Dieu Lan believes that no matter the circumstances "no one has the right to take away the life of another human being." Do you agree with her statement? What's your take on forgiveness?

Dieu Lan is a Buddhist who strives to forgive all who've wronged her, and believes that no matter the circumstances "no one has the right to take away the life of another human being." Do you agree with her statement? What's your take on forgiveness?

Absolutely. Life is so precious and not something we can give nor should take away. Forgiveness is essential in a world of human imperfection.

Yes, I definitely agree with the statement in theory, though I think blanket statement like that cannot ever be fully realized by a collective and that there will always be war inside of our souls.
I personally agree and hold no violence of character inside of myself, but I often wonder...what would happen if a war like this ever happened in my backyard? What would I be capable of in order to protect my family and friends?
What are all of us capable of when faced with external cruelty?
Where does the external cruelty come from if not from within us all.
Maybe the darkness is what we really need to become friends with in order to de-escalate it.

Yes, I agree. Peace worldwide is desirable. War and strife are especially difficult on the children. They have a right to grow up in a peaceful society.

I do agree with her statement. But depending on the circumstances, I think it may be impossible to truly forgive another person, especially if a loved one has been taken by a senseless act of violence. Interesting time to answer this question after the mass shooting in Boulder Colorado yesterday. I don't know how a person whose loved one was killed or seriously injured could 100% forgive the shooter, for example.

There are so many reasons why someone might take the life of another and if brave enough, a survivor can explore the reasons. Mental illness is often a contributing factor and while this is not an excuse for a person's actions, it may help work toward forgiveness.

Forgiveness can be very freeing.

I’ve given so much thought to this question. Adolph Hitler murdered members of my family for no other reason other than they were Jews not to mention the others he murdered. The Vietnam war accomplished nothing. I’m angry we did not get involved in WWII sooner than we did regardless of the cost of lives, yet I feel so many lives were lost in Vietnam needlessly. I was not in favor of our being in Vietnam. Ergo my dilemma. I guess had Hitler had the same belief as Dieu Lan I would not be torn. I fear I’ve made this answer subjective.

Buddhism is peaceful tradition which stresses the need to demonstrate compassion towards your enemies even if they seek to harm you. The Dalai Lama once said that "Hatred will not cease by hatred, but by love alone". Oh , how true .... I once read that the Buddhist code permits monks to defend themselves but forbids them to kill anyone. I am not sure how a Buddhist would be able to serve in a war and protect their loved ones without inflicting harm and possible death on another human being. Since non- violence is at the core of Buddhist thinking, this is a painful dilemma on so many levels. Although I believe that forgiveness is necessary to reduce pain and move forward, I am not sure how or if I would be able to forgive someone who murdered my loved ones

i agree. Human life is not ours to decide who lives or dies. Our survival instinct is to protect ourselves from harm, not to eliminate. Forgiveness is a beautiful thing because we have learned humility and our real place in the world.

I agree that "no one has the right to take the life of another human being." Forgiveness requires humility and is essential for reconciliation and redemption.

I think that the Buddhist beliefs help Dieu Lan feel peace and forgiveness. I do not think forgiveness is always easy if there has been torture or murder of someone you love. When it comes to a sense of forgiveness for a country that textbooks describe as an enemy, it is important for people to learn both sides. Americans have been fortunate that world wars have not been fought on their soil or that foreign powers have not come in and murdered American political leaders because they were seen as bad by another country's leaders.

I don't have it in me to take another life cold bloodlessly; however, if faced with a catastrophic situation in which my grandchildren or any family could be harmed, I can only hope I would not be frozen with fear that I would be unable to react. I don't own a gun, and I don't know how to shoot one. If I did, which I doubt will ever happen, I would do so. In regard to the thought of forgiveness, I have many Amish neighbors. When the Nickel Mines massacre happened, I was amazed at how the Amish community who suffered the loss of innocent children, wrapped their arms of forgiveness around the shooter's wife and her children. I thought at the time that I didn't know if I could have done the same. I don't think I could ever have forgiven the person who sold the shooter the gun in the first place.

I do agree that "no one has the right to take the life of another human being." But there may be instances when killing cannot be avoided. This reminds me of the commandment "Thou shalt not..." In Hebrew, it actually reads "Thou shalt not murder", while most New Testament translations read "Thou shalt not kill." There is a difference between "murder" and "kill".

Forgiveness is important for the person granting forgiveness. But I can only forgive someone for something that person did to me. I cannot grant forgiveness for something done to someone else. Again, a Jewish distinction.