Forgiveness ( was:Draco the Death Eaters and Voldemort)

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 139986

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "horridporrid03" 
<horridporrid03 at y...> wrote:

Phoenixgod:
> > <snip>
> > Dumbledore has no authority to give forgiveness or pass a         
> > benediction to Draco.
> > <snip into a later message on this thread>
> > JKR even says in one of her interviews that DD isn't a
> > metaphor for jesus and even he admits to his own falibility so I
> > think he neatly cuts off his own confessional authority.
> 
> Betsy Hp:
> Within the Christian tradition one doesn't need to be Jesus or 
> infallibal to hear confession or to give a benediction.  Far from 
> it, actually.  Any authority Dumbledore has comes from his love for 
> Draco and his interest in his welfare.  Actually, the way I read it 
> (and others may well disagree since this is getting into my own 
> belief system) Dumbledore opens the way for Draco to forgive 
> himself.  After all, it's Draco who fears he's a killer.  It's 
Draco 
> who's suffered the most for the path he's been taken down.  It's 
> Draco who is most in danger, IMO.  Dumbledore gives Draco the 
chance 
> to choose a different way. Which is well within his rights as 
> Headmaster of Draco's school, both morally and legally, I think.

Geoff:
I must with respect disagree with you. If you had said "within some 
Christian traditions" I would have been satisfied. But the concept of 
confession and absolution within Western Christianity is only used by 
the Roman Catholic church and possibly some high Anglican churches. I 
cannot speak for Orthodox churches though I suspect it may be the 
case here.

If we have done something wrong to another person, we can seek their 
forgiveness which they can give to us for harming them. But, within 
the Protestant church, we believe that only by confessing our sins to 
Christ and seeking his love and forgiveness can we be totally cleared 
of these wrongdoings and have "the slate wiped clean" in the eyes of 
God.

In the context above, Dumbledore is not forgiving Draco but pointing 
the way for him to go; Draco needs to choose that way and to follow 
it genuinely and seek to leave his old ways behind.