Comments are ALWAYS welcome!
I believe in forgiveness as well. I am a little leery about accepting an invitation to the program, which would be as much of a publicity stunt as anything, though perhaps for both. I could see where she could accept the apology and still not be on the program. Putting strings on an apology, as the sinner, is not at all acceptable. As far as what the left would think of a verbal agreement over the phone, I do not care.
Would you really want to give credence to a man, a program, and a channel through which it was "joked" about the rape of your daughter? Maybe I am just really out of the loop these days.
I'm not sure what you mean by giving "credence" in this case. Are you saying you doubt his apology is sincere? If so, are you basing that on the fact that the offense was so great or is there something else that leads you to doubt?
I do understand why one might be leery of accepting an invitation, but there is a difference between caution, which is reasonable even among friends, and spitefulness. If you don't attend because you are afraid of smear tactics (which, again, would be the furthest thing from Letterman's mind at this point), that is one thing. If you don't attend out of spite, that is another.
Finally, it comes back to the bible. I presume you've repeated the Lord's Prayer - have you said it in earnest at any point? If so, do you remember that part about "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us?" How exactly do you want God to forgive you and do you keep that in mind when you forgive others? After all, this is the standard you are asking God to judge you by.
I think, if I have reservations about his apology, it has to do with several things. First, his first attempt at such a thing was merely a continuation of the 'joke'. Second, the only time his apology came close to having any sincerity is when a wave of grievances, to include people wanting him to be fired, began to sweep even to his seemingly absolutely safe hideaway. And then, that even his most recent apology was, if sincere, at least half in jest as I saw it.
As for accepting the apology, there is no difficulty with that. But there is also no reason whatsoever that it be anything public. God calls us to forgive, he does not say we must forgive publicly on the sinners forum. She could just as easily forgive him on the phone and publicly in an interview with someone else. Why do you insist she go on his program, as he seems to be doing? Why should the sinner be allowed to lay the basis within which forgiveness is given? Especially someone who doesn't even believe in sin, therefore the need for forgiveness?
As for my personal acts of forgiveness, I do not see how you could question that. But for your information, I forgive freely. The requirements I have is the same requirement that Christ conveyed to me, that I ask for it sincerely, that I actually know what I did that was wrong, and that regret for the sin exists and is expressed, and then it is done. That does not mean I will necessarily have anything personally and socially to do with the one who sinned. Sometimes, simply put, I cannot. Right or wrong, that is between God and myself.
I know Christ went among sinners. And I know some of us are called to do so. I also know, that for many of us, God calls us not to be involved with such people. For my purposes, I have no call to live with professed and unrepentant sinners and others who have chosen evil as the means of profession. I see Letterman, and many from Hollywood, as just such people. They slander my God, me, conservatives, practical economics, healthy true wholesomeness, and everything else I hold dear as a means of living and a way of life. Why, again, would I personally ever enjoy their company or ask political leaders to do so.
Then again, maybe most think everything is just a dog and pony show, so why not go ahead and enjoy.
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