Sin, Forgiveness, and Repentance

One of the main themes of the book is the theme of Sin, Repentance, and Forgiveness. The characters in the book are bound by a very strict set of laws that many of them feel are unnecessary. That being said, each of them has their own set of laws that they abide by as well. The same can be said for all of us. We all abide by multiple sets of laws. For students, you may be bound by the law of the country, religious law, your parents rules, as well as your own personal code of conduct.

For example, one of my personal laws is that I try to say hello to strangers as often as possible. Growing up in Northern California, it is something that has always impressed me about people that live here and I want to keep that tradition alive. It is not a law by any means, but when I break it, I feel bad.

That leaves us to forgiveness. The other main problem that plagues the Puritans, and still plagues us today, is that we have no good way for forgiving people. For many, that means that we still hold grudges sometimes for years. You hear people say things like "I forgive, but I don't forget." Outside of the country we see evidence of other cultures that have been in a perpetual war for decades. Fighting over grudges that were started long before any of the fighters now were born.

What set of laws govern you? Where does your personal code of conduct enhance of take away from the laws we are all bound by?

When we commit an error, or when others commit errors against us, how soon do we forgive them or ourselves? Are you the kind of person who forgives easily, or do you hold onto grudges forever?