutality and dismiss them as unworthy of further reflection or consideration. But this is not the Buddhist way” (Lama 130). Faith keeps people strong in their weakest moments and guides them in times of confusion and pain. José Hobday, a Franciscan nun of Native American descent who also wrote a response to Wiesenthal's book The Sunflower, says, "Forgetting and forgiveness may seem like two different things, but I believe they are one" (Hobday 175) . Compassion is another reason why many people believe that large-scale crimes should be forgiven. Compassion means having humanity or understanding, in the case of large scale crimes compassion is an important key to the healing process. Many believe that forgiveness means showing compassion for others. Robert McAfee Brown, professor of theology and ethics at the Pacific School of Religion, wrote in his response to The Sunflower "That an act of forgiveness on our part might tip the scales toward compassion rather than brutality" (McAfee Brown 123). Brown is saying that showing compassion and givingforgiveness would emit more positivity to erase the negativity of crimes and give peace of mind to those affected. The Dalai Lama also touched on the topic of compassion, mentioning a conversation he had with a Tibetan monk who had been imprisoned for 18 years in China and then fled to India after his release. The Dalai Lama asks him what was the most difficult thing about being imprisoned and the monk responded in a way that surprised the Dalai Lama, he says: “I had asked him what he thought was the greatest threat or danger while he was in prison. I was amazed by his response. It was amazing and inspiring. I expected him to say something else; instead he said that what he feared most was losing compassion for the Chinese” (Lama 130). They show compassion towards those who have hurt them because their faith says that is the way and way to close themselves off if that is what they want. they seek the power of forgiveness. One reason many say we shouldn't forgive large-scale crimes is that you can't forgive on someone else's behalf. In his essay, Moshe Bejski, a Holocaust survivor like Wiesenthal and judge of the Supreme Court of Israel, responds. Bejski states in his response that “Even if Wiesenthal believed he had the power to grant pardons on behalf of the murdered masses, such an act of mercy would have been a kind of betrayal and repudiation of the memory of millions of innocents.” victims unjustly killed, including members of his family." (Bejski 115) Such crimes cannot be forgiven by just one person: it is unfair to all those who have suffered at the hands of criminals. Alan L. Berger, chair of the Department of Holocaust Studies at Florida Atlantic University and former professor in the Department of Religion at Syracuse University, also believes in his response to The Sunflower that one should not forgive on behalf of others, stating: " Am I entitled to forgive on behalf of the murdered? My answer is: do not forgive someone to whom forgiveness is forbidden. Judaism teaches that there are two types of sins committed by human beings against God le-mako. The second type consists of the sin committed by human beings against other human beings, beyn adam le-adam. I can forgive someone who has sinned against me. I may not forgive someone who has taken the life of another” (Berger 119). Religious law can dictate which sins are forgivable. Bejski and Berger both believe that forgiving on behalf of another is wrong. To forgive those who have wronged many is to betray the people who have also been affected by this crime on a large scale. One can forgive for oneself but not on behalf of another. Another reason why many say we shouldn't condone large-scale crimes is that criminals are unlikely to feel remorse for their crimes. These criminals were volunteers and openly committed these crimes, destroying lives and entire communities, often their own community. Berger presented the idea of ​​what would have happened if Karl hadn't died, he says: “Suppose Karl... didn't die. Would he then have pangs of conscience? After the war will he be among the penitents? Or he would not have been among those Nazis who… simply resume… life…” (Berger 120). Criminals who commit such crimes often simply resume their lives as if nothing had happened. If these criminals were to face death, would they feel remorse for their crimes? Remorse is important, it shows that you truly feel guilty for the evil you have committed. Feeling remorse and asking for forgiveness is only appropriate when the criminal is facing death or persecution. Bejski also believes that criminals feel no remorse for their owncrimes, he says: "So perhaps hundreds of thousands of Germans who participated in and committed genocide... returned to their homes and to quiet, peaceful lives, without their conscience ever troubling them, without ever feeling remorse." (Bejski 116).Criminals of large-scale crimes leave a path of destruction and heartbreak while being able to continue their normal daily lives. Some are caught and persecuted for their crimes, while some are able to live the rest of their lives in the anonymity and not face justice on earth. One's views on forgiveness can be influenced by faith, family and life experiences. Faith and religion are used by many as a guide on how to lead one's life of forgiveness because forgiveness leads to peace. Others are influenced by family and friends, how they were raised, or how others handle forgiveness. Life experiences can also be a huge deciding factor in someone's views on forgiveness. There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to forgiving large-scale crimes, but many have experienced the act of genocide firsthand. While for some, forgiveness helps bring peace and peace, for others, those who have hurt them don't deserve it at all. How or who someone wants to forgive should not be judged by others as everyone's path to forgiveness is different. Berger is influenced by his studies and work, while Bejski is influenced by his horrific experience of being interned in a concentration camp during the Holocaust. Small and large events can influence someone's willingness to forgive. Forgiveness for large-scale crimes is the most difficult thing to ask a person. The asker may not see it as a big deal and will only ask when it is his saving grace; as the Nazis did with Wiesenthal. The victims of these crimes suffer great injustices and watch as their entire world is destroyed due to the hatred in the hearts of many determined to "get rid" of people who are not up to their "standards" and treat them as subhuman. Large-scale crimes have occurred around the world for centuries, many have suffered and continue to share their stories of survival as a cautionary tale for the rest of the world to be aware of what is happening and make sure all people are protected. three, we focused on large-scale crime forgiveness. Large-scale crimes are horrific acts committed against many. I wrote in my argument that although people say we should forgive out of compassion and because religion or faith says so, one cannot forgive a LSC on behalf of another because it would be a betrayal of the victims and that criminals do not they show remorse until it is convenient for them or it is too late. The pro-forgiveness and anti-forgiveness essays in the book all made strong points to support their opinion. While some said to forgive and others said not to forgive, everyone agreed that not forgetting these crimes was very important. I believe that no matter what side you are on when it comes to forgiveness, no one is wrong, everyone will feel differently about forgiveness for such a crime, especially those directly affected by the crime itself. While I am not for forgiveness of large-scale crimes, I respected José Hobday's reasoning in favor of forgiveness. It touches on a more spiritual aspect and goes beyond LSC's anger and was influenced by his upbringing. He says that “forgiveness is of the heart” (Hobday 175). I believe this means that you must feel forgiveness within yourself, not because you think it is right or the person who committed crimes asks you for it, but because.