Shooter Forgiveness? One Survivor Of ‘Dark Knight Rises’ Massacre Feels Bad For Holmes

God bless this man for having the strength to forgive. What an inspiration!

This is what Jesus wants us to do. Even if the world doesn't understand God is smiling. I started to cry reading this because this is what God calles us to do love others and forgive. "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:31-32.

I'm interesred in what Holmes religious beliefs are. If anger was his motivation it must have been toward life itself. And he went to exceptional troublle to make it probale that he would survive for some reason or another.

I do not believe in god, but if I was to describe a "true" god-like individual, it would be this young man. With or without godl, compassion and forgiveness are so very important. Kudos to thsi brave, compassionate soul. may his god be with him and I hope we can all take something wonderful from this person's words. <3

I wonder if those that are dead or his family members forgive the shooter?

?????? I wasn't there and I want to skin the bastard alive.

I think it will take a little more time.

There are certain acts that simply can not be forgiven.

Amber Maybe you should quote that to the prick shooter not the dead… obviousley he doesn't give a lick what Ephesians said.

what a brave and right thing to do. It's hard for some people to understand but, that's their problem. you are a wonderful example for all of us.

It's interesting to see people that profess to being a Cristian yet say this is unforgivable. While I can't say I would have the same strength to forgive under the circumstances, I do give props to this man for practicing what he preaches. Bless him for having the character to stick to his convictions in such a tough time.

I'm certainly not opposed to anyone forgiving the shooter. Hating him won't help anyone, but he should recieve whatever punishedment the law allows. I do think he knew what he was doing and acted out of anger and hate within him. I believe he chooses anger and hate. He is not innocent. Normal people are prone to think he must be crazy to do such a thing. Not so. He is a regular guy who for some reason was experiencing a lot of pressure and rather than seeking help to deal with it, he choose to take it out on the innocent. He CHOOSE.

I saw this interview. What was unsaid is he is a religious minister. He actually married a couple recently, one of which is also a victim of the shooting. It is not unusual for a minister to lean toward being more forgiving of a man's transgressions.

If it helps anyone forgive, he may have a brain glioblastoma like the mass murderer Charles Whitman did. Sadly, in both cases, the psychistry/medical system failed both if them and all the shooting victiims both times. Charles Whitman tried to get help saying he had new severe headaches and violent thoughts against loved ones bothering him, He did kill his wife first before shooting from the University of Texas tower. Some patients will voluntarily hospitalize themselves or go seek medical help for unusual violent thoughts or dreams. Unless Holmes was on bath salts, PCP, or other drugs, there is someting medically wrong with him. I do feel sorry for him, too, because he tried to get help by mailing that notebook to a psychiatrist. He also started failing when he was unusually brilliant That wasn't normal for him either and would happen to anyone becoming nerologically impaired. I think the medical center grad school failed him and all the shooting victims here. There were warning signs, just like before 9/11, that unfortunately were ignored. When will we learn fron these examples? No teacher ir decent parent would ignore sudden failing grades in kids, why was his uncharacteristic bad grades and flunked oral exam ignored in a medical center? I have no idea how the mail room lost or didn't deliver the notebook he sent for an entire week as well, but that is easier to imagine than a medical university staff not investigating medical problems that Holmes probably has. I met one manic-depressive who burned his mother with gasoline and a match and later was suicidal when he realized what he had done. Schizophrenics can also murder. Something is wrong with this young man's brain. His illness has destroyed his life now as well as many others. I ask again, why didn't his thesis advisor refer him to a doctor and let him know he may be suffering some illness impairig his school performance? God bless you, Mr. O'Farrell, for your faith , christian example, and compassioate heart.

Sorry for my poor typing skills with one hand.

oh my god…. I feel so sorry for him too… poor guy. I can't imagine what he is going thru right now… it isn't like it was his decision to do this to all those innocent people. he is more of a victim than any of the people he shot. fckin idiots!

When is the brain MRI scheduled? I hope someone wakes up and images his brain. No doubt he is being examined by psych, but I personally hope they don't miss temporal lobe seizures which cause aggression and intracranial brain pathology. I have seen and heard of the psych dept personnel ignoring the other possible medical diagnosis not in their field. He also needs a general med exam and Neuro exam before anyone decides to execute him. People can become very violent with brain metastases as well as psych diagnoses causing psychosis. I bet his parents did a wonderful job raising him, too. They are acting appropriately. I am glad they are standing by their own son. Now if they only insisted on a thorough medical investigation. Where is Dr. House?

Forgiveness is one of the hardest things Christians are asked to do, and in this case, it seems unbelievable that this victim should find the strength in his faith to do this. If only more of us could follow his example. Mr. O'Farrill, you have my deepest respect. God bless you.

Forgiveness is one of the hardest things Christians are asked to do, and in this case, it seems unbelievable that this victim should find the strength in his faith to do this. If only more of us could follow his example. Mr. O'Farrill, you have my deepest respect. God bless you.

This gave me Jesus bumps! That is true faith!

sorry I guess I will just never understand turning the sick twisted criminal into the victim.

"
When I think what that soul must be like to have that much hatred and that much anger in his heart—what every day must be like. I can’t imagine getting out of bed every morning and having that much anger and hatred for people that he undoubtedly has."

Here's the rub: he assumes Holmes has anger and hatred, because he would if he put himself in Holmes' shoes. What if Holmes wasn't angry or had hate? What if he is completely indifferent to human life and that's why he did this? Could he (The victim) then forgive him? Maybe yes, but his statement above has the victim assuming that Holmes thinks like a regular person who was just very angry and full of hate. IIRC, most of these types are not extremely angry or full of hate. Anger/hate doesn't allow people to think clearly enough to plan this out as he did.

Hope this victim and all other living ones recover fully. To the ones who passed, RIP.

its good to see there are still good people out there. sometimes its hard to find with all the crimes being commited. stupid news and nothing but violence.. show good stuff sometimes.

Personally, I think it's easy to forgive when you or a loved one survived. It easy for you asshats to say, "yes, this is a good man" when none of you had to go through this. This guy is deluding himself. He lived. He feels good about his life. Ask the other victims' families if they are so forgiving.

In other words, he pities him. I'm not religious but I understand where he is coming from. Unfortunately the media is taking this out of context and now the poor guy will have to deal with people jumping down his throat because they probably read the headlines and ignore the text.

But that's journalism.

Calling survivors of the tragedy asshats??? Do you know me, Brandon? Do you know what I've been through, or what the victims have went through? I didn't THINK so.

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Wake up noobs….there's no such thing as god….jesus, a bunch of old hags raping young boys and ripping people off for money and this guy is crazy for forgiving someone that tried to take his life. Get well dude…..physically and mentally.

Seems the guy is just as crazy as the gunman.

It is both shocking and inspirational to see this kind of stength in a person. I don't think I would have it in me to be forgiving after going through something like that, but then again, you never know. In a world full of suffering, death and selfishness, it is refreshing to see that a person can go through hell and still show humility and not be bitter or hateful. My heart goes out to all of the victims of this tragedy, as well as their families and friends. God watch over them all.

I can understand how this guy feels. I myself was shot by someone 12 years ago 5 times point blank. I don't have any major remaining injuries other than a fused finger which I still have most mobility, and just a few scars. I forgave the guy who shot me, it's not something I'll ever forget. Everyone tells me I must be here for a purpose. God bless this man for doing the same.

There is no forgiveness in my world for anyone who commits such a despicable cold blooded act. He Will Go To Hell and burn..

James Holmes is believed to be the man who gunned down, and is thought to be responsible……….He was caught outside by his car with his guns! The internet is not a court of law, we don't need the red tape here. Hang him already!

Forgiveness sounds fine! That makes one in Christ; the shooter must pay a fair punishment! And I that jail is not the solution. "An Eye for an Eye." Besides, do you think that is fair for the families of the victims, who are taxpayers, to keep and feed the cold-tactical-assassine in jail for the rest of his life. I think not! He deserves a fair trial, so he can answer many questios, then he deserves the death penalty!!

i liked your post alot, i understand when atheists blame so called christians for the violence in the worlds history, but this is true christianity that gives a testimony of jesus… god bless

You can forgive him in your heart but he still needs to be punished for his horrific actions.

Forgiving this POS is like saying it was ok for him to do what he did to begin with..Screw that..
If "jesus" wants to forgive him, go for it.Personally, I want this creep six feet under.He didn't give the victims a chance, why should he have one?

If he shot and grazed my arms, I will forgive. If he shot my balls, that's another story.

I think this man feels closer to the lord after his near death experience to forgive like that. Would he feel the same 6 ft under? Would he feel the same if that "thing" says he wishes he'd of gotten them all? Would he feel the same looking down from above at his family he could've continued his life with; A stolen life. Like that little 6 year old girl (which by the way what was she even doing at a violent movie at midnight?) and the other 11 VICTIMS. He deserves no mercy. He deserves cruel and unsual punishment. I know a bunch of religious people that would be right there with me with a stone in they're hand unleashing them until that MONSTER became pulp! Then go to church on Sunday praying for they're OWN forgiveness for not seeing the stupidity in that "THING" before he took and injured the innocent lives of GOD'S children. That "CREATURE" is not one of GOD'S children therefore he deserves NO forgiveness.

and that's why you need Jesus.

Marathon? You mean massacre.

Marathon? You mean massacre.

regardless of our beliefs or feelings the shooter must be destroyed and I will pray that he is.

Thank you, corrected!

What is wrong with some of you people?! He killed innocent people…I don't feel sorry for him one damn bit…I hope he pays the price!

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I absolutely love Denzel Washington's quote in Man On Fire……."forgiveness is between them and God, it's my job to arrange the meeting".

very true

orgiveness? He killed 12 innocent people, are you out of your mind? If he killed your little daughter or someone you loved you would not have been saying this crap, forgive someone for stealing, not for KILLING! He deserves nothing but a lifetime in prison! RIP to those who lost their lives to this maniac.

This is true he deserves to be punished for his wrongs. Im just saying Jesus died for all our sins and forgiving is a one way to show Christ. I pray for healing for the victims family and friends. Its a scary feeling to know their are people out there who would do this. But God loves them the same. God is a just and fair God and he will be punished for what he has done.

I, too, am an atheist, but I do strongly believe in the power of forgiveness. not bc a Christ figures requires us to do it, but bc harboring hate in your heart only makes you unhappy, which means thus murderer will always win.

I'm willing to bet the mother and father of the dead 6 yo little girl who never had a chance of a life will be far less forgiving than someone with shrapnel in his chest.

sounds like a PR stunt to me. his church leaders prolly made him do this to gain a few more dollars… I mean followers.

jesus never died for out sins jesus is a myth base on egyptian mythology (Horus look it up) i agree to live the world peacefully with or without religion but he deserves to die -_- if he was black/mexican/muslim they wouldnt think twice and just kill the man

jesus never died for out sins jesus is a myth base on egyptian mythology (Horus look it up) i agree to live the world peacefully with or without religion but he deserves to die -_- if he was black/mexican/muslim they wouldnt think twice and just kill the man

Geez, people seriously, that guy didn't give a crap about anyone in that building. He lost his marbles sometime ago, although I am not saying he should be able to enter a plea of insanity. The death penalty cannot come quickly enough. He is a burden to society at this point and his rights should have been stripped the moment he decided to follow through with his plan. I personally do not want my tax dollars going to keep his ass up in prison indefinitely. What he chose to do had nothing to do with God. The only different between a murderer/serial killer/rapist and the rest of the population is the follow through.

Emily I was already on board with that state of mind with simply behaving as a faithless but noble person.

I think it's great that he forgives, no doubt… But he didn't lose a small child, or have his 4 month old and 4 year old shot at. I'm glad he has his faith though, to get him through such a difficult time.

I think it's great that he forgives, no doubt… But he didn't lose a small child, or have his 4 month old and 4 year old shot at. I'm glad he has his faith though, to get him through such a difficult time.

maybe he had the brains NOT to take a baby or a child to that movie especially after midnight! just sayin'…

If he wants to forgive the bastard, that's fine. I feel bad for the people who were injured and the families of those killed, not the shooter. He can rot in hell.

Jesus himself as he was being crucified continually prayed for those who were not seeking forgiveness, as they were killing him, that's Grace, love for the unlovely, his wounds attoned for the guilt of the ones wounding him, it was this demonstration of unconditional love, that brought saving faith in the heart of one of the theives on the cross, and prompted one centurian to exclaim, ''truly this was a rightous man truly, this is the son of God. I suspect james holmes yeilded to and is under the control of evil spirits, may God have mercy on his soul.

Jesus was punished for what he has done, may the shooter find faith to recieve the forgiveness available to him in Christ, and get delivered from the evil spirits controlling him

premeditated murder is one of the sins which cannot be forgiven while he is still in the flesh. the christian thing to do would be to put the guilty person to death, so that he can get to his real trial in heaven. God recommends that the guilty party be publicly executed so that these types of things will cease to happen around you.

many people wrongfully blame Christians for atrocitys through out history, but these individuals were merely ''religous'' or self rightous they had no real relationship with the God they were claiming to serve, and their actions prove it, like the forgiveness the shooting victim has demonstrates the fact that he does know God, and demonstrates his heart of compassion for the souls of those who are lost, and dont know him

Saying you can never forgive Holmes is like saying you could never forgive someone with the stomach flu puking on your shoes. Holmes is quite obviously ill, mentally ill. Sick. Of course most people suffering from mental illness don't kill people. And most people who kill are not mentally ill. But this guy is, and he even tried to reach out to a psychiatrist and his school. It's sad how these young people can deteriorate to that extent without anyone stepping in. I believe this incident, and the Giffords incident, were 100% preventable, based on what evidence there was available prior to both events.

@Carrie, u make some very good points. So sad for all of the victims & their families. Something 4 sure is wrong with this guy. To go in & just murder ppl 4 no reason, except that he must b a very ill man. He has to go 2 trial & b punished 4 what he has done. The victim that has forgiven him is a true Christian. God Bless him & praying he & all of the other victims make a full & speedy recovery. Ur so right a person who can't or won't forgive other's only hurts himself in the long run. Hatred only eats u up insides, not just making u bitter, but also ruining your physical health. God Bless all of the victims & their families & friends.

Of course he does, but the ppl that say they are Christians & then say such hateful things aren't true Christians. Fakes. The victim that has forgiven the shooter will b so much better off, cuz hatred eats away at your heart, soul & mind, also wrecks your physical health. God Bless all of the victims, their families & friends. Praying 4 a full & speedy recovery 4 all of them.

Gotta be the meds talking. Holmes is not worth anyone's sympathy. He had choices and blew them. For me to forgive someone's evil requires first that they own their fault and APOLOGIZE.

god this…christ that….throw his ass to the lions…….

While we were yet sinners Christ died, you who cannot forgive remember you will always want someone to forgive you.

Actually if one does not forgive it becomes double tragedy. WHen a person kills your loved one you have to forgive them, so you don't have physical and emotional murder this time you killing youself with unforgiveness.

Actually if one does not forgive it becomes double tragedy. WHen a person kills your loved one you have to forgive them, so you don't have physical and emotional murder this time you killing youself with unforgiveness.

For the relatives of the murdered please forgive so you don't have to live in emotional trauma-which is second murder.

If I was shot and survived I could forgive, because I did not die. But if one of my relative had died, dont think I could have forgive him.

I appreciate your attempt to justify the fate of this maniac by some 'higher power.' The fact is when this cold blooded killer is punished it will not be by God or any other fabricated soul that people put a lot stock in their existence. He will be punished by the actual people holding him in custody. The belief in God is that things happen under his will. If that's the case, then this incident was not by a loving God, or one I would want to believe in.

I don't know about this man's family, but my family & I forgave the man who murdered my son & 6 others back in 1999. Hatred can be an all encompassing emotion & it can ruin your life. This young man has a long road ahead of him, but he is wise to spend his time focusing on his recovery, NOT hating the shooter. Holmes absolutely deserves to be punished for his crimes.

mathiserik36656981 What ass uses comment page to advertize a rip off fake rogram promising big bucks to unsuspecting idiots. Reminds me of the ads before internet offer hundreds of $$ a day stuffing envelopes. Ass hole.

He has a lot of guts and I wish him well. Hope O'farrill heals completely. I feel for the shooters family and he is so obviously ill it makes it a little easier to forgive, sort of a unabomber type, brilliant but nuts.

That was beautifully put! I agree 100% with this guy. God Bless you brother!

That was beautifully put! I agree 100% with this guy. God Bless you brother!

I agree with both Amber and Edward. I agree with Amber who is more SPIRITUALLY correct than Edward. The "Eye for an Eye" is part of God's OLD COVENANT and no longer applies since Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice. However, I agree with Edward that the shooter DOES have a price to pay for this foul deed he has committed. Whether or not he seeks forgiveness from God is between he and God. But the bottom line is that he really DOES deserve the death penalty that Colorado supports full-force. And I have no doubts he will end up getting it. Whether or not he is wise enough to find God between now and then is totally up to him. I really don't care if he does, to tell you the truth. I'm not sure I want to be anywhere near him in the afterlife. But I realize that this is not a very good CHRISTIAN attitude, I'm afraid. :/

It is so nice and refreshing to see atheists who do not hate on Christians. Here on the internet, there is so much of that already. And it really doesn't make much sense to me.

I truly commend Mr. O'Farrill for his ability to forgive even after having been victimized by the guy. I cannot even forgive this guy, and I live on the other side of the country from where it happened. I am a Christian, but I still struggle like many of my fellow Christians to do what is right sometimes.

'Luis Jimenez Your ability to communicate with words is a myth.

I can't agree with that at all. what do YOU get out of forgiving him for a despicable act? You were the one that was injured, did he apologize to you personally and tell you how sorry he was? Forgiveness in this situation is WAY overrated.

You have to be kidding, this is a huge load of garbage and you can't be serious. You think he was a regular guy that just had pressure in his life and we should just except the way he dealt with it? we ALL have pressure in life and this is in no way an acceptable solution. It's the work of a deranged, mentally ill animal. You get nothing out of forgiving someone for an act like this. Forgiving him or hating him has the same outcome……..and that is nothing.

You have to be kidding, this is a huge load of garbage and you can't be serious. You think he was a regular guy that just had pressure in his life and we should just except the way he dealt with it? we ALL have pressure in life and this is in no way an acceptable solution. It's the work of a deranged, mentally ill animal. You get nothing out of forgiving someone for an act like this. Forgiving him or hating him has the same outcome……..and that is nothing.

It doesn't take an act of forgiveness to show there are good people out there. I for one don't agree with the notion of forgiving him, that does nothing for any of the victims. If forgiveness gave back the lives of those that were lost I'd be all for it. Yes i know hating him forever won't either but you'll notice either option you choose doesn't bring anyone back.

That's crap! Why does forgiveness have to be associated with any religious belief? Is it impossible to forgive if you're not Christian? I think you people are taking this faith and religion thing a bit far. Having a religious 'belief' does not make you a better person, it gives you a 'sense' that you're a better person. I know plenty of people that go to church and are fooling themselves and everyone else by going.

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you are a sdly mistaken man, and I guarantee if you were 50 miles off the shore floating in the ocean about to drown you would be praying for Jesus to save your sorry ass

you are a sdly mistaken man, and I guarantee if you were 50 miles off the shore floating in the ocean about to drown you would be praying for Jesus to save your sorry ass

and this all indicates to me that there truly is some higher power…..

and this all indicates to me that there truly is some higher power…..

Luis, I have heard a lot of people trying to disprove God as fake, but an "Egyptian myth" is a first. WOW

Jon, forgiveness is associated with religion because God forgave us of all our sins. Forgiveness is something anyone can do, but is mixed in with religion also. These people you know are called hypocrites. Trust me, I know a few also. But because someone is stating "God bless" and "this is what God would do" does not mean we are taking our religion too far. We simply state the facts.

I, personally don't believe I would be as forgiving, as Mr. O'Farrill. I agree with him, as he tries to understand the mind of Holmes. Holmes is his own worst enemy, but, unfortunately, he took his misery and went on a rampage. His actions will end up costing him any happiness he would have had in the future, because he chose to shoot these people, who didn't even know him. Plus, he now also has to live with the fact, that, not only did he kill grown ups, but, he killed a little kid and injured a little baby, too. I don't suspect that had any idea that little ones would be at a midnight showing. I wonder, though, if Mr. O'Farrill had family there and his wife or child was killed, would he be so forgiving?

Jon Gregory . I would guess John Michael gets a sense of peace. We all know what anger feels like. It's awful, only brings you down and makes you look at things with a negative opinion. We all experience this. Forgiveness for me in this situation would be REAL tough, if I had a family member killed like that or a friend, whomever. This said, I also realize that the shooter had something going on in his life that made him do this. You don't simply wake up one morning and decide, "I think it's a good idea to go massacre a bunch of innocent people I don't even know." Something was going on. So I can completely understand this victims stance. I wouldn't say I'd feel sympathetic toward the shooter at all. I just want to find out why these things happen and look for signs to help try and prevent future killings. So maybe the word isn't forgiveness, but understanding the situation better. Killing Holmes doesn't solve a thing. Putting him in prison for life doesn't solve a thing. Finding out how and why these things occur is the only way this will ever stop … if it ever stops.

Reading all of these comments makes me sad, sad about how people twist the christian faith. This is a false teaching and misinterpretation of God's Word. God and Jesus never asked us to practice blanket forgiveness. So many Christians have this wrong. I am a strong Christian and I believe what the Bible says is true, not someones interpretation of the Bible. For example and no offense intended but Amber read your own quote…..Forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you? How did God forgive? If the way you quote this scripture is true then everyone is going to heaven because Jesus died for sins and there is no need to repent for them. But its not true the way you've interpretted it. This and many more verses in scripture give us the illustration of not only to forgive but how to forgive appropriately. We are to forgive as God forgives, and I don't know about your God, but my God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the Father of Jesus spoken of in the Bible, only forgives if there is repentance.

Jesus says in Luke 17:3-4 So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."

Do you see what I mean about twisted. Jesus Himself clearly states to forgive IF THEY REPENT. That's a big IF. Blanket forgiveness like this does nothing to hold people accountable for their actions. Remember as iron sharpens iron? Jesus said to rebuke your brother if he sins. This type of forgiveness only enables abuse, it makes Christians look like a bunch of push-overs. Well not me, my Jesus is the Jesus that over turned tables in the temple in ANGER and beat people and animals alike to cleanse the temple. So if you are out there and you are a christian or even someone who is just deeply upset about this massacre and you can't even begin to wrap your mind or heart around the idea of forgiveness for Holmes, ITS OKAY, you are justly angry and righteously disgusted. Don't feel like your faith is shallow or lacking if you are outraged by this man. As far as I know he hasn't repented and he is not entitled to any real forgiveness until he does. Oh and just for good measure saying sorry does not establish repentance. To repent means to own up to being wrong have true sorrow for your actions and to completely turn from that sin. So it takes action to repent. When Jesus said if your brother sins against you seven times, He clearly didn't mean the same sin seven times if the person really repented, He meant seven different sins.

I like to think I live my best life by being kind and compassionate and doing so without a higher power to "decree" I do so. And admittedly, I have been known to get hotheaded with religious people, arguing, trying to prove my point, etc. But sometimes, for me, living my best life must also include listening to others I would not normally. This is definitely one of those times. This guy, religious or not, is a wonderful example of a life well lived. <3

Phil Sanderson I agree wholeheartedly. And I have been known to argue, too, let me tell you! But for now, I recognize goodness regardless of where it comes from. And I'd like to emulate it. Hug! <3

I Forgive, the colorado theater shooter too. (before you judge me on this remember Gods word about how god sees anger as being the same as murder [Matthew 5:21-22], we have been angry with more the 12 or 70 people in our short lives and the shooter only killed 12 people, how many times has God forgiven us when we've been mad at people and in a very real sense.. murdered them, Thank God that he forgives us ALL). check out this music video <http://youtu.be/h1Lu5udXEZI&gt;.

If he were Mexican, Romney and conservatives would be pushing for tougher laws on immigration, regardless of whether he would have been ilegal or legal. Republicans would also use the opportunity to create more hatred toward hispanics. If he were Muslim, you'd have crazy Republicans conservatives, like the ones Romeny gathers, burning Qurans. Come to think of it. Republicans are fascist.

If he were Mexican, Romney and conservatives would be pushing for tougher laws on immigration, regardless of whether he would have been ilegal or legal. Republicans would also use the opportunity to create more hatred toward hispanics. If he were Muslim, you'd have crazy Republicans conservatives, like the ones Romeny gathers, burning Qurans. Come to think of it. Republicans are fascist.

@Phil Sanderson HI Phil. just a little information. Colorado has 4 people currently on death row. Only 1 person has been executed in Colorado since 1976. So it looks like all of us WILL be paying for this guy for a long time.

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Not sure how I see the story. There are good points on each side. But how I would respond, I would want him dead. But I hate to hold a grudge too.

Not sure how I see the story. There are good points on each side. But how I would respond, I would want him dead. But I hate to hold a grudge too.

Emily Harckum-Bennett finally someone with a dose of reality speaks!

Religious people seem crazy but it's not a bad way to live. With that being said, I on the other hand would like to be in a room with the son of a bitch and cut his fingers, toes, balls, and dick off with a switch blade.

Good job sister!

And plus it's not like James Holmes even apologized for what he did. If he apologized maybe I can understand this article. That hole thing in court was a fucking act. He doesn't feel bad.

Not to say i feel bad for him but i can see why someone may. James Holmes has some serious issues with himeslf that he felt he had to kill a massive amount of innocent people in some way to feel, maybe, anything at all. . consider how most of us have a "sane" mind and know that although there is pain there is happiness. Although I dont believe James Holmes has anything psychologically wrong with him . . . . if he may some may feel bad for that.

Keep telling yourself that. But it is not the truth. If you want to live a good life, read the Bible. If not, good luck. You need Jesus more than you think.

Kevin, that's just cruel and wrong. I hope one day you see that.

Jon, if you so happen to "know plenty of people" that go to Church, by far what have you heard from their experiences?

Honestly, how on the earth can you not forgive? Because you're angry. Well you cannot be angry forever! That person did something wrong. Let him or her learn from it. Relax.

I don't think so. Hating someone is only an action done out of anger and therefore is a very icky feeling. Forgiving? You accept that the person made a mistake and move on with ease. How much longer are you gonna be angry at the shooter? Just ask yourself that.

I don't think so. Hating someone is only an action done out of anger and therefore is a very icky feeling. Forgiving? You accept that the person made a mistake and move on with ease. How much longer are you gonna be angry at the shooter? Just ask yourself that.

I don't think so. Hating someone is only an action done out of anger and therefore is a very icky feeling. Forgiving? You accept that the person made a mistake and move on with ease. How much longer are you gonna be angry at the shooter? Just ask yourself that.

How about you wake up? Have you ever tried to forgive someone? Has anyone forgived "you" for something wrong you did?

Then how do you forgive anyone for just anything? If it's so easy to say "Screw that" then you yourself don't understand what it is to truely forgive. And it's not saying it was okay to do that but that it's a guilty thing to be angry at someone forever.

I agree with you and his punishment should come with the court and not on us as individuals.
God and all the souls he murdered will come to judge him.

See what, this stupid ass felt that he had the right to go there and shoot all those people. If Jesus were here he could watch me skin the bastard.

See what, this stupid ass felt that he had the right to go there and shoot all those people. If Jesus were here he could watch me skin the bastard.

For all that say that it’s crazy to forgive, it’s not, trust me. It was a very brave thing for this man to do that and wouldn’t you even try to think at least for one second that he had courage? It is likely someone you love could commit an act like this, you never know. My big point here is that yes, it’s very tough when it comes to murder, but like I said, it take takes strength and courage. You could’ve very well been sitting on that hospital bed thinking and wondering to yourselves “How do I react to this? “ We only live once, think very wisely on this kind of stuff. Stay true to your heart, not your emotions.

For all that say that it’s crazy to forgive, it’s not, trust me. It was a very brave thing for this man to do that and wouldn’t you even try to think at least for one second that he had courage? It is likely someone you love could commit an act like this, you never know. My big point here is that yes, it’s very tough when it comes to murder, but like I said, it take takes strength and courage. You could’ve very well been sitting on that hospital bed thinking and wondering to yourselves “How do I react to this? “ We only live once, think very wisely on this kind of stuff. Stay true to your heart, not your emotions.

But it doesn't benefit yourself as a human being to have that kind of thought.

What I see is an evil man getting away with his crimes because it is to cruel to punish him fairly. It is not to cruel for him to kill the people in the theater. Are you insane?

Well written Patrice.

Well written Patrice.

Stop being a dumbass Alex That killer needs hung in front of all piece of living shit, your dumb if you think he should be forgivin, pass me the rope then!

"My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call something crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line." — C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity)

Just so you know what you are describing sound like Catholicism and Catholics are not Christians. They like to think they are but they aren't they are actually a lot closer in relation to Jews aside from there belief that Jesus is the messiah. Just saying.

You are wrong God does not see anger the same as murder. This verse implies that the action taken in anger calling your brother a fool is sin. The action or lack of self control that came from the anger was a sin not the emotion itself. Murder is established in the Bible as a sin and anger could never be a sin in and of itself. The reasoning is simple #1 Ephesians 4:26 says "be angry, and yet do not sin, do not let the sun go down upon your anger" #2 Jesus was perfect and without sin yet Mark 3:5 begins speaking of Jesus saying, He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts… #3 The bible says it does not contradict itself. The bible also says be slow to anger, it doesn't ever say do not be angry. How can anger be a sin??? There is an appropriate way to be angry but it must be justifiable. This massacre is one of those times where the victim should be angry as long as it is without sin.

you make a really good point. i think he has some kind of impairment which clouded his judgement. the part that really gets me wondering, is if he ever thought to throw away those chemicals he bought months in advance? did he ever have a moment of sanity throughout all that time? friends and family seem to think he was fine, at least up until the final moments. while it's not for me to judge, it's hard to say if he was truly insane or impaired because of the conflicting behaviors. sadly, nobody can walk in his shoes and say for sure what was going on physically or mentally. although i'm not christian, i do find this selfless act of forgiveness commendable.. if only the rest of the world could have the guts to follow this guy's amazing example. thanks for your post, it definitely brings up important points and raises important questions.

you make a really good point. i think he has some kind of impairment which clouded his judgement. the part that really gets me wondering, is if he ever thought to throw away those chemicals he bought months in advance? did he ever have a moment of sanity throughout all that time? friends and family seem to think he was fine, at least up until the final moments. while it's not for me to judge, it's hard to say if he was truly insane or impaired because of the conflicting behaviors. sadly, nobody can walk in his shoes and say for sure what was going on physically or mentally. although i'm not christian, i do find this selfless act of forgiveness commendable.. if only the rest of the world could have the guts to follow this guy's amazing example. thanks for your post, it definitely brings up important points and raises important questions.

Steve Vickers I am agnostic i just dont believe in the lies in the bible and the quran i dont deny that there is a higher power but you guys should educate yourselves on creationism. also i didnt judge you guys so makes you guys hypocrites

Steve Vickers I am agnostic i just dont believe in the lies in the bible and the quran i dont deny that there is a higher power but you guys should educate yourselves on creationism. also i didnt judge you guys so makes you guys hypocrites

It costs more to put a convicted murder on death row than it does to keep them in prison for life.

Thank you for catching that Patrice Miller. However cool down in your response, as in any reasonable discussion and grammar we don't need more than one (1) explanation point (!) or question mark (?). Get over your anger and hatred of someone who someone else and let go and forgive, let go of the grudges, we need to love our enemies (those who cause us harm and grief), brothers and sisters. Let God have vengeance and let us forgive. Watch that video in my last comment it is Matthew West in a song called forgiveness; in which he wrote for a mother who forgave the drunk driver who killed her daughter when he crashed into their car and the link for that specific video the drunk driver one is here <http://youtu.be/D9KI4grxLcY&gt;. Forgiveness always goes to those who don't deserve it, just like grace. Secondly even though it looks like there is a reasonable reason to be angry, is it a selfish motive to the anger, what's the motive? Bless your enemies don't look or wish for them to die. If we just love those who love us what reward is there for that? Matthew 5:43-46 & Luke 6:27-36. I know I need to love more the way God would be pleased with and the less anger and hatred I have and the more I practice Gods' word I hope to be more like Him in all I do, having humility, peace, patience, mercy, hope, and love as well as several other aspects that all christians should aspire for. . . Watch the videos and maybe you'll get my drift of where I'm coming from. God bless you.

Matthew Butler I really enjoyed your post. The perfect dose of compassion and rationale. Thanks for your message.

Thank you for your reply, I am sorry if my use of extra punctuation offended you, it is something I often do to emphasize my point. I have heard the song that you referenced but just because someone sings about something doesn't make it right. The Beatles wrote songs about getting high on recreational drugs, should I use those songs and apply those methods to my life for coping? I think not. Music can be a great ministry and inspiration I am invovled in one such ministry but the lyrics have to line up with God's Word and used appropriately. As far as my anger and my having a grudge goes to my knowledge I don't have any unjustified anger and I don't hold grudges. I am not angry with Holmes, he didn't shoot me and I won't grab that dog by the ears because this isn't my strife. But I do think it is tragic and I am sad for the victims, and everyone effected by the shooting. I understand that God wants us to love our enemies and I do that appropriately. If they are hungry I feed them, i pray for them and God's will in their life. But loving does not mean being a doormat. Love is an action, a choice not a feeling. I stand in the gap for God's truth. As far as forgiveness goes you should read my first post, like the Bible commands I forgive as God forgives, and only as God forgives, when there is repentance. Just because I don't forgive doesn't mean I am angry either. It means I am holding someone accountable for their sin. God is pleased with that and also with anyone who studies His Word in context and applies it to their life. That is how we shine the light and salt the earth, with Truth not warm fuzzy feelings. The Bible says we are to speak the Truth in love, sometimes that means we are going to have to tell people things they don't like or go against the grain and be uncomfortable because we love our neighbors and we love our God. People will know that we are God's desciples by our actions. To me someones eternal soul is more important than their earthly happiness so if I upset them with my unforgiveness and that causes them to realize that they need repentance and in turn Christ, so be it! Paul I would like to issue a personal challenge to you, really study your Bible. Don't just go off the words of songs or pastors or preachers or evangelists, but look at, research and think on the Word yourself. God loves when His kids dig in and get close with Him on that kind of level. He tells us to test the spirits. God bless you!! (I really mean that)

Oh, I really do study the Bible and test what my pastor and other people say (testing everything that is said). And we (all of us) do need to listen to our pastors, don't isolate your self and think you don't need to go to church, the pastors are under a more critical and harsher review of their teaching the flock. However, the words in Matthew Wests' song were very impacting in the shadow of the shooting with all the anger that normally goes around wishing for some ones death and destruction because of something horrible that they did. I forgive the shooter and hold no anger or ill will towards him but, he does need to answer for his crimes to the courts, and he will most likely get the death penalty for taking those lives. As we have seen on tv in the past, when family members forgive the criminals who killed family members, they didn't wait for the killer to ask for forgiveness but they forgave them even when they didn't ask for it. As for grudge through the scriptures, that is where we learn not to have grudges, which is why I also forgive any who I had a grudge against, and tell my friends about. So that we can be doers of Gods word and not just hearers. But enough of this, we're getting away from the story. the victims who DID get shot are forgiving the shooter, we could at least do the same.

I don't isolate myself I am very involved in my church and its ministries. I do listen to other but i always test. I just don't practice blanket forgiveness because that isnt what God called us to do. I don't agree that what this man did as being the "christian" thing to do. I strongly discourage this being pushed as what God would have us to do when its not what the Bible says and could discourage other people from getting right with God because they were give a wrong idea that they must forgive no matter what. That was my origional point in my origional post not the comments I made here to you. You can find that post below. And you are right we are very off topic. Enough said.

i'd say your post has a smidgen of validity. I think you need to explain why you think knowing the reason these things happen would actually stop them from happening. That makes absolutely no sense. No one is a fortune teller, we can't predict the future. Sorry to say these things will always happen whether we know why or not.

I don't believe in jesus or god or anything that you are all talking about but come on he is a living soul like all of you are.. He has the right to live wether it be in a mental hospital, a prison or in solitary confinement in a prison.. Or even at home.!! Remember there is apparently another suspect that nobody seems to be concentrating on that if it's tru of another suspect this could happen all over again and nobody seems bothered.!!! I feel sorry for James yes he might have done it but then he might not hav.!! And yes he has defiantly got a lot of problems but if you read and believe everything the papers publish Then he isn't going to have a fair trial coz a situation like this most people will believe all the bad things people are supposedly saying about him… At the end of the day he is a 24 year old American man who is in my opinion very disturbed and needs help not locking up with Other convicts who kill in cold blood and would no doubt try there best to get at him… I'm in no way sticking up for him but he has rights like all of you.!!!

He killed a 6yr old girl n shot a 5-6month baby in the back he deserves the death penalty mental or not u don't go out with tear gas,a shotgun,machine gun n 2glock handguns to do anything but kill he knew what he was doing he was controlled when shooting them as they ran for there lifes n they all try pleading mental to save them from death penalty he was enjoying seeing them run while he shot them pure sick bastard if u ask me were better off without ppl like him

No I don't agree they shouldnt let people b able to buy guns at all.. If we cud buy them over ere well we might aswell fucking shoot r selves..!! There's a sighting by the people who were there ov a second person so no1 can say 100% it was even him who shot them.!! The police are apparently looking for some1 else who coinsidently hasn't been seen since not long before this happened.. I don't agree with the death penalty neither.. Peter sutcliffe our most vile sick man is still alive and is foreva going to be in a mental hospital, paid by us and I don't mind coz look at all the hate and violence he has been thru rather than the peace ov death… I'm not saying he didn't do it but does my head in people speculating wen we know nothing about the truth of what happened and he is already condemned by people as a evil man when he is more than likely unstable I'm his mind and needs help… And I'm sorry but wot the fuck r baby's doing at a cinema watching a 'violent' film at that time of night anyway..!!!!!

Luis doesn't know what's he's talking about. I'm just putting that out there. The Horus theory in regard to Jesus isn't taken seriously by actual historians and genuine academics. Look it up.

Luis also seems to be a bit racist. He's got that "us versus them" mentality.

“Forgiveness has nothing to do with absolving a criminal of his crime. It has everything to do with relieving oneself of the burden of being a victim–letting go of the pain and transforming oneself from victim to survivor.”.
― C.R. Strahan
It looks like we actually have our first survivor, at least according to this quote about forgiveness.

And as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this piece of scripture from Doctrine and Covenants says a lot too. Doctrine and Covenants 64:10 – 10 I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men. (http://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/64?lang=eng)

Forgiveness doesn't free the shooter of his crime, but seriously, it frees us to learn to get him.
Forgive the shooter and forget him, but NEVER FORGET THOSE WHO DIED.

It's nice to see that one of the victims have figured out the sad truth that James Holmes is a victim as well. I don't think that Pierce O’Farrill is right about why James Holmes did what he did though. I don't think it has anything to do with evil or anger in Holmes's heart; I think that Holmes is insane. So while I disagree with why Mr. Pierce O’Farrill has chosen to forgive James Holmes I still believe that it is the right thing for Mr. Pierce O’Farrill to do. After all, what is the point to hating a man who did something wrong only because that man is insane? Jesus would want us to forgive the transgressions of insane people. When Mary Magdelene came upon Jesus with her mental health problems Jesus didn't hate her or hold her mental health problems against her. He helped her overcome. Jesus is the template that we all should follow and the path he laid down is for us to help people with mental health problems rather than hating-on them. Is there even one person in this world who honestly say that James Holmes is not crazy?

Hey Edward Saenz and Amber Casey, when did Jesus say it was OK to kill or even punish insane people? Never! You two are using your own judgment rather than Jesus's judgment. You two are coming to your own conclusions using your own judgment and your own attitudes and then you two act like the conclusions that you two have come to on your own comes from Jesus. What you two are saying comes from you two, not from Jesus. You are following your own paths, not Jesus Christ's path. And as you two follow your own path you assert that you are following Jesus's path. What a laugh. You're liars. Jesus is the template and we are supposed to follow Jesus path rather than creating our own path and then calling it Jesus's path.James Holmes is obviously insane and the story of Jesus interaction with Mary Magdalene is the template for how we are supposed to treat people with mental health problems. Jesus didn't punish Mary Magdalene over her mental health problems; rather he helped her. That is the path that Jesus laid down for us to follow. I'm sorry that, that doesn't go along with your judgment and your conclusions and your path, but make no mistake about it, the path that you are embarking on is not the path Jesus laid down for you to walk.

Phil Sanderson didn't Jesus come to earth for a number of reasons: to die for our sins but also to lay down a new path. Didn't Jesus basically say out with the old and in with the new. The old covenant is not supposed to apply anymore. There is a new covenant and that new covenant is Jesus Christ. He is the template. We are supposed to follow the path he laid down.

What you call "blanket forgiveness" actually is a Godly practice. If we are to forgive as Christ forgave us, then we must offer our forgiveness before they repent! Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." It is their choice to repent, but by God's own command, if we are believers, we are called to forgive. As for keeping people accountable for their sins, is that not God's duty? Romans 12:19-21- "Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Paul says in 2Tim 4:14 "Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done."

You claim it makes Christians look like a bunch of push-overs to forgive before they repent, but is it not even more pathetic to go with the flow and spit out harmful words about the killer? 1Tim 1:15-16 "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners —of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life." Would you offer forgiveness to Paul, one of the worst sinners, who oversaw the persecution of Stephen and countless other Christians? Mt 5:46 "If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?"

If we truly love him, as we should in Christ, then we keep 1Co 13:5b "no record of wrong." What a foolish heresy has taken over the Church- that we believe that forgiveness from us, those who have been forgiven forever, is on our own terms and time and not required by God!

Mt 18:23-35 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts o with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.
Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.“The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

Repentance takes action by the Holy Spirit, not of our own works "lest any man should boast." Take the thief on the cross- he did nothing, like ourselves, to merit any forgiveness yet it was given to him!

We should rebuke a brother to correct him in his ways (even as I am now), but we also forgive him. forgiveness does not imply that he was right in any way, but it reflects the ultimate forgiveness offer from Christ Himself.

How shameful that we would be forgiven all by Christ, and live our lives with an unforgiving heart! What a great lie it is that we don't need to forgive our debtors! To not forgive is to be ungrateful for our own forgiveness, for which we did nothing at all! Praise be to our Lord, Jesus Christ, the God of forgiveness! Patrice, Janay, David, and any other brother or sister in Christ- I hope you realize that forgiveness is never optional, but is a command from God Himself, from whom all forgiveness comes!

What you call "blanket forgiveness" actually is a Godly practice. If we are to forgive as Christ forgave us, then we must offer our forgiveness before they repent! Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." It is their choice to repent, but by God's own command, if we are believers, we are called to forgive. As for keeping people accountable for their sins, is that not God's duty? Romans 12:19-21- "Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Paul says in 2Tim 4:14 "Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done."

You claim it makes Christians look like a bunch of push-overs to forgive before they repent, but is it not even more pathetic to go with the flow and spit out harmful words about the killer? 1Tim 1:15-16 "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners —of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life." Would you offer forgiveness to Paul, one of the worst sinners, who oversaw the persecution of Stephen and countless other Christians? Mt 5:46 "If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?"

If we truly love him, as we should in Christ, then we keep 1Co 13:5b "no record of wrong." What a foolish heresy has taken over the Church- that we believe that forgiveness from us, those who have been forgiven forever, is on our own terms and time and not required by God!

Mt 18:23-35 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts o with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.
Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.“The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

Repentance takes action by the Holy Spirit, not of our own works "lest any man should boast." Take the thief on the cross- he did nothing, like ourselves, to merit any forgiveness yet it was given to him!

We should rebuke a brother to correct him in his ways (even as I am now), but we also forgive him. forgiveness does not imply that he was right in any way, but it reflects the ultimate forgiveness offer from Christ Himself.

How shameful that we would be forgiven all by Christ, and live our lives with an unforgiving heart! What a great lie it is that we don't need to forgive our debtors! To not forgive is to be ungrateful for our own forgiveness, for which we did nothing at all! Praise be to our Lord, Jesus Christ, the God of forgiveness! Patrice, Janay, David, and any other brother or sister in Christ- I hope you realize that forgiveness is never optional, but is a command from God Himself, from whom all forgiveness comes!

I will pray that you will understand the foolishness of what you say. Not everyone goes to have narrow is the gate and few enter remember. If it was just He died for us its all good with God why live a moral life. Why have laws? why not anarchy it wouldn't matter what we do. Jesus is the Way not the forgiveness!!! God gives that when we REPENT!!!