Forgiveness

Forgiveness is the intentional and voluntary process by which a victim undergoes a change in feelings and attitude regarding an offense, lets go of negative emotions such as vengefulness, with an increased ability to wish the offender well. Forgiveness is different from condoning (failing to see the action as wrong and in need of forgiveness), excusing (not holding the offender as responsible for the action), pardoning (granted by a representative of society, such as a judge), forgetting (removing awareness of the offense from consciousness), and reconciliation (restoration of a relationship).

In certain contexts, forgiveness is a legal term for absolving or giving up all claims on account of debt, loan, obligation or other claims.

As a psychological concept and virtue, the benefits of forgiveness have been explored in religious thought, the social sciences and medicine. Forgiveness may be considered simply in terms of the person who forgives including forgiving themselves, in terms of the person forgiven or in terms of the relationship between the forgiver and the person forgiven. In most contexts, forgiveness is granted without any expectation of restorative justice, and without any response on the part of the offender (for example, one may forgive a person who is incommunicado or dead). In practical terms, it may be necessary for the offender to offer some form of acknowledgment, an apology, or even just ask for forgiveness, in order for the wronged person to believe himself able to forgive.

Forgiving (Angel)

"Forgiving" is episode 17 of season 3 in the television show Angel.

Plot synopsis

Shortly after Daniel Holtz's abduction of baby Connor to the Hell dimension of Quor'Toth, Fred, Gunn and Lorne try to sort out why Wesley betrayed them and how to get Connor back.

Angel is not interested in sympathy or pity, however, and is already mentally unbalanced and vengeful due to his loss. When it proves impossible to open a portal to Quor'Toth, he abducts Linwood, a lawyer with Wolfram & Hart, to force him to tell where Sahjhan is and how to open a dimensional rift to Quor'Toth. In an attempt to open a rift, Angel and Lilah use dark magic; this opens a tear in the fabric of reality.

Sahjhan is revealed to have been a demon knight who had been made non-corporeal by an ancient curse hundreds of years ago, and who is now able to wander through time at will. When Sahjhan uncovered a prophecy that he would be killed by ‘the one sired by a vampire with a soul’ he brought vampire hunter and Angel's old nemesis Daniel Holtz to the 21st century to kill Angel, Darla and the baby. However, Holtz did not follow Sahjhan's plan, so Sahjhan, using his time-shifting abilities, altered the prophecy to trick Wesley into believing that Angel would kill Connor.