Tanner Purser

Mrs. Thomas

UWRT 1104

23 Feb. 2020

Word Count: 471

Research Summary #1

Tutu, Desmond. To Forgive. Excerpt from The Forgiveness Project. Fall 2019.

Desmond Tutu is a Nobel Peace Prize winner and one of South Africa’s most well-known

human rights activists. He was also appointed the chairperson of the Truth & Reconciliation

Committee. Desmond fought hard for equal rights among his fellow citizens along with less

forced deportation and a common education system. He is known internationally as a champion

of human rights.

The main purpose of this excerpt is to give some advice to the reader from a very credible

source. Desmond Tutu is world-renowned and is incredibly wise in his words. This piece does

not contain a lot of information but provides a strong perspective on forgiveness. Desmond starts

by acknowledging how most people view forgiveness. He claims that most people want to

suppress their anger when we should be in tune with and show our anger but only to an extent.

This Nobel Peace Prize winner also goes on to explain that we may be consumed by our anger

and then we are dependent on our perpetrator. If we can forgive our perpetrator, then we will

come out a better person and perhaps the perpetrator will become a better person as well.

Tutu then goes on to say that forgiveness starts with the perpetrator realizing and

acknowledging that they committed an offense. He goes on to say that he does not like to talk
about his personal experience with forgiveness because of the atrocious things that he has seen.

Desmond ends this piece claiming that with all the tragedy that he has witnessed throughout his

life, he has come to see how people around him have come to the point where they can forgive.

One quote that sticks out to me is when Desmond states, “the depth of your love is shown

by the extent of your anger.” I really like this quote because all my life I have just felt that most

people expect you to suppress your anger to be a better person. It is interesting to hear someone

with that much credibility say to express our anger but to keep it in check. Another quote that I

liked was when Tutu says, “Remaining in that state locks you in a state of victimhood, making

you almost dependent on the perpetrator.” This quote is interesting because people often struggle

with letting things go which in turn makes them somewhat reliant on the thing that makes them

upset.

I really liked this excerpt from The Forgiveness Project because it provided a remarkably

interesting perspective but from a very credible source. I would love to find out more about

Desmond Tutu soon because he seems like an interesting and wise man that would be

entertaining to read about.

Tanner Purser

Mrs. Thomas

UWRT 1104

11 Mar. 2020

Word Count: 536

Research Summary #2

“Forgiveness in Judaism - Forgiveness - GCSE Religious Studies Revision - WJEC - BBC

Bitesize.” BBC News, BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zysf2nb/revision/4.

The British Broadcasting Corporation is the world’s leading public service broadcaster.

They are an independent and impartial Corporation that produces over 120 hours of radio and

television programming each day that reaches millions around the world. The BBC and its

services are paid for by UK residents and strives to inform people with the most reliability.

This article seeks to provide a general understanding of the beliefs of Judaism

specifically with peace and forgiveness. Forgiveness in Judaism is especially important and is

considered a duty, also known as a Mitzvah. There are other aspects that go along with

forgiveness that are also important. Reflecting on your wrongdoing, praying, and looking to the

Torah for guidance is taught for Jews to do when they need it. For those who do not know, the

Torah most specifically means the first five books in the Hebrew Bible.

Seeking atonement for a wrong that one has committed is critical for Jews to try to do

their best at. Yom Kipper, also known as the Day of Atonement, is one of the most important

days on the Jewish calendar. The days leading up to Yom Kipper are known as the Days of Awe

which is a period of repentance where Jews pray to God to seek his forgiveness. They value this
time because they believe that salvation is something to be earned and that there is no

unconditional forgiveness from God. Jews also see God as punishing and are taught that they

must give something to receive salvation.

The article lastly goes on to describe a case study of a Holocaust survivor named Eva

Mozes Kor. Both of her parents as well her two older sisters were killed during their time in

Auschwitz. She often talks about how she forgives the Nazis and what they did to her and her

family. Eva says that her forgiveness played a big part in dealing with her experiences during the

Holocaust. She is one of many who has forgiven others based on her personal beliefs.

This article was in parallel with others that I have read about forgiveness. It was a little

different in reading about the beliefs of Judaism and how they differ from other religious views.

Other than the religious differences, the overarching concept of forgiveness and repentance for

wrongdoings are similar among different views.

One quote that caught my attention was when the article stated, “Judaism teaches that

war is sometimes necessary in self-defense in order to bring about peace.” This sticks out to me

because you do not hear often today that war is “sometimes necessary.” A lot of people believe

that war is never good and should not be sought out. Another piece that stood out to me was the

description of a ritual that Jews take part in for atonement. They walk together to a river or the

sea and empty whatever is in their pockets, representing the casting out of their sins.
Tanner Purser

Mrs. Thomas

UWRT 1104

11 Mar. 2020

Word Count: 491

Research Summary #3

“What Does Islam Teach about War and Peace? - Forgiveness - GCSE Religious Studies

Revision - WJEC - BBC Bitesize.” BBC News, BBC,

www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z98d3k7/revision/2.

The British Broadcasting Corporation is the world’s leading public service broadcaster.

They are an independent and impartial Corporation that produces over 120 hours of radio and

television programming each day that reaches millions around the world. The BBC and its

services are paid for by UK residents and strives to inform people with the most reliability.

This piece by BBC elaborates on the beliefs of Islam on forgiveness and peace. The word

Islam quite literally means peace and submission. Something that I think is interesting that most

people may not know is that Muslims greet each other by saying “peace be upon you.” One of

the main focuses on Islam teachings is to treat everyone equally with abundant peace and

kindness. Maintaining peaceful relationships and not carrying any feelings of hatred towards

anyone else is taught in the Hadith, an Islamic text.

Muslims believe in different levels of struggles that they face, called jihad. The Greater

jihad focuses on the personal daily struggles of overcoming temptations of anger, hatred, greed,

as well as working for social justice. The Lesser jihad points towards the defense of Islam if or
when it is justifiable. Muslims believe that war is just when used for self-defense and when it is

supported by a legitimate government. Above all, Islam teachings push for a search for peaceful

resolutions before any other measures are taken. The Qur’an, an Islam text, teaches that if any

enemy pushes for peace, then Muslims should also push for peace.

Islam teachings are similar to others like Christianity where they believe that nobody is

perfect and that all equally deserve forgiveness. Muslims celebrate the Day of Judgement where

Allah will forgive them for the wrongs they have committed. This article also provides a short

summary of a story of a father and his 20-year-old son, Tariq, who was shot and killed in 1995

by a local gang member. After his son’s death, Azim Khamisa was able to turn to his faith and

prayer to forgive the young man who killed his son.

This article shows a lot of similarities to others on forgiveness and how different people

view it. Even though most religions have lots of differences and there are a lot of prejudices

amongst different religions, it seems that they have a lot in common than some may realize.

A quote I really like from Azim Khamisa was, “You do forgiveness for yourself, because

it moves you on. The fact that it can also heal the perpetrator is the icing on the cake.” Another

thing that really stood out to me was that most Muslims today do not support modern warfare

because there are almost always innocent lives that are lost.
Tanner Purser

Mrs. Thomas

UWRT 1104

12 Mar. 2020

Word Count: 553

Research Summary #4

Arnold, Johann Christoph. “Steven McDonald's Story.” Plough, 26 Feb. 2013,

www.plough.com/en/topics/life/forgiveness/steven-mcdonalds-story.

“Plough is an award-winning international magazine of faith, culture, and society that

appears weekly online and quarterly in print. We also publish a line of books, including literary

nonfiction and fiction, children’s books, Christian books, and graphic novels. Founded in 1920,

Plough asks the big questions: How can we live well together, and what gives life purpose? Join

us in breaking fresh ground for a renewed world.”

Detective Steven McDonald of the NYPD was a young detective when he was shot by a

young teenager in the line of duty that left him paralyzed from the neck down. He and his partner

were on a routine lookout when they noticed a suspicious group of teenagers. There had been a

string of bike thefts and other petty crimes in the area, so they proceeded to investigate. The

detectives were questioning the kids when one who was only 15 years old, pulled a gun and shot

Detective McDonald three times.

Steven was hanging onto life by a thread but managed to survive but was paralyzed from

the neck down from a bullet that went through his neck and hit his spine. He then went on to

spend the next eighteen months institutionalized in a hospital. After six months in the hospital,
Steven’s wife Patti Ann gave birth to a baby boy. Detective McDonald took this as a wakeup call

and prayed that he could be changed in response to the message of new life. He wanted to be

freed from any anger, hatred, or any other negative feelings he had. Steven felt that he needed to

let go of those negative emotions so that he could love his family to the best of his ability. His

family later held a press conference where he confessed that he forgave his attacker. Strangely,

Steven and Shavod, his attacker, became friends. They wrote back and forth and occasionally

saw each other or talked on the phone. Many believed that Steven was wasting his time, but he

believed that they could grow closer and tell others about their amazing story. Unfortunately,

shortly after Shavod was released from prison, he was killed in a motorcycle accident. Although

his time with Shavod may have seemed like it was worth it. Steven went on to speak at many

institutions and other programs to tell others about his story.

This story is extremely compelling and is one of many others showing the incredible

power of forgiveness. Stories like Steven’s have an immense impact on others whether they

know it or not.

One quote that I really liked was when Steven said, “I needed to free myself of those

emotions so that I could love my wife and our child and those around us.” It is always impressive

to hear things like that because it takes a lot for someone to take a step back and focus on their

priorities. Another quote that will probably stay with me for a long time is when Steven says, “I

forgave Shavod because I believe the only thing worse than receiving a bullet in my spine would

have been to nurture revenge in my heart.”

Tanner Purser

Mrs. Thomas

UWRT 1104

25 Mar. 2020

Word Count: 496

Research Summary #5

Khamisa, Azim, and Ples Felix. “‘What Comes after Tragedy? Forgiveness.’” TED, Nov. 2017,

www.ted.com/talks/azim_khamisa_and_ples_felix_what_comes_after_tragedy_forgivene

ss/transcript#t-762227.

TED Conferences LLC is an American platform used to share “ideas worth spreading.”

They post conferences online for free for anyone to watch and share with others. Videos that are

shared are inspiring and hosted by expert speakers.

Azim Khamisa’s only son Tariq, worked as a pizza delivery driver. One delivery run, he

was lured to a gang meet up, and during an initiation, a 14-year old boy shot and killed him. This

sudden event of tragedy blindsided Azim and his family and he claimed that the hardest thing he

had to do was call his wife and tell him that her son had been killed. Azim practices as a Sufi

Muslim and meditates about 2 hours a day. During that time, a tragedy and sorrow, there was a

spark of clarity. He realized that his son was not the only victim in that horrible incident. The 14-

year old boy, Tony, was also a victim of American society. Where children killing children is

“acceptable” and goes unnoticed.

Because of this immense sense of clarity, Azim Khamisa started the Tariq Khamisa

Foundation whose goal is to break the cycle of youth violence. Soon after the creation of the
Tariq Khamisa Foundation, Azim reached out to Ples Felix, Tony’s dad. Tony had been locked

up in adult prison since the incident so they both reconciled because they had both lost a son.

They later realized that they could not change what had happened, but they could work to change

the future of kids’ lives. Azim and Ples go around to schools all over for live assemblies, in-class

curriculums, after school mentoring programs, and peace clubs. Along with teaching the

principles of nonviolence, the Tariq Khamisa Foundation has been able to cut suspensions and

expulsions by 70 percent. Five years after Tariq had been killed, Azim went to visit Tony in

prison. Azim was pleasantly surprised when he saw Tony. He realized that his hand of

forgiveness had changed Tony’s life for the better.

This story is like many that I have read. Azim and Ples’ story is very inspiring and had

many things in common. Their strength in their faith powered them through this extremely

traumatic time and provided them some guidance that they were looking for. This concept of

relying on faith through a traumatic event is very consistent in the stories that I have read even

between different religions.

One thing I really liked that Azim said, was when he claimed that violence was a learned

behavior. That children are not born violent, and if that is true, then nonviolent behavior is also

learned. Another quote that I liked was when Azim said that his “hand in forgiveness had

changed him.” This is an immensely powerful statement that really resonated with me.
Tanner Purser

Mrs. Thomas

UWRT 1104

27 Mar. 2020

Word Count: 526

Research Summary #6

Khoddam, Rubin. “The Psychology of Forgiveness.” Psychology Today, 16 Sept. 2014,

www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-addiction-connection/201409/the-psychology-

forgiveness.

Psychology Today has been an active source since 1967. They provide a compilation of

views from renowned psychologists, academics, psychiatrists, and writers. In addition to these

helpful articles and writings, Psychology Today also provides a directory of therapists,

psychiatrists and even treatment facilities by location.

This article provided a truly clear understanding of what forgiveness is and what ways it

can help us. The author, Rubin Khoddam, starts off by taking different views of what forgiveness

is and stating what it is not. Describing what forgiveness is not can be helpful for most because it

is quite easy to fall into. Excusing a wrong that someone had done, becoming the person’s best

friend, and thinking of what could have happened instead of what did happen are a few common

misconceptions of forgiveness. Healthy forms of forgiveness are essential for any relationship.

Oftentimes we expect people to see the world how we see it when in fact, there are as many

perceptions of the world as there are people. Another thing that must be understood about

forgiveness is that it is a process and some people take longer than others. Some people can
forgive others at the drop of a dime while for some people it may take a lifetime. This may be

because it is harder for some people to let go of their feelings of resentment and anger towards

someone who has wronged them. Another reason it is more difficult to forgive for some, is that

they think it will make them look “weak.” When the act of forgiveness is more powerful than we

may think.

Higher levels of forgiveness have shown to improve health habits and lower levels of

anger and depression. Relationships that practice healthy habits of forgiveness - even in couples

where one or both have been betrayed - have also been reported as stronger and healthier

relationships. Physiologically, it has been reported that higher levels of forgiveness have also

shown lower white blood cell counts and hematocrit levels. These results that have been reported

express the importance of forgiveness for our own health. When we do not forgive, it is easy for

us to be angry and sit in our negative emotions. As important as forgiveness is, we must be able

to allow ourselves to feel those emotions of anger, resentment, and betrayal without getting stuck

in those feelings.

One quote that Rubin used I really liked is a quote from Oprah Winfrey stating,

“Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could be any different.” I think it is important for

people to realize that we cannot change the past, but we can change what we do in the future.

Another thing I liked that Rubin said was, “You cannot get to a place of acceptance without

going through these hard parts.” Some people do not like to go through the “hard parts” because

it is scary, but I think rising and going through tough times can really change a person.
Tanner Purser

Mrs. Thomas

UWRT 1104

27 Mar. 2020

Word Count: 493

Research Summary #7

Snow, Nancy E. “Self-Forgiveness.” The Journal of Value Inquiry, vol. 27, no. 1, 1993, pp. 75–

80., doi:10.1007/bf01082713.

Nancy E. Snow is a professor of philosophy at the University of Oklahoma. She received

her bachelor’s and master’s degree from Marquette University. Nancy is also the director of the

Institute for the Study of Human Flourishing. Her research has varied but has mostly focused on

moral psychology. She has also edited or been on the editing board for several journals and has

been a primary editor of four books.

Nancy believes that self-forgiveness has been somewhat neglected in today’s

philosophical writings but argues that it is an awfully close second to interpersonal forgiveness.

Self-forgiveness is restorative and can allow us to move on and function the way we normally do

after we have committed a wrong or caused harm. It is the process where we come to terms with

ourselves and make good with our failures. To begin this process of self-restoration, we must

first acknowledge our error and whatever caused us to make that decision.

This ability to forgive ourselves should not condone our failings; we must sincerely seek

to improve ourselves from our mistakes. Being able to forgive ourselves can also help us learn to

forgive others. When we realize the wrongs, we have done to someone else and learn to forgive
ourselves, it can provide a certain sense of insight on other people’s feelings on the other end of

the wrongdoing. We can also make the connection between forgiveness and behavior.

Understanding this connection can be hard but can help us better comprehend a situation and

forgive in different ways for different people.

This reading provided good insight on other types of forgiveness and how they relate. It

connected all the other readings I have researched and explained how it all works together. Some

articles provide a victim’s perspective while others show the effects on the offender. This

reading connected both the victim and the offender and what it means to first forgive ourselves.

One quote I liked was when Snow claimed, “it restores our capability to carry on as

functioning agents even after we have committed moral wrongs or harmed others.” It is hard to

understand the lasting effects that self-forgiveness can have because of society’s unintentional

focus on interpersonal forgiveness. Another quote that stood out to me was Snow’s argument

that, “Perhaps being able to forgive yourself for your faults can facilitate your ability to forgive

others.” I think this concept is particularly important and is difficult to grasp for some. Being

able to forgive ourselves can make forgiving others easier and more impactful for both parties.

Nancy’s take on self-forgiveness is intriguing and can provoke many readers to question

themselves. I think evaluating ourselves and seeing where we could improve can be greatly

beneficial for us and those around us.

Tanner Purser

Mrs. Thomas

UWRT 1104

2 Apr. 2020

Word Count: 492

Research Summary #8

Albom, Mitch. “The Twelfth Tuesday: We Talk About Forgiveness.” Tuesdays with Morrie,

Doubleday, 1997.

Mitch Albom is what you could call a “jack of all trades.” He is a writer, journalist,

screenwriter, radio and television broadcaster, and a musician. Combined, his books have sold

over 39 million copies worldwide.

In Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch meets with a man once a week named Morrie Schwartz,

who was his old sociology professor. Morrie, who was diagnosed with ALS, wanted to give

Mitch his final lessons on life. In this specific chapter, Morrie expresses the pointlessness of

resentment and vengeance. He goes on to describe his regrets of his past feelings of hubris and

vanity.

Morrie then tells a story of an old friend of his named Norman. They became close

friends, even their spouses became friends and they were together often. Until Norman and his

wife decided to move to Chicago. After the move, Charlotte, Morrie’s wife, was scheduled to

undergo a serious surgery. Morrie became offended when Norman did not call to wish Charlotte

well or show any support that a good friend would. Norman would later make several attempts to

reach out to his old friend, but because of his resentment and disappointment, Morrie would not
reciprocate this desire for reconciliation. Recently before Mitch’s interviews with Morrie,

Norman had died of cancer and Morrie expresses his regret for never reaching out to forgive his

friend. During this interview, Morrie emphasizes the importance of forgiving oneself just as

much as forgiving others. Several times, he says that he is “lucky” to still have time to forgive

himself and try to reach out and forgive others.

This story provides yet another perspective of what it means to forgive. Morrie was

battling with ALS, a disease that left him severely handicapped, and was still able to seek

forgiveness from past wrongs he had committed. He realized that to reconcile with others, he had

to forgive himself first. Morrie’s story is powerful and allows for an incredibly unique

perspective on forgiveness.

A quote that stood out in this chapter was, “‘It’s not just other people we need to forgive,

Mitch.’ He finally whispered, ‘We also need to forgive ourselves.’” I think this concept of self-

forgiveness can be impactful in our lives and is interesting to learn about. Another quote that I

liked was, “You can’t get stuck on the regrets of what should’ve happened.” This quote is

powerful, and I believe that anybody can apply it themselves in some way. Some people get

stuck in what they wish they could have done better or if they could change what happened.

Getting stuck in the past can take over and control your thoughts and ultimately control your life.

Learning to accept what happened and that you cannot change the past can be extremely

beneficial in forgiving yourself and forgiving others.