To the editor:
Responding to the letter that stated that president Bush prayed to God for forgiveness prior to devastating Baghdad: The writer asked, “but isn’t asking in advance for pardon the equivalent of realizing that one is about to commit a wrong?”
A person can ask for pardon for any numerable offenses against someone even though the person is not guilty of a sin. For example, one can ask pardon for (a breach of etiquette), being late when there was construction, leaving the table at a meal. The United States dropped two nuclear bombs, at Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Can we ask for pardon or forgiveness of the innocent lives lost there even though it was successful in aiding to end World War II? Yes, we can. This is a sign of a humble person to consider the feelings of other people even when the offense is not purposeful or in the case of war when the purpose is to stop an atrocity even though it does involve innocent lives. Is humility or humbleness a good quality to be admired in a man or even a leader of a country or is it better to be arrogant?
Jesus Christ humbled himself and became man even though he is God and having divine nature. Jesus, as the sacrificial lamb, took ours sins upon himself even though he was not guilty of any sin in order to seek pardon from the Father. If we are to call ourselves by that name then we should also excel at this great virtue. A recent leader, the great Pope John Paul II, excelled at this virtue. I hope we look for the virtue of humility in our future leaders when we go to vote
John Nicholson
Church Hill Road
Henrietta
