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Can the Holocaust be forgiven? Can the Holocaust be forgiven?
The Holocaust cannot be forgiven The Holocaust cannot be forgiven
The Holocaust can be forgiven The Holocaust can be forgiven
The Holocaust cannot be forgiven because everyone has a conscience The Holocaust cannot be forgiven because everyone has a conscience
The Holocaust cannot be forgiven unless the perpetrators repent The Holocaust cannot be forgiven unless the perpetrators repent
The Holocaust cannot be forgiven because perpetrators have not faced justice for their actions The Holocaust cannot be forgiven because perpetrators have not faced justice for their actions
The Holocaust cannot be forgiven because it is not our place to forgive The Holocaust cannot be forgiven because it is not our place to forgive
Normal people were simply following orders during the Holocaust Normal people were simply following orders during the Holocaust
Holocaust perpetrators were brainwashed so they can be forgiven Holocaust perpetrators were brainwashed so they can be forgiven
Refusing to forgive the Holocaust gives more power to the oppressor Refusing to forgive the Holocaust gives more power to the oppressor
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Can the Holocaust be forgiven?
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The Holocaust cannot be forgiven

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The Holocaust cannot be forgiven because perpetrators have not faced justice for their actions

Following the Holocaust, perpetrators involved in torturing the Jews and others fled the justice system. A Naxi that refuses to face the consequences of their actions should not be forgiven.
Ethics Genocide History Holocaust WWII
Judy Meisel
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The Argument

After the Holocaust, only a small portion of Nazis were put on trial and convicted for their crimes. The projected number of Nazis that were involved in criminal activity were upwards of 200,000, yet only 6,656 were convicted. [1]The number of Nazis that ran away rather than facing the consequences for their crimes is appalling. By refusing to face retribution for their crimes, they are refusing to take responsibility for their corrupt actions. If they are unwilling to face responsibility for their actions, then they do not deserve to be forgiven. Therefore, those that run away from consequences do not deserve to be forgiven. A person is not deserving of forgiveness unless they are willing to face justice for their actions. They should also show remorse for their actions in order to be forgiven. A person is undeserving of another’s forgiveness if they are not willing to repent and ask for forgiveness themselves. The Nazis that escaped trials following the Holocaust are still responsible for their actions. They should not be forgiven unless they go on trial for their crimes.

Counter arguments

Forgiveness is about more than facing the consequences. It should be focused on healing between the perpetrator and victim.[2] There is no way that any sort of punishment can atone for the crimes a Nazi committed. Forgiving the Nazis will give a Holocaust victim the peace of mind to heal from their trauma without holding onto the negative emotions towards the Nazis. By forgiving someone of their wrongdoings, it does not excuse the actions of the perpetrator. Therefore, whether or not a Nazi is convicted of their crimes should have no bearing on if a survivor of the Holocaust should be allowed to forgive.

Proponents

Premises

[P1] A person should not be forgiven unless they are willing to face the consequences for their actions. [P2] A majority of the Nazi’s refused to face the consequences for their actions. [P3] Therefore, the Holocaust cannot be forgiven.

Rejecting the premises

References

  1. https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/14/europe/germany-nazi-war-trials-grm-intl/index.html
  2. https://theconversation.com/exploring-the-complexities-of-forgiveness-71774
This page was last edited on Wednesday, 11 Nov 2020 at 15:21 UTC

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